This article discusses the role of computational sciences in the fabrication of silicon nanotechnologies and devices, with particular emphasis on new scientific findings that offer great insight into such devices. It first considers how the present Si technology trend is stimulated by scientific knowledge, focusing on the potential of complimentary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology and the importance of understanding the atomisticprocess of Si thermal oxidation. It then discusses key knowledge for Si nanodevices obtainedby computational science, paying attention to the microscopic process of Si oxidation and the curious properties of high-k gate dielectrics. It also describes the possibility of Si nanowire channels as an example of computational-science-guided channel engineering and concludes with an assessment of the future trend of Si nanotechnologies driven by computational science, including Si nanowires, GaAs nanoWires, and carbon nanotubes.
The Role of Computational Science and Emerging Technologies in the Natural Sciences Education at University Level
