A NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) entitled "Advanced Materials and Technologies for Micro/Nano Devices, Sensors and Actuators" was held in St. Petersburg, Russia, from June 29 to July 2, 2009. The main goal of the Workshop was to examine (at a fundamental level) the very complex scientific issues that pertain to the use of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS), devices and technologies in next generation commercial and defen- related applications. Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems represent rather broad and diverse technological areas, such as optical systems (micromirrors, waveguides, optical sensors, integrated subsystems), life sciences and lab equipment (micropumps, membranes, lab-on-chip, membranes, microfluidics), sensors (bio-sensors, chemical sensors, gas-phase sensors, sensors integrated with electronics) and RF applications for signal transmission (variable capacitors, tunable filters and antennas, switches, resonators). From a scientific viewpoint, this is a very multi-disciplinary field, including micro- and nano-mechanics (such as stresses in structural materials), electronic effects (e. g. charge transfer), general electrostatics, materials science, surface chemistry, interface science, (nano)tribology, and optics. It is obvious that in order to overcome the problems surrounding next-generation MEMS/NEMS devices and applications it is necessary to tackle them from different angles: theoreticians need to speak with mechanical engineers, and device engineers and modelers to listen to surface physicists. It was therefore one of the main objectives of the workshop to bring together a multidisciplinary team of distinguished researchers.

A NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) entitled "Advanced Materials and Technologies for Micro/Nano Devices, Sensors and Actuators" was held in St. Petersburg, Russia, from June 29 to July 2, 2009. The main goal of the Workshop was to examine (at a fundamental level) the very complex scientific issues that pertain to the use of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS), devices and technologies in next generation commercial and defen- related applications. Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems represent rather broad and diverse technological areas, such as optical systems (micromirrors, waveguides, optical sensors, integrated subsystems), life sciences and lab equipment (micropumps, membranes, lab-on-chip, membranes, microfluidics), sensors (bio-sensors, chemical sensors, gas-phase sensors, sensors integrated with electronics) and RF applications for signal transmission (variable capacitors, tunable filters and antennas, switches, resonators). From a scientific viewpoint, this is a very multi-disciplinary field, including micro- and nano-mechanics (such as stresses in structural materials), electronic effects (e. g. charge transfer), general electrostatics, materials science, surface chemistry, interface science, (nano)tribology, and optics. It is obvious that in order to overcome the problems surrounding next-generation MEMS/NEMS devices and applications it is necessary to tackle them from different angles: theoreticians need to speak with mechanical engineers, and device engineers and modelers to listen to surface physicists. It was therefore one of the main objectives of the workshop to bring together a multidisciplinary team of distinguished researchers.

An extrapolation of ULSI scaling trends indicates that minimum feature sizes below 0.1 mu and gate thicknesses of <3 nm will be required in the near future. Given the importance of ultrathin gate dielectrics, well-focused basic scientific research and aggressive development programs must continue on the silicon oxide, oxynitride, and high K materials on silicon systems, especially in the critical, ultrathin 1-3 nm regime. The main thrust of the present book is a review, at the nano and atomic scale, the complex scientific issues related to the use of ultrathin dielectrics in next-generation Si-based devices. The contributing authors are leading scientists, drawn from academic, industrial and government laboratories throughout the world, and representing such backgrounds as basic and applied physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, surface science, and materials science. Audience: Both expert scientists and engineers who wish to keep up with cutting edge research, and new students who wish to learn more about the exciting basic research issues relevant to next-generation device technology.

An extrapolation of ULSI scaling trends indicates that minimum feature sizes below 0.1 mu and gate thicknesses of <3 nm will be required in the near future. Given the importance of ultrathin gate dielectrics, well-focused basic scientific research and aggressive development programs must continue on the silicon oxide, oxynitride, and high K materials on silicon systems, especially in the critical, ultrathin 1-3 nm regime. The main thrust of the present book is a review, at the nano and atomic scale, the complex scientific issues related to the use of ultrathin dielectrics in next-generation Si-based devices. The contributing authors are leading scientists, drawn from academic, industrial and government laboratories throughout the world, and representing such backgrounds as basic and applied physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, surface science, and materials science. Audience: Both expert scientists and engineers who wish to keep up with cutting edge research, and new students who wish to learn more about the exciting basic research issues relevant to next-generation device technology.