Self-assembly of one-dimensional nanostructures at silicon surfaces

Nanostructures at surfaces and interfaces are a fertile testing ground for bringing the idea of ‘tailored solids’ towards reality. Electronic properties can be controlled systematically by confinement or by interface effects. The presence of a single crystal substrate allows for the self-assembly of highly regular nanoobjects, such as stripes and strings of dots with sizes of about 10 nm. Using silicon as substrate facilitates the electronic integration of nanodevices into micro-electronics. We speculate how such structures might evolve into future devices, such as data storage arrays with densities of Terabits/cm2 and self-assembled, highly parallel data processors for pattern recognition.