NanoMarkets, LC, a leading industry
analyst firm based here, has released a new white paper that addresses the
role of nanotechnology in the semiconductor industry. The paper identifies
key areas where nanotech will not only extend the capabilities of traditional
CMOS but also enable development of new technologies that will create
significant opportunities for the electronics industry. The paper is
available for download at http://www.nanomarkets.net
Key Findings:
In its new white paper, NanoMarkets examines a number of important ways in
which nanotechnology is already impacting the semiconductor industry, as well
as ways in which it will soon have an impact. While some semiconductor firms
loosely apply the term "nanotechnology" to production at 95-nm node sizes and
below, NanoMarkets states that nanotech is more than a term to denote
scalability. In this new paper, the firm discusses how nanotechnology will
ultimately change the semiconductor market, both in terms of production and in
terms of materials platforms. NanoMarkets believes that the biggest impact
nanotech will have on the semiconductor industry will actually fall outside
the CMOS paradigm and claims that this impact is already being felt in:
Nonvolatile Memory: Non-volatile memory is a key enabler for mobile
computing, but whereas current flash technology solutions have limited
capacity and speed, commercially available nanoengineered solutions such as
FRAM and MRAM offer considerable performance improvements. "Nanomemory" is
getting considerable backing from industry giants such as Freescale, IBM,
Infineon and Intel.
"Plastic" Electronics: Xerox, Sony and others say that they are ready to
bring thin-film electronics products to market. Unlike CMOS, plastic
electronics keeps unit costs low for small-volume production, while also
offering superior thermal properties. This enables novel products to be
created. By 2006, large roll-up screens for mobile computing will be
available and plastic electronics will lower the cost of RFID tags making them
usable for disposable items.
Nanosensors: Nanosensors offer a much lower detection threshold than rival
technologies, because they are capable of detecting changes at the molecular
or atomic level. In some cases, this is overkill, but in some mission-
critical applications it is exactly what is needed. Examples of where
nanosensors would be of huge importance include biotoxin detection for
homeland security and in healthcare where they can provide early warnings of
cancer.
The data for this paper was sourced from a soon-to-be-released report
titled, "Emerging Nanoelectronics Markets." This and other papers that
address the intersection of nanotechnology and the electronics industry may be
accessed by visiting the firm's web site at http://www.nanomarkets.net.
