Director's message:
The national program for tera-level nanodevice was established in July 2000 as one of the "21st C Frontier R&D Project" funded by Korea Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). The aim of the program is to develop tera-level integrated circuit test element group (IC TEG) through overcoming the technological limits imposed upon upcoming semiconductor technologies. This is a ten-year program consisting of 3 phases. The first phase will be operated as a versatile basic cell development for tera-level nanodevices. In the 2nd phase, great efforts will be made for the development of integration process of the nanodevices and the 3rd phase will be concentrated on the development of tera-level IC TEG.

The 21st century is characterized by an information society. To fulfill the final path to this society, every computing system should be flexible, intelligent, mobile, programmable and real-time. Accordingly, computing performance and memory capacity of transistors in the computing system should be more than 1000 fold enhanced with ultra-low power dissipation as compared with present ones. The 1999 international technology roadmap for semiconductors indicates that the tera bit dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is supposed to be developed by the year 2014. This roadmap is based on the assumption that all the necessary technologies are progressively developed on time. Unfortunately, we will face big technological difficulties such as tunneling, RC delay, and thermal dissipation within 5 to 10 years. To tackle these difficulties, joint efforts among industrial, governmental and academic sectors as well as international collaboration are absolutely needed. Our success will revolutionize all aspects of industries and be able to create new industries such as intelligent electronics, intelligent robots, 3-dimensional virtual reality and pocket-size supercomputer.

Finally, I hope this program will grow out to a vivid organization, attacking high-risk ideas and innovative themes with creativity. At present, I am ready to devote myself to leading our program to a great success through collective wisdom and efforts of all our research members, and the supports from the MOST and other parties, both domestic and abroad.

Director of the national program for tera-level nanodevices

Jo-Won Lee