Nanoelectronics
Viewpoints
2023
2022
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December/January:
2022: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2023 -
November:
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October:
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September:
Vertical Field-Effect Transistors for Nonvolatile Data Storage
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August:
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July:
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June:
Semiconductor Industry Seeks to Minimize Environmental Impact
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2021
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December/January:
2021: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2022 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
Magnetic-Tape-Storage Record
Demand Factors for Nanoelectronics
Archived Viewpoints
2020
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December/January:
2020: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2021 -
November:
3D-Printed Quantum-Dot Displays
Key Areas to Monitor: Computing, Security, and IT Demand -
October:
Carbon Nanotubes for Transparent Conductive Applications
Opportunities: Transparent Electrodes -
September:
Nanoelectronics for Next-Generation Batteries
Opportunities: Energy Storage -
August:
Volume Manufacturing of Carbon-Nanotube Transistors
Key Areas to Monitor -
July:
Graphene for High-Fidelity Audio
Progress toward Commercial Terahertz Lasers -
June:
The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of Sensors and Electronics
Scenarios Presentation: The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of Technology Development
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May:
The Pandemic Crisis: Key Forces That Will Shape the Future of Sensors and Electronics
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April:
Enhancing Touch Screens with Printed Thin Films
Nanoelectronics Wild Cards -
March:
Cooling Components through Sweat
Advancing Lithium-ion Batteries with Silicon -
February:
Shifting Demand, Shifting Fortunes
Advances in Phase-Change Memory Devices
2019
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December/January:
2019: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2020 -
November:
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October:
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September:
Carbon Nanotubes for Waste-Heat Recovery
Graphene Inks for Wearable Applications -
August:
Carbon-Nanotube Commercialization
Transfer Printing for Nanoelectronics -
July:
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June:
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May:
High-Volume Graphene Production for Sensing Applications
Infrared Imaging with Quantum Dots -
April:
MXenes and Advanced Battery Technology
Self-Assembly and High-Efficiency Photovoltaics -
March:
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February:
2018
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December/January:
2018: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2019 -
November:
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October:
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September:
Quantum-Dot Organic Light-Emitting-Diode Displays
Paper Electronics -
August:
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July:
Neuromorphic Sensors
The 3-Nanometer Node and Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography -
June:
Nanoscale Transistors for Flexible Applications
Integrated Optoelectronics -
May:
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April:
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March:
Flexible Flash Memory
IBM's Flash-Memory Commercial Developments -
February:
2017
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December/January:
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November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
Bottom-Up Molecular Electronics
Progress in Neuromorphic Computing -
July:
Nanowire Sensors for Biological Research
Quantum Memory and Quantum Networks -
June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
DNA-Based Data Storage
Memristor Networks for Brain-to-Chip Interfaces -
February:
Gate-All-Around Nanowire Transistors
Developments in the Commercialization of Flexible Electronics
2016
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December/January:
2016: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2017 -
November:
Thermophotovoltaics: Pushing the Envelope of Solar Power
Commercialization of Carbon-Nanotube-Memory Technology -
October:
Bifacial and Transparent Photovoltaics
Shape-Adaptive Triboelectric Nanogenerators -
September:
Phase-Change-Memory Developments
Carbon-Nanotube Commercialization -
August:
Commercial Links Underlying Progress in Quantum-Dot Displays
Battery Developments -
July:
IBM Making and Enabling Advances in Quantum Computing
Quantum-Dot Image Sensors -
June:
Developments in CIGS Solar Cells
Developments in Commercial Data-Storage Technologies -
May:
OLED Lighting
Nanostructured Glass for Data-Storage Applications -
April:
Record-Breaking Perovskite Solar Cells
Integrated Microsupercapacitors and Microchips -
March:
Record-Breaking Quantum-Dot-Printing Technique
Quantum-Computing Developments -
February:
Nanoelectronic Plants
Carbon-Nanotube-Transistor Developments
2015
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December/January:
2015: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2016 -
November:
Metal-Organic-Framework Solar Cells
Data-Storage Developments in Nanoelectronics -
October:
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September:
Phase-Change-Memory Developments
Transparent and Self-Powered Paper Electronics -
August:
Memristors: Commercial and Academic Developments
Nanoelectronic Wearables and E-Skins -
July:
3D-Printed Graphene
Transparent-Conductive Developments at Canatu -
June:
Ultrasensitive Temperature Sensors
Simultaneous Transmitter and Receiver Breakthrough -
May:
Photonic-Computing Developments
Silver Nanowires and Transparent Conductive Applications -
April:
The Emergence of Plastic Liquid-Crystal Displays
Partnership Could Aid OLED-Display Commercialization -
March:
Nanoelectronic Building-Integrated Photovoltaics
Flexible-Electronics Developments -
February:
Carbon-Nanotube Transparent-Conductive Films
Thin Film Electronics Seals Licensing Partnerships
2014
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December/January:
2014: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2015 -
November:
Quantum-Computing Competition
Cooling Electrons at Room Temperature -
October:
Quantum-Dot-Patent Developments
3D Nano LEDs Could Boost Solid-State-Lighting Prospects -
September:
Developments in Resistive Random-Access Memory
IBM Prepares for a Post-Silicon World -
August:
Developments in Roll-to-Roll Fabrication of OLED Devices
Enhancing Smartphone Capabilities with Transparent Sensors -
July:
Fujifilm and IBM Achieve New Data-Storage Record
Quantum-Computing Developments at D-Wave -
June:
IBM Develops Novel Hybrid Memory
Nanoelectronics for Human Implants -
May:
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April:
The Fabrication Arms Race: How Advances in Lithography Are Driving the Semiconductor Industry
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March:
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February:
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes: The Nanoscale Compounds Driving a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry
2013
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December/January:
2013: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2014 -
November:
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October:
Graphene: A Time Frame for Integration into Electronics Applications
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September:
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August:
Nanoelectronic Materials: Enabling Advances in Data-Storage Applications
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2012
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December/January:
2012: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2013 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
Willow Glass: Implications for Nanoelectronics
Solar Fallout and Implications for Nanoelectronics -
May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
MRAM Commercialization and Applications
Nanomagnetics for Burgeoning E-Compass Applications
2011
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December/January:
2011: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2012 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
Development of Hybrid Battery-EDLC Devices
Pressure in Solar Markets -
May:
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April:
Implications from the ITRS Review
Developments in Printed-Electronics Sintering -
March:
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February:
2010
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December/January:
2010: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2011 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
Learning from First Solar
Recent Developments: Progress in Graphene Processing -
February:
2009
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December/January:
2009: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2010 -
November:
Nanoimprint Lithography Update
Areas to Monitor: The Costs of Advanced Wet-Printing Processes -
October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
Batteries and Ultracapacitors: Blurred Boundaries and Opportunities
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April:
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March:
Exploiting Giant Magnetoimpedance
Areas to Monitor: Changes in Nanomaterial Regulation -
February:
Nanoelectronic Solar Cells: Progress, Efficiency, and Applications
2008
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December/January:
2008: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2009 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
New CNT Toxicology Results
Recent Developments: Nanostructured Media Driving Nanoimprinting -
May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2007
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December/January:
2007: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2008 -
November:
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October:
Recent Developments: Nanosensor Update | Moves in Organic Electronics
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September:
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August:
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July:
Recent Developments: Nanostructured Low-k Materials | Nanoelectronics Display Update
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June:
CNT and Silicon: Collaboration or Competition?
Recent Developments: Infrared Nanophotonic Detectors -
May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
Innolume Acquisition and QD Interconnect Focus
Recent Developments: Silicon Nanofilters
2006
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December/January:
2006: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2007 -
November:
Nanoelectronic Materials for Chip-Based RFIDs
Areas to Monitor: Silicon Substrate Shortages -
October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
Recent Developments: Titanium-Dioxide–Nanotube Solar Cells | Silicon Photonics: After Intel, NEC
2005
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December/January:
2005: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2006 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2004
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December/January:
2004: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2005 -
November:
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October:
Recent Developments: Biomedical Applications for Quantum Dots | Nanoimprint Lithography Consortium
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September:
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August:
Electronic Materials: Nanomaterial Alternatives to Indium Tin Oxide
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
About Nanoelectronics
This Technology Map defines nanoelectronics as the manipulation of matter at a scale of less than 100 nanometers to create structures with useful electronic properties (1 nanometer is one‑billionth of a meter). Decreasing dimensions in electronic devices has a long history of delivering cost and performance improvements. As the scale decreases to the nanoscale, new and often-enhanced material properties arise because of quantum-size effects, interface phenomena, and very high surface-to-volume ratios. Nanoscale materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene have properties that do not exist at the macroscale. However, the top-down manufacturing processes that currently dominate the semiconductor industry are only one option for producing nanoscale devices and, in time, are likely to become too expensive for many applications. Nanoparticle formation, nanoimprinting, wet processing, and molecular self-assembly are some of the bottom-up processes that have the potential to become increasingly important in the electronics industry.
Today, essentially all conventional integrated circuits involve sub-100‑nanometer feature sizes, but commercialization of devices with novel nanoscale properties came well before. One-dimensional nanostructures—in the form of quantum-well lasers—first became commercial in the 1980s, and such devices are now widespread in DVD and Blu-ray players and telecommunications equipment. During the 1990s, ultrasensitive magnetic GMR heads relied on electron spin originally for hard-disk-drive storage, and today new forms of nanoelectronic solid-state memory are vying to replace flash memory and DRAM. Two important attributes of nanoscale devices are the benefits that come from a high surface-to-volume ratio (with implications for improved ultracapacitors, fuel-cell catalysts, and battery electrodes) and the ability to disperse nanoparticles in solution for low-cost printed electronics. Wet processing of electronic and optical inks can produce low-cost printed conductors, transparent electrodes, antennas, transistors, and solar cells, to name but a few.
Nanoelectronics will have an impact on almost every industry, because electronics itself is ubiquitous. New nanodevices are having a direct impact across a wide number of industries, including energy, lighting, and biomedicine. New printed solar cells could alter radically the economics of this form of renewable energy; enhanced nanostructured batteries are important for hybrid electric vehicles; new nanocrystals could tailor the output of white LEDs, dramatically reducing the consumption of electricity in lighting. Several wild cards exist in the longer term: Futurists envision a world in which nanotechnology creates minute machines that, working in parallel, create micro and macro devices. Quantum computing is fast approaching the point at which it can outperform conventional supercomputing. However, its long-term commercial success remains a question. However, consideration of the near-term potential of nanoelectronics requires a realistic assessment of this technology, given the need for practical production techniques and the existence of many incumbent and competing technologies.