Manufacturability of high-performance discrete electronic devices

Whereas the last four decades have seen a steady stream of new and new-generation devices for all forms of computing and communications, the next decade will see an increase in emphasis on low-cost manufacture. The reasons are manifold, but include new technical challenges, the structure of the industry, and an ever tighter focus on return on investment. The author discuss the challenges of achieving low-cost manufacture for a state-of-the-art (tunnelling-based) microwave detector, where the thickness of a critical layer must be controlled to within ±0·2 monolayers to achieve a sufficiently high yield. The implications for the manufacture of other quantum-effect devices are also discussed