Preface for
Proceedings of International Workshop on Smart Interconnects (IWSI)

Co-organized with Dr. Rohrer's JSPS Award Workshop
November 6-8, 2003
Atami, Japan

Sponsored by
the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
of the Japanese Government (MEXT)
&
Japan International Science and Technology Exchange Center (JISTEC)

Objectives and Scope

Nanotechnology utilizes various physical, chemical and biological phenomena in atomic-, molecular- and nanometer-scales. Nanotechnology has become important research and development fields both in academy and industry. Recent developments of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and other scanning probe microscopy (SPM) made possible the further expansion and development of the nanotechnology field.

Present information processing technology in industry, on the other hand, may reach a practical limit of miniaturization around the year of 2010, which encourages research of nanometer scale interconnects, including atomic and molecular level smart interconnects. These smart interconnects will be an ultimate limit of interconnect miniaturization and are expected to have self-assembly or other smart fabrication processes, coexisting information processing functions, and/or more sophisticated device or censer functions.

In the present workshop, we focused on these smart interconnects and discussed possibilities of novel and smart interconnects for the future application of nanotechnology. The workshop was consisting of plenary lectures, invited speeches and poster presentation.

This workshop was sponsored by a grant for Publication of Scientific Research Result through Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government and Japan International Science and Technology Exchange Center.

Topics

• Atomic and electronic structures of nanoscale interconnects.
• Morphology and quantum phenomenon of nanoscale interconnects.
• Fabrication methods of smart interconnects and evaluation electrodes.
• Atomic and molecular interconnects.
• Atomic and molecular structures on solid surfaces.
• Low dimensional conductors.
• Theoretical aspects of atomic and molecular interconnects.
• Novel ideas for smart interconnects.

Workshop Place

• Atami Newfujiya Hotel
  1-16 Ginza-cho, Atami, Shizuoka 413-0013 Japan
  Phone: +81-557-81-0111 Fax: +81-557-81-8052
  http://www.newfujiya.com/accom/index.html

Workshop Organizing Committee

• T. Hashizume (ARL, Hitachi) (Chair)
• K. Ito (University of Tokyo)
• K. Miki (NIMS/AIST)
• T. Ohno (NIMS)
• H. Mizuseki (IMR, Tohoku University)
• Y. Hasegawa (ISSP, University of Tokyo)