Seminar Details
2022-11-22 (14h) : The fascinating and frightening face of nanoelectronics
At Euler building (room A.002)
Organized by Mathematical Engineering
Speaker :
Jean-Pierre Raskin (UCLouvain, ICTEAM/ELEN)
Abstract :
Nanotechnology is revolutionizing the way we communicate, consume, and think. The manufacture and characterization of these nanoscale objects are real challenges for scientists and industry. In the field of nanoelectronics the characteristic sizes of transistors are constantly decreasing and with this reduction in size the structural defects in and between the materials as well as the residual mechanical stresses within the thin films, to name a few, greatly limit performance of some basic electronic components. The scientific community is working to find solutions to these problems. However, these same technological limitations can be exploited in an original way and become real sources of innovation in other fields of application. Two examples will be presented: (i) the interest of interface defects in the production of a high performance silicon substrate essential for the integration of the high frequency electronics necessary for any wireless object, (ii) the exploitation of internal stresses in thin films for the development of mechanical test laboratories on silicon chips in order to explore the electromechanical behavior of materials at the nanometer scale. The beauty of these technological innovations cannot hide a much less pleasing environmental and social reality. The use of these advanced, complex, energy-intensive technologies that require a lot of critical and toxic materials must be considered with much more awareness. Engineers and scientists must embrace the complexity of these societal challenges by adopting a holistic approach. This paradigm shift must be taught to future engineers so that they contribute to the development of a more sustainable and fair world.