Quantum Semiconductor Devices

The construction of a quantum electronics technology will involve a concentrated effort in basic device physics, advanced fabrication, and novel architectures. The basic physics on which devices in this technology will probably operate are quantum size effects and quantum mechanical tunneling, considerably different from conventional devices. Structures which exhibit these effects have been demonstrated. The realization of the basic devices in this technology is underway. The prototype architectures in this technology must exploit strong local device coupling, and are known as "cellular automata". The need of such architectures is driven by the need to eliminate interconnects, and is natural for "quantum-coupled devices". This revolutionary approach in both device and architecture is inherent in the desire to scale far beyond present VSLI.