Photo Credit: Nano WerkSemiconductor fabs are large, complex industrial sites with costs for a single facility approaching $10B. In this article we discuss the possibility of putting the entire functionality of such a fab onto a single silicon chip. We demonstrate a path forward where, for certain applications, especially at the nanometer scale, one might consider using a single chip approach for building devices, both integrated circuits and nano-electromechanical systems. Such methods could mean shorter device development and fabrication times with a significant potential for cost savings. In our approach, we build micro versions of the macro machines one typically finds in a fab, allowing for the functionality to be placed on a single silicon substrate. We argue that the technology will soon exist to allow one to build a “Fab on a Chip”. Read More
