Short communication

, Volume: 19( 1) DOI: 10.37532/0974-7516.2025.19(1).002

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Electronic Materials and Nanotechnology

Priyanshi Kumari*

Department of Physics, Kalinga institute of industrial technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

*Correspondence:

Priyanshi Kumari
Department of Physics, Kalinga institute of industrial technology Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
E-mail:E-mail:priyanshikumari088@gmail.com

Introduction

Nanotechnology is a branch of research and creativity. It focuses on creating things on a smaller scale atoms and molecular level. Nanotechnology comes from the word nano means one billionth of a meter in length or ten times the diameter of a hydrogen atom. Nanotechnology has the ability to boost energy efficiency, help us clean environment and tackle severe hazardous climatic and health concerns. Nanotechnology products are smaller lighter and cheaper. When applied to electronic materials like semiconductor diodes which already have been doped focuses on extrinsic semiconductor. In these diodes the nanoparticles will be doped, bring about characteristic change in atomic and molecular level and structure. The silicon diodes will be made lighter and difficult to fabricate using nano materials which will further reduce the harmful radiations’. To the environment and can be easily decomposed. Inter atomic interactions and quantum mechanical properties are important in operation of the devices. Various computing and electronic devices like the flash memory chips, antimicrobial and antibacterial coating for mouse and keyboard. Mobile phone coating is good example of nanoelectronics. Nanotechnology finds applications in printed electronics for RFID, smart cards and smart packaging. Smart panels nanotechnology finds applications in contemporary television. Nanostructured polymer films called as organic light emitting diode. In the rapidly advancing fields of electronics and materials science, electronic materials and nanotechnology are increasingly intertwined, driving innovations across numerous applications, from consumer electronics to renewable energy systems. These fields are pivotal in developing faster, smaller and more efficient devices, all of which depend on the unique properties of materials at the nanoscale.

Description

Electronic materials

Electronic materials are crucial for the functioning of various devices, including semiconductors, conductors, insulators and superconductors. These materials are characterized by their electrical, optical and thermal properties, which determine how they behave in electronic systems. Semiconductors, such as silicon (Si), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Germanium (Ge), are the backbone of modern electronics. Silicon, for example, is widely used in microelectronics, including transistors, diodes and Integrated Circuits (ICs), which power devices like smartphones, computers and communication systems. More recently, wide-bandgap semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) have gained prominence due to their superior performance in high-power, high-temperature applications, including Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and power electronics. Conductors like copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) are essential for creating interconnects and wiring in microelectronic devices. Copper, with its high electrical conductivity, is used extensively for interconnects in integrated circuits. Dielectrics and insulators, such as Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂), provide the necessary electrical isolation between conducting elements, crucial for the performance and stability of transistors and capacitors. In superconducting materials, which exhibit zero electrical resistance when cooled below a critical temperature, High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS) like Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) are used in advanced applications like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), quantum computing and energy storage.

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials

Nanotechnology, which manipulates matter at the atomic and molecular scale (typically between 1 to 100 nanometers), has unlocked new possibilities for electronic materials. At the nanoscale, materials exhibit unique optical, electrical and mechanical properties that are not present in their bulk counterparts, leading to innovations in nanoelectronics, quantum computing and energy devices.

Key nanomaterials include Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), graphene and quantum dots. Carbon nanotubes, made from rolled-up sheets of graphene, have remarkable strength and electrical conductivity, making them ideal for use in high-performance transistors, energy storage devices and sensors. Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, exhibits excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, along with mechanical flexibility, enabling applications in flexible electronics and transparent conductors for displays and touchscreens.

Quantum dots, which are tiny semiconductor particles with quantum mechanical properties, are used in advanced display technologies, solar cells and biomedical imaging due to their unique ability to absorb and emit light at specific wavelengths. Other important nanomaterials include nanowires and metal nanoparticles, which are utilized in various sensor and energy storage applications, owing to their high surface-to-volume ratios and enhanced reactivity.

Magnetic RAM

Nanotechnology finds applications for magnetic random access memory. These products are more conducive nanomaterials, data storage and quantum computing.

Conclusion

With the use of nanotechnology in electronic industry produce lighter chips and diodes and also beneficial for sustainable development goals like environmental stability and economic growth.