Redesigning the transistor at the atomic-scale. Australian researchers have a world-wide leadership position in atomic-scale electronics. Through the development of powerful new fabrication technologies, Australian scientists are now poised to uncover the physical properties of electronic systems operating on the atomic-scale. This research will be internationally significant, providing ongoing international profile for Australian science. Perhaps more significantly, it will also lay the groundw ....Redesigning the transistor at the atomic-scale. Australian researchers have a world-wide leadership position in atomic-scale electronics. Through the development of powerful new fabrication technologies, Australian scientists are now poised to uncover the physical properties of electronic systems operating on the atomic-scale. This research will be internationally significant, providing ongoing international profile for Australian science. Perhaps more significantly, it will also lay the groundwork for future miniaturisation - and redesign - of the conventional transistor. Over the longer-term, it offers an opportunity for Australia to lift its involvement in the multi-trillion dollar global semiconductor industry.Read moreRead less
Fundamental conduction mechanisms in atomic-scale silicon devices. This proposal will ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of worldwide research into atomic-scale electronics. It links leading nanotechnologists from Canada and Italy to a dynamic and growing Australian team, which already has strong collaborations with researchers in the UK, the US, Japan, and Taiwan. In the long-run, Australia stands to benefit indirectly from the research as it is a significant user of semiconductors ....Fundamental conduction mechanisms in atomic-scale silicon devices. This proposal will ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of worldwide research into atomic-scale electronics. It links leading nanotechnologists from Canada and Italy to a dynamic and growing Australian team, which already has strong collaborations with researchers in the UK, the US, Japan, and Taiwan. In the long-run, Australia stands to benefit indirectly from the research as it is a significant user of semiconductors across all major industries. More importantly, by anticipating the problems that electronic device manufacturers will face over their long-term horizons, the proposed research also seeks to provide Australia with a chance to lift its involvement in the multi-trillion dollar global semiconductor industry.Read moreRead less
Three Dimensional Integrated Circuits. Pushing the boundaries of current silicon fabrication technology, this proposal will investigate the possibilities of new 3D architectures to ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of world-wide research into atomic-scale electronics. It creates an important link to the latest technologies in atomistic device modelling in the US, developed at Texas Instruments. More importantly, by anticipating the problems that electronic device manufacturers are c ....Three Dimensional Integrated Circuits. Pushing the boundaries of current silicon fabrication technology, this proposal will investigate the possibilities of new 3D architectures to ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of world-wide research into atomic-scale electronics. It creates an important link to the latest technologies in atomistic device modelling in the US, developed at Texas Instruments. More importantly, by anticipating the problems that electronic device manufacturers are currently facing, and will face over their long-term horizons, the proposed research also seeks to provide Australia with a chance to lift its involvement in the multi-trillion dollar global semiconductor industry.Read moreRead less
Insight and understanding in Rare-Earth magnetism. Today's technologically driven society relies on magnetic materials to an extent unimaginable even as recently as 20 years ago. Rare-earth transition-metal intermetallics are among the most important magnetic materials, providing the World's strongest magnet with extensive applications. Despite these impressive technological and commercial developments numerous aspects of rare-earth magnetism remain to be developed and resolved. The two innovati ....Insight and understanding in Rare-Earth magnetism. Today's technologically driven society relies on magnetic materials to an extent unimaginable even as recently as 20 years ago. Rare-earth transition-metal intermetallics are among the most important magnetic materials, providing the World's strongest magnet with extensive applications. Despite these impressive technological and commercial developments numerous aspects of rare-earth magnetism remain to be developed and resolved. The two innovative topics we shall research are the critical interplay between the rare-earth and transition-metal sublattices in ternary compounds, enabling us to understand complex compounds, and exploration of a set of quaternary compounds we have recently discovered, thus opening new areas of rare-earth magnetism.Read moreRead less
Nanocrystalline Processing of Polycrystalline Ceramics Exhibiting the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. Piezoelectric materials interconvert electric and mechanical energy. They have been incorporated into a wide range of industrial, medical and domestic applications. The newest, known as PZN-PTs, are only available as single crystals. They have ten times the response of conventional piezoelectric materials, however they are expensive, mechanically fragile and have shape limitations. This project will ....Nanocrystalline Processing of Polycrystalline Ceramics Exhibiting the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. Piezoelectric materials interconvert electric and mechanical energy. They have been incorporated into a wide range of industrial, medical and domestic applications. The newest, known as PZN-PTs, are only available as single crystals. They have ten times the response of conventional piezoelectric materials, however they are expensive, mechanically fragile and have shape limitations. This project will tailor nanostructured intermediate states that will allow the production of stronger, more versatile polycrystalline PZN-PT ceramics. It will develop scientific results on nanocrystalline processing applicable to many materials and allow deeper insight into the mechanism of the anomalous piezoelectric response of these materials.Read moreRead less
Structural Origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect in Relaxor Ferroelectrics. This project addresses fundamental questions about the origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. The solution of these questions will be will raise the profile of Australian science in this area as well as allowing new directions to be explored both in modifying existing materials and seeking new ones. It will expand the pool of personnel with experience in the synthesis and diffraction based study of these material ....Structural Origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect in Relaxor Ferroelectrics. This project addresses fundamental questions about the origins of the Giant Piezoelectric Effect. The solution of these questions will be will raise the profile of Australian science in this area as well as allowing new directions to be explored both in modifying existing materials and seeking new ones. It will expand the pool of personnel with experience in the synthesis and diffraction based study of these materials which are slated for inclusion in large numbers of 'Smart' technologies. The training of personnel in advanced diffraction methods is important in the lead up to the new Australian research reactor OPAL in 2006 and the new Australian synchrotron in 2007.Read moreRead less
Combustion Synthesis of Ternary Carbides. Ti3SiC2 belongs to a group of ternary carbides that exhibit an exciting combination of the high temperature properties of ceramics, with the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals. A great number of potential applications have been identified, however a cost effective large scale synthesis method has been lacking. Combustion synthesis, which uses the heat of reaction as the primary energy source, has great potential for this purpose. This program ....Combustion Synthesis of Ternary Carbides. Ti3SiC2 belongs to a group of ternary carbides that exhibit an exciting combination of the high temperature properties of ceramics, with the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals. A great number of potential applications have been identified, however a cost effective large scale synthesis method has been lacking. Combustion synthesis, which uses the heat of reaction as the primary energy source, has great potential for this purpose. This program will use advanced in-situ neutron diffraction experiments to map and quantify combustion synthesis reactions in the Ti-Si-C system and related systems. The results of these studies will be used to design methods of production for Ti3SiC2 and related materials.Read moreRead less
Silicon-based molecular electronics. A whole new class of electronic devices based on single atoms and molecules is emerging. At this scale, the device components cease to behave like ordinary matter and novel quantum effects can be exploited. The tremendous potential for both device miniaturisation and the exploitation of quantum effects afforded by single-molecule devices has already been demonstrated. However, methods for assembling single-molecules into circuits and integrating them with con ....Silicon-based molecular electronics. A whole new class of electronic devices based on single atoms and molecules is emerging. At this scale, the device components cease to behave like ordinary matter and novel quantum effects can be exploited. The tremendous potential for both device miniaturisation and the exploitation of quantum effects afforded by single-molecule devices has already been demonstrated. However, methods for assembling single-molecules into circuits and integrating them with conventional technology remain elusive. Here, a strategy is presented for combining the functionality of organic, carbon-based components, with more conventional, silicon-based technology. The potential economic benefits for Australia of this hybrid carbon/silicon strategy are huge.Read moreRead less
Back to the future: making atomic-scale high-speed germanium transistors. This project links scientists from Australia and Italy to develop atomic-scale devices in the germanium material. By exploiting the unique properties of this material and its integration with silicon, faster and smaller transistors will be developed.
Imaging with Neutral Atomic Beams: A Completely New Tool for Nanotechnology. The tantalising possibility of building an optical instrument that uses neutral atom beams to image surfaces, rather than light or electrons, has long been a goal of physical scientists across the world. This project aims to realise this goal using an elegantly simple design based on the concept of a pin hole camera. The successful development of this world-first instrument would represent a significant advance in heliu ....Imaging with Neutral Atomic Beams: A Completely New Tool for Nanotechnology. The tantalising possibility of building an optical instrument that uses neutral atom beams to image surfaces, rather than light or electrons, has long been a goal of physical scientists across the world. This project aims to realise this goal using an elegantly simple design based on the concept of a pin hole camera. The successful development of this world-first instrument would represent a significant advance in helium atom microscopy and would significantly enhance the reputation of Australian science. Moreover, this project maintains the position of Australian researchers and students at the core of this emerging technology.Read moreRead less