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WHITE PA P E R Improving Low Current Measurements on Nanoelectronic and Molecular Electronic Devices Jonathan L. Tucker Keithley Instruments, Inc. Nanotech Development Moore's Law states that circuit density will double every 18 months. However, in order to maintain this rate of increase, there must be fundamental changes in the way circuits are formed. Over the past few years, there have been significant and exciting developments in nanotechnology, particularly in the areas of nanoelectronics and molecular electronic (also called moletronic) devices. The 2001 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors projects that by 2004, devices should shrink to 0.09 micron (90nm) structures, the upper end of the nanostructure size range. However, a few semiconductor companies that claim to be fabricating devices smaller than 100nm are already challenging that level. Below a semiconductor scale of 100nm, the principles, fabrication methods, and ways to integrate silicon devices into systems are not fully developed, but apparently not impossible. Still, the increasing precision and quality control required for silicon devices smaller than 100nm will presumably require new fabrication equipment and facilities that may not be justified due to high cost. This cost barrier is likely to be reached within the next ten years. Even if cost were not a factor, silicon devices have physical size limitations that affect their performance. That means the race is on to develop nanodimensional and moletronic devices and associated production methods. Keithley Instruments, Inc. 28775 Aurora Road Cleveland, Ohio 44139 (440) 248-0400 Fax: (440) 248-6168 www.keithley.com A G r e a t e r M e a s u r e o f C o n f i d e n c e Carbon Nanotube and Organic Chain Devices Two types of molecules that are being used as current carrying, nano-scale electronic devices are carbon nanotubes and polyphenylene-based chains. Researchers have already demonstrated carbon nanotube based FETs, nanotube based logic inverters, and organic-chain diodes, switches, and memory cells. All of the