CCI Phase I: Center for Nanostructured Electronic Materials

第一阶段CCI的重点是如何使用分子来取代大块材料作为集成电路（IC）的组件。电子器件性能的显著提高是“自上而下”制造集成电路方法稳步改进的直接结果，但特征尺寸正迅速接近传统光刻方法的极限。此外，设备的改进并没有随着最新一代线宽的改进而扩大，并且正在探索进行计算和数据存储的新方法。分子电子学，用纳米颗粒和分子结构代替目前在集成电路中使用的大块材料，为解决这些挑战提供了潜力。释放这种潜力需要新的制造方法，可以在分子水平上控制位置、尺寸和方向。纳米结构电子材料第一阶段中心的初始重点是研究二维定向生长，利用化学前体和合成方法的新用途，如表面等离子体介导的化学沉积（SPMCD），利用纳米粒子的光学特性在特定位置选择性生长材料。通过电子束诱导解离（EBID）和接触材料的电沉积，可以实现并置分子电子元件之间电接触（结）的无损制造。该研究将扩展到3D生长技术，其中特定的化学相互作用，包括自组装单层和定制的化学前体，可以应用于诱导z方向的优先生长。在这个项目中所探索的纳米结构的大小和接近性将使量子约束、库仑充电和近端光学耦合在制造潜在的新型纳米电子和纳米光子器件方面得到前所未有的利用。该CCI将促进新型纳米级电子材料开发专家和具有直接技术相关性的原型制造专家之间的密切合作。佛罗里达大学、伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校和佐治亚大学的参与者将与来自分子电子学发展前沿公司的工业导师合作，他们将提供材料要求、设备设计和制造方面的工业观点。纳米结构电子材料中心的重点是基于化学的分子电子学方法在微电子工业中的应用，这是美国在技术上竞争优势的关键组成部分。正如《美国竞争力倡议》（American competitiveness Initiative）所阐述的那样，这种创新将有助于美国的国家经济竞争力。在此背景下，该中心将通过建立基于团队的问题解决技能来教育学生跨学科的合作工作，这些技能可以触及学生自己的学科之外。实习、指导本科生研究人员以及与工业研究人员的互动将被用来进一步拓宽学生的视野。为了向公众传达科学的兴奋，CCI将制作一系列两分钟的广播节目和播客，介绍化学和材料科学研究的实际应用。为了使代表性不足的群体更广泛地参与进来，CCI将与参与该CCI的三所大学的既定扩大参与项目合作，招募和指导少数民族和女性本科生和博士生。化学创新中心（CCI）计划支持能够解决重大、长期基础化学研究挑战的研究中心，这些研究中心有很大可能产生变革性研究并导致创新。这些中心将通过分享他们对这一具有挑战性的问题的创新方法的成果，吸引广泛的科学和公众兴趣。

This Phase I CCI focuses on the important question of how to use molecules to replace bulk materials as components in integrated circuits (IC's). The dramatic improvements of electronic device performance have been a direct consequence of steady improvements in "top-down" methods to fabricate IC's, but feature sizes are rapidly approaching the limits of traditional lithographic methods. In addition, device improvements have not scaled with the latest generations of line-width improvements and new ways to carry out computation and data storage are being explored. Molecular electronics, which substitute nanoparticles and molecule based structures in place of bulk materials currently used in IC's, offer the potential to address these challenges. Unleashing this potential will require new fabrication methods that allow control of the location, dimension, and orientation at the molecular level. The initial focus of the Phase I Center for Nanostructured Electronic Materials is research in 2D directional growth with novel use of chemical precursors and synthetic methods, such as surface plasmon-mediated chemical deposition (SPMCD) that exploits the optical properties of nanoparticles for selective growth of material at specific locations. The non-destructive fabrication of electrical contacts (junctions) between juxtaposed molecular electronic components will be approached by electron beam induced dissociation (EBID) and electrodeposition of contact materials. The research will be extended to 3D growth techniques where specific chemical interactions, involving self-assembled monolayers and tailored chemical precursors, can be applied to induce preferential growth in the z direction. The size and proximity of the nanostructures explored in this program will enable the unprecedented utilization of quantum confinement, coulomb charging and proximal optical coupling for fabrication of potentially new nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices. This CCI will foster close collaborations between experts in the development of new nanoscale electronic materials and specialists in the creation of prototypes with direct technological relevance. Participants at the University of Florida, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Georgia will collaborate with industrial mentors from companies on the forefront of development of molecular electronics, who will provide an industrial perspective on materials requirements, device design and manufacturing. The focus of the Center for Nanostructured Electronic Materials on chemistry-based approaches to molecular electronics for applications in the microelectronics industry is a crucial component of America's competitive edge in technology. Such innovation would aid US national economic competitiveness as articulated in the American Competitiveness Initiative. Within this context, the center will educate students for interdisciplinary collaborative work by building team-based problem solving skills that reach outside the students' own disciplines. Internships, mentoring of undergraduate researchers, and interactions with industrial research personnel will be used to further broaden the students' perspectives. In order to communicate the excitement of science to the general public, the CCI will develop a series of two-minute radio spots and podcasts that will feature real world applications of chemistry and materials science research. To enable broader participation by under-represented groups, the CCI will partner with the established broadening participation programs of the three universities participating in this CCI to recruit and mentor minority and female undergraduates and Ph.D. students. The Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) Program supports research centers that can address major, long-term fundamental chemical research challenges that have a high probability of both producing transformative research and leading to innovation. These Centers will attract broad scientific and public interest by sharing the results of their innovative approach to this challenging question.