Nanoelectronics - now or never? [Panel Discussion Topics]

Summary form only given. Traditional 'top-down' microelectronics has become nanoelectronics with device dimensions comparable to those being explored in the new field of 'bottom-up' nano- and molecular electronics. We use the terms, top-down and bottom-up, in a very general sense. Top-down refers to a way of thinking and building that begins at the macro (continuum) scale and pushes to the nanoscale. Bottom-up refers to a way of thinking and building that begins at the atomistic level and builds up to the nanoscale. The top-down approach has already delivered silicon MOSFETs with channel lengths of ∼5nm, but scaling down device dimensions with commensurate increase in device and system performance is increasingly challenging. Bottom-up technology has demonstrated molecular switches, nanotube and nanowire FET's, NDR and single electron devices, and ultra-dense memory prototypes. Is bottom-up nanotechnology ready to address the industry's challenges, or is it still long-term research with essentially unpredictable outcomes? This panel debates the question of what the intersection of top-down and bottom-up electronics mean to semiconductor technology of the future. A panel of experts provide their perspectives and engage the audience in a debate on the likely role of unconventional nano- and molecular electronics in future electronic systems.