NANO-CAD: Design and Modeling Software for Nanostructure Devices

This proposal describes the development of a PC Windows-based CAD tool for examining nanostructure device concepts. While CAD tools are available for micron scaled devices, a CAD tool for nanostructure devices operating on conventional desktop PCs with a Microsoft Windows operating system and a graphical user interface (GUI), is new! Such a tool would vastly simplify the device conceptualization process at a negligible cost, since the software would operate on Pentium desktops running Windows 95 or Windows NT. The proposed Phase I and Phase II programs, which will include lateral RTDs and planar FETs on a nanoscale, during Phase I will concentrate on demonstrating that two-dimensional quantum device computations within a PC CAD framework are feasible. During Phase I, we treat a two dimensional array of quantum anti-dots, by constructing a tight binding Hamiltonian and applying Green's function techniques for computing wavefunctions, eigenstates and band structure, and the influence of external fields. A GUI for accessing the software will be developed. The program will be undertaken at Scientific Research Associates, Inc., with Professors D. K. Ferry and J. R. Barker as consultants. At the end of Phase I we will deliver software for beta testing on desktop PCs.