Metal silicide patterning: A new approach to silicon nanoelectronics

The difficulties faced by conventional silicon technology over the next ten years have been widely publicized, along with the possibility for a slow-down and eventual stagnation in the power of integrated circuits. Surmounting this problem will require new initiatives in lithography, materials processing, and device architecture which must be carefully coordinated in order to evolve a manufacturable nanoelectronics. Here we present one long-term strategy which incorporates a number of attractive features, based upon recent research results from several different fields. Our goal is not to propose an alternative roadmap, but to expand discussion of long-term possibilities in future silicon technology.