Nanotechnologies and the Electronic Sector
Image by Oliver Ingrouille on Flickr
Over the past 20 years, the electronics industry has produced ever-smaller devices with improved costs and performance. These advances have been driven by Moore’s Law and the demand for faster processing times and more processing power and represent a natural continuation of microelectronics.
As technologies evolve, nanomaterials and nanoprocesses could result in the realisation of molecular-scale electronics and quantum computing. In particular, carbon nano-tubes, and more recently graphene, have received significant interest because of their excellent electronic properties. These materials are being touted as possible replacements for silicon.
Areas of opportunity for the use of nanotechnologies in electronic components cross a wide range of sectors. They include:
• Electronic materials-lower costs and improved performance of transparent electrodes, electrolytes, transistors, etc.
• Organic electronics
• Chemicals used to polish electronic circuits
• Displays- carbon nano-tube based displays have been demonstrated and are close to market,
• LEDs- use carbon nano-tubes, quantum dots and nanowires to increase efficiency, colour stability and lifetimes),
• Optoelectronics and photonics,
• Energy storage and generation devices e.g. batteries, solar cells, capacitors, fuel cells
• Heat management systems
• Sensors
• Memory and storage devices
• Radio frequency identification (RFI) tags using optically active nanoparticles
Are Nanoelectronics products already on the market?
Yes. Current products tend to be discrete but more integrated large area and arrayed devices (like solar cells) are emerging.
Managing risks and uncertainties
The regulatory environment that governs conventional electronics systems and devices and their applications will hold true for the inclusion of nanomaterials and nanoprocesses. This includes a need to meet flame retardancy, RoHS and WEEE directive requirements. As with other sectors, calls for the further investigation into the environmental, health and safety effects of nanotechnology will be important in determining market adoption and uptake, especially given the ubiquity of electronic devices in people’s everyday lives.
Conclusions
Nanotechnologies will play a key role in future electronics advances, including the commercialisation of organic electronic devices. However, a paradigm transition to CNT-electronics remains very uncertain.
Below is a SWOT analysis summarising Government understanding, from discussion with stakeholders, of the major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the UK in this sector. Please help to steer future actions and shape the UK business environment by answering the questions on the right hand side of the page.
Strength: Good research base and materials production expertise in the UK. The UK electronics industry already embracing nanotechnology.
Weakness: Hype over the performance of nanomaterials in real applications (e.g. carbon nano-tubes), long time to market, cost of nanomaterials, scaling issues, process compatibility of nanomaterials with existing electronics manufacturing infrastructure.
Opportunity: Nanotechnology will impact on every industry because electronics are ubiquitous. Hybrid integration with existing semiconductor materials and processes most likely in near to mid term. Carbon nano-tubes or graphene-based transistors are unlikely to emerge commercially for 5-10 years.
Threat: Conventional materials and manufacturing processes: Silicon will not be easily displaced and other materials have been touted as potential replacements without significant success in mainstream applications. Significant competition from major US, Japanese and South Korean electronics companies that have taken the lead in many nanoelectronics developments.
What’s your view? Please answer a short survey on nanotechnology in this sector using the form on the right, or leave a public comment using the form below.
