The Quantum Dot: A Journey into the Future of Microelectronics - Softcover

Turton, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195109597 ISBN 13: 9780195109597

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Since first developed in the early sixties, silicon chip technology has made vast leaps forward. From a rudimentary circuit with a mere handful of transistors, the chip has evolved into a technological miracle, packing millions of bits of information on a surface no larger than a human thumbnail. And most experts predict that in the near future, we will see chips with over a billion bits. At the same time, this revolution in microelectronics has sparked a dramatic change in the way we live. An integral part of the computer industry, the microchip is found in everything from lasers, fax machines, and satellites to greeting cards and children's toys. And yet few people have any idea how chips work, or how so much information can be captured in such a miniscule space.

Now, in The Quantum Dot, physicist Richard Turton provides a clear, informative look at the science that lies behind the modern revolution in microelectronics and offers an intriguing glimpse of the possible future of this rapidly evolving field. Turton illuminates the development of the microchip, in a discussion that ranges from a primer on atoms and electrons, to the properties of semiconductors (most notably, silicon), to the structure of the transistor. We learn how researchers have managed to pack the tiny silicon chip with more and more bits, and we get a state-of-the-art look at the microelectronic industry today, from the newest chip materials (such as gallium arsenide, a much faster material than silicon, used in the recently released Cray 3 supercomputer) to the exotic world of high-temperature superconductors. Perhaps most interesting, Turton offers a provocative glimpse of the future of microelectronics. Here readers enter the strange realm where quantum theory prevails and where physical events contradict our intuitive perceptions. Turton shows how researchers are leaving the transistor far behind as they struggle to exploit quantum effects to create incredibly small and fast devices, such as "designer atoms" and the quantum dot. He concludes that the range of future possibilities are immense, including devices in which electrons behave not as particles but as waves, and computers in which there are no electrical signals, only beams of light.

Here then is an amazing scientific--and economic--success story, told with clarity and expertise. It will fascinate anyone curious about where modern technology is headed and what the world might look like when it gets there.

About this title

Review

If you've ever wanted to understand just how semiconductors, transistors, and microelectronics work--and what the future holds in store--Richard Turton's The Quantum Dot explains it in a thorough yet accessible fashion that doesn't require a degree in physics or electrical engineering to understand. Turton describes the basic principles upon which today's microelectronics are built to set the stage for a discussion of potential computing devices of the future, including quantum transistors, superconducting elements, and optoelectronics that switch with light rather than electricity. Turton is careful to provide an overview as he begins each chapter and to recap the discussion at the end, so that even if you were baffled by some of the finer details you can still pick up the gist of the section.

From the Back Cover

In The Quantum Dot, physicist Richard Turton reveals the science behind the microelectronic revolution and provides us with a tantalizing peek at the future of this rapidly evolving field. Turton's clear explanations and engaging style make this a book that will appeal to the armchair scientist while sacrificing nothing of the complexity that the more sophisticated reader will demand. The range of future possibilities is immense, and thanks to The Quantam Dot, we can follow the progress of modern technology and glimpse how new the world might look.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0195109597
• ISBN 13: 9780195109597
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224