Oxide Nanoelectronics

Symposium K, 'Oxide Nanoelectronics', was held November 29–December 3 at the 2010 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. The emerging field of oxide nanoelectronics has grown tremendously in the last decade. Many striking empirical observations in a variety of oxide materials show great promise for ultrahigh-density storage, passive and active nanodevice creation, and functionality based on multiple properties (e.g., magnetic and ferroelectric). The prospect for band-device engineering in oxide heterostructures is comparable to what took place for III-V semiconductors roughly 30 years ago. The symposium that this volume is based on brought together researchers working in this new field to lay a materials-based foundation that can pave the way for major industrial use of these high-performance nanoelectronic systems. The presented topics included: the growth of new oxide materials and heterostructures using pulsed-laser deposition and molecular beam epitaxy; integration of oxides with silicon substrates; characterization of novel electronic and correlated-electron properties in oxide thin films and superlattices; nanoscale control of phase transitions and correlated properties; theory of oxide nanostructures; mixed ion-electronic conduction; magnetism; and oxide 2DEGs.