RINCE's Microelectronics Research Laboratory to Investigate Silicon Nanotechnology
1 April 2004

Professor Patrick McNally

RINCE's Microelectronics Research Laboratory (MRL), directed by Professor Patrick McNally, has just been awarded funding for a new project at one of Europe's leading large scientific institutions. The work will be carried out in collaboration with the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FzK), Germany, which is one of the biggest science and engineering research institutions in Europe. FzK operates a high brilliance synchrotron x-ray source called ANKA, at their Institute for Synchrotron Radiation (ISS). In March 2003, Professor McNally became one of the very first of a group of project leaders selected to receive beamtime for their work.

Following on from the success of that project, MRL has now been awarded further beamtime at ANKA. The project, entitled Ultimate Si Technology Characterisation, aims to address fundamental materials and device issues for forthcoming extremely small Si integrated circuit (microchip) technology. Si microelectronics is extending into the nanoscale and requires a stringent control of materials. Using a technique called x-ray topography, Professor McNally's group will advance the basic understanding of the physical processes which occur during the fabrication of Si based devices of ultimate dimensions or offering new functions. This includes the analysis of the impact of materials and device processing via the characterisation of the physical, mechanical and electrical properties of new structures of very small dimensions compatible with existing technologies.

The RINCE group will study the impact of processing steps on the on performance of these new nanodevices. The project also includes collaborators from the University of Surrey and the University of Southampton in the UK.

The new "nanochips" based on this new silicon technology will see wide application in the future. The idea of using these new nanochips, based on the silicon materials so beloved of the Intels and Nokias of the world, is to produce devices that consume extremely low quantities of electrical power and can operate at incredible high speeds. In fact, it's quite possible that future Si-based nanotechnology will allow engineers to use light waves rather than electricity inside these chips. So we can look forward to tiny, portable and lightening fast computers, PDAs, mobile phones, all of which could operate for weeks or months without ever needing to be recharged!