Nanotechnology researchers create breakthroughs in single-electron device fabrication

Laptop computers that are lighter and generate less heat. Portable memory devices the size of a thumbnail or a quarter that can store the equivalent of hundreds of movies. These are some of the possible results of a new technology – single-electron devices – that will allow integrated circuit chip manufacturers to go beyond existing limits of size and operating efficiency by packing huge numbers of circuits in a small space. Single-electron devices have many advantages over conventional electronic devices; they can have ultra-high packing density and operate with extremely low power consumption. Nanotechnology researchers have been working on these devices for more than a decade; however, various fabrication challenges have limited their production to only a small number of devices at a time, restricting their practical... [read full story]