The number of materials necessary to create a transistor in a circuit was small a few decades ago.  As dimensions scaled down, life became more complicated and next to four or five common materials like Si, Al, O and some dopants a whole zoo of materials and their combinations were introduced.

Now an SRAM is of the size of a synapse of a brain neuron and the smallest well- controlled features on a chip come close to the size of a protein, not only the number of materials is exploding, the mere definition of micro/nano electronics becomes vague as convergence with other fields such as biotechnology and optics occur.

This IEEE Nano 2011 will deal with this loss of identity and the search for a new one.  Different aspects of introducing novel materials and concepts in organic and non-organic electronics, optics and magneto electronics will be discussed as well as the convergence of bioscience and engineering, interfacing soft and hard.

The conference will take place in the historical city of Bruges, Belgium from 28 to 31 August 2011. The stunning beauty and culture of this unforgettable city can be easily explored on foot, by boat ride along quiet canals, or by horse-drawn carriage among cobblestone streets.  Bruges is a small city with many architectural and artistic treasures offering folklore, chocolate shops, lace boutiques, and ambient restaurants.

We look forward to welcoming you in Bruges.

Yours sincerely,

Gustaaf Borghs
Imec Senior Fellow
Conference Chair