Molecular electronics: devices, systems and tools for gigagate, gigabit chips

New electronics technologies are emerging which may carry us beyond the limits of lithographic processing down to molecular-scale feature sizes. Devices and interconnects can be made from a variety of molecules and materials including bistable and switchable organic molecules, carbon nanotubes, and, single-crystal semiconductor nanowires. They can be self-assembled into organized structures and attached onto lithographic substrates. This tutorial reviews emerging molecular-scale electronics technology for CAD and system designers and highlights where ICCAD research can help support this technology.