Everyone is familiar with the amazing performance of a modern smartphone, powered by a billion-plus nanotransistors, each having an active region that is barely a few hundred atoms in length.These lecture notes are about a less appreciated by-product of the microelectronics revolution, namely the deeper understanding of current flow, and device operation that it has enabled, which forms the basis for a new approach to transport problems.The book assumes very little background beyond linear algebra and differential equations, and is intended to be accessible to anyone in any branch of science or engineering.

Everyone is familiar with the amazing performance of a modern smartphone, powered by a billion-plus nanotransistors, each having an active region that is barely a few hundred atoms long. The same amazing technology has also led to a deeper understanding of the nature of current flow and heat dissipation on an atomic scale which is of broad relevance to the general problems of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics that pervade many different fields.This book is based on a set of two online courses originally offered in 2012 on nanoHUB-U and more recently in 2015 on edX. In preparing the second edition the author decided to split it into parts A and B titled Basic Concepts and Quantum Transport respectively, along the lines of the two courses. A list of available video lectures corresponding to different sections of this volume is provided upfront.To make these lectures accessible to anyone in any branch of science or engineering, the author assume very little background beyond linear algebra and differential equations. However, the author will be discussing advanced concepts that should be of interest even to specialists, who are encouraged to look at his earlier books for additional technical details.

Everyone is familiar with the amazing performance of a modern smartphone, powered by a billion-plus nanotransistors, each having an active region that is barely a few hundred atoms long. The same amazing technology has also led to a deeper understanding of the nature of current flow and heat dissipation on an atomic scale which is of broad relevance to the general problems of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics that pervade many different fields.This book is based on a set of two online courses originally offered in 2012 on nanoHUB-U and more recently in 2015 on edX. In preparing the second edition the author decided to split it into parts A and B titled Basic Concepts and Quantum Transport respectively, along the lines of the two courses. A list of available video lectures corresponding to different sections of this volume is provided upfront.To make these lectures accessible to anyone in any branch of science or engineering, the author assume very little background beyond linear algebra and differential equations. However, the author will be discussing advanced concepts that should be of interest even to specialists, who are encouraged to look at his earlier books for additional technical details.

This book presents the conceptual framework underlying the atomistic theory of matter, emphasizing those aspects that relate to current flow. This includes some of the most advanced concepts of non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. No prior acquaintance with quantum mechanics is assumed. Chapter 1 provides a description of quantum transport in elementary terms accessible to a beginner. The book then works its way from hydrogen to nanostructures, with extensive coverage of current flow. The final chapter summarizes the equations for quantum transport with illustrative examples showing how conductors evolve from the atomic to the ohmic regime as they get larger. Many numerical examples are used to provide concrete illustrations and the corresponding Matlab codes can be downloaded from the web. Videostreamed lectures, keyed to specific sections of the book, are also available through the web. This book is primarily aimed at senior and graduate students.

A. Basic concepts. Why electrons flow ; The elastic resistor ; Ballistic and diffusive transport ; Conductance from fluctuation ; Energy band model ; The nanotransistor ; Diffusion equation for ballistic transport ; Boltzmann equation ; Electrochemical potentials and quasi-Fermi levels ; Hall effect ; Smart contacts ; Thermoelectricity ; Phonon transport ; Second law ; Fuel value of information

This Springer Handbook comprehensively covers the topic of semiconductor devices, embracing all aspects from theoretical background to fabrication, modeling, and applications. Nearly 100 leading scientists from industry and academia were selected to write the handbook's chapters, which were conceived for professionals and practitioners, material scientists, physicists and electrical engineers working at universities, industrial R&D, and manufacturers. Starting from the description of the relevant technological aspects and fabrication steps, the handbook proceeds with a section fully devoted to the main conventional semiconductor devices like, e.g., bipolar transistors and MOS capacitors and transistors, used in the production of the standard integrated circuits, and the corresponding physical models. In the subsequent chapters, the scaling issues of the semiconductor-device technology are addressed, followed by the description of novel concept-based semiconductor devices. The last section illustrates the numerical simulation methods ranging from the fabrication processes to the device performances. Each chapter is self-contained, and refers to related topics treated in other chapters when necessary, so that the reader interested in a specific subject can easily identify a personal reading path through the vast contents of the handbook.

With the development of the scanning tunneling microscope, nanoscience became an important discipline. Single atoms could be manipulated in a controlled manner, and it became possible to change matter at its 'ultimate' level; it is the level on which the properties of matter emerge. This possibility enables to construct and to produce devices, materials, etc. with very small sizes and completely new properties. That opens up new perspectives for technology and is in particular relevant in connection with nano-engineering.Nanosystems are unimaginably small and very fast. No doubt, this is an important characteristic. But there is another feature, possibly more relevant, in connection with nanoscience and nanotechnology. The essential point here is that we work at the 'ultimate level'. This is the smallest level at which the properties of our world emerge, at which functional matter can exist. In particular, at this level biological individuality comes into existence. This situation can be expressed in absolute terms: This is not only the strongest material ever made, this is the strongest material it will ever be possible to make (D Ratner and M Ratner, Nanotechnology and Homeland Security). This is a very general statement. All aspects of matter are concerned here. Through the variation of the composition various forms of matter emerge with different items.Nanosystems are usually small, but they offer nevertheless the possibility to vary the structure of atomic (molecular) ensembles, creating a diversity of new material-specific properties. A large variety of experimental possibilities come into play and flexible theoretical tools are needed at the basic level. This is reflected in the different disciplines: In nanoscience and nanotechnology we have various directions: Materials science, functional nanomaterials, nanoparticles, food chemistry, medicine with brain research, quantum and molecular computing, bioinformatics, magnetic nanostructures, nano-optics, nano-electronics, etc.The properties of matter, which are involved within these nanodisciplines, are ultimate in character, i.e., their characteristic properties come into existence at this level. The book is organized in this respect.