C haptEr 9 design Environments and systems
328
9.4 ElECtriCal and magnEtiC
EnvironmEnts
Electronic materials
A staggering multitude of devices in use in today’s society rely on
the electrical or magnetic properties of materials. Highly sophisticated electronic technologies that are based on the electrical and
magnetic properties of materials are found in a wealth of everyday
products as well as throughout our living and work environments.
As we discussed in Section 4.1, the class of electronic materials is
very broad and can encompass a variety of metals, ceramics, and
polymers. For example, copper has been used as a conductive material in everything from motors to transmission lines since the 19
th
century and is still widely used in interconnects in today’s microelectronics; ceramic silica is used in optical fibers; and polymer
polyimides are used as dielectrics. Silicon is widely used when
semiconductor properties are needed. Gallium arsenide and germanium are also part of this class of materials. Basic electrical
properties of these and other materials—such as resistivity, conductivity, and dielectric behaviors—are reviewed in Section 4.5.
Magnetic properties are discussed in Section 4.6. There it was noted
that magnetic properties can especially be enhanced via the use of
nanomaterials.
Within the vast array of applications associated with electronic
materials, nanomaterials are expected to make some of their greatest
impacts because of their unique electrical and magnetic properties.
Sections 7.3 and 7.4, respectively, discuss these properties. Section
7.8 notes particular characteristic uses of carbon nanotubes in this
area. Nanoelectronic devices, the sizes of which are a few billionths
of a meter, have emerged as a primary research and development
area. Developments in related nanomechanical devices—nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS)—are following closely. The technological sophistication present in these many areas is remarkable,
and consequently so are the technical issues relating to exactly how
nanomaterials might make contributions to this field—topics that
are far beyond the scope of this book. This section only seeks to give
a brief flavor of the kinds of ways that nanomaterials might be used
and the types of impacts expected from anticipated developments
in the nanomaterial and nanotechnology field.
general trends
In recent years, technological progress in the development of electronic materials has been remarkable. The timeline of materials
328
9.4 ElECtriCal and magnEtiC
EnvironmEnts
Electronic materials
A staggering multitude of devices in use in today’s society rely on
the electrical or magnetic properties of materials. Highly sophisticated electronic technologies that are based on the electrical and
magnetic properties of materials are found in a wealth of everyday
products as well as throughout our living and work environments.
As we discussed in Section 4.1, the class of electronic materials is
very broad and can encompass a variety of metals, ceramics, and
polymers. For example, copper has been used as a conductive material in everything from motors to transmission lines since the 19
th
century and is still widely used in interconnects in today’s microelectronics; ceramic silica is used in optical fibers; and polymer
polyimides are used as dielectrics. Silicon is widely used when
semiconductor properties are needed. Gallium arsenide and germanium are also part of this class of materials. Basic electrical
properties of these and other materials—such as resistivity, conductivity, and dielectric behaviors—are reviewed in Section 4.5.
Magnetic properties are discussed in Section 4.6. There it was noted
that magnetic properties can especially be enhanced via the use of
nanomaterials.
Within the vast array of applications associated with electronic
materials, nanomaterials are expected to make some of their greatest
impacts because of their unique electrical and magnetic properties.
Sections 7.3 and 7.4, respectively, discuss these properties. Section
7.8 notes particular characteristic uses of carbon nanotubes in this
area. Nanoelectronic devices, the sizes of which are a few billionths
of a meter, have emerged as a primary research and development
area. Developments in related nanomechanical devices—nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS)—are following closely. The technological sophistication present in these many areas is remarkable,
and consequently so are the technical issues relating to exactly how
nanomaterials might make contributions to this field—topics that
are far beyond the scope of this book. This section only seeks to give
a brief flavor of the kinds of ways that nanomaterials might be used
and the types of impacts expected from anticipated developments
in the nanomaterial and nanotechnology field.
general trends
In recent years, technological progress in the development of electronic materials has been remarkable. The timeline of materials