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8.2.6 Application and perspectives

The future of electronics will be smart multifunctional systems linked into networks and used in a variety of applications ranging from the personal (health care, wellness, information, information, communications, entertainment) to the public (energy, environment, mass transport, building). Nanotechnology is expected to have a significant and wide impact in the development of these applications.

This vision is closely linked to ambient intelligence: a future concept where intelligence is embedded in human environments in a user-friendly way. This assumes a shift in computing from desktop computers to a multiplicity of intelligent computing devices in our everyday lives. Mobility and seamless connectivity with other devices and fixed networks are essential enablers for ambient intelligence systems. This implies increased data rates which in turn requires more memory and computing power, and together with limited size leads to challenges with thermal management. The devices also need to be autonomous, robust and able to survive without explicit management or care.

Nanotechnology can provide solutions to several main constituents of ambient intelligence systems, such as sensing, actuation, radio, embedding intelligence into the environment, energy-efficient computing, memory, energy sources, human-machine interaction, materials and manufacturing. The key challenge lies in integrating these different functionalities to complete systems and finding solutions that allow cost-efficient mass manufacturing.

Due to the tremendously broad application scope, it is not cost effective to develop individual technologies for each application. Structured collaboration between the electronics sector and application sectors will enable enlarging existing markets (such as mobile communications, automotive), as well as speeding up the emergence of new markets (such as personal well-being, solid-state lighting).

The novel technologies that enable the functional enrichment in the ‘Moore than Moore' domain also have strong interaction with 'Beyond CMOS' technologies. Although the R&D activities for carbon nanotubes and nanowires were initiated to address the future need of IC technologies beyond the physical limits of CMOS, an increasing effort is now devoted to using these technologies to create new functional products based on CMOS-compatible processes. A handful of products are already on the market, including CNT-based sensors, probe tips and transparent conductive films. In return, this increasing interest and broadening application opportunities will also benefit the long-term development of Beyond CMOS technologies.