On the Way to Nanoelectronics

The experience of the past shows that throughout constant technology improvement electronics has become more reliable, faster, more powerful, and less expensive by reducing the dimensions of integrated circuits. These advantages are the driver for the development of modern microelectronics. The long-term goal of this development will lead to nanoelectronics. The first microelectronic components and systems were quite expensive and therefore only ari adequate solution for space travel. Nowadays integrated circuits as key components, are utilized in a broad range of applications. The semiconductor silicon is the most important material in the production of microelectronic circuits. Actually the limit of silicon technology is set by the manufacturing processes and not by silicon itself or the laws of physics.