Metrology (including materials characterization) for nanoelectronics

Integrated circuits have already entered the world of nanoelectronics. According to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, the industry will be extending CMOS technology through new materials and device structures for at least the next fifteen years. During that time, the gate length of nanotransistors will shrink to less than 10 nm. The electrical properties of nano-transistors will move into regime of short channel devices where new physics will result in changes in transistor operation. The number of transistors in a single IC is already approaching a number that results 2 billion functions per IC by 2010. Nano-sized features and high density will challenge metrology and characterization and most certainly move measurement further into the world of nanotechnology. Beyond CMOS, new nano-technology based devices are being considered as a means of continuing the rapid pace of technological innovation in electronics.