Design of Future Electron Devices with Intelligent Materials

With increasing demand for higher speed perfor mance of computers, a new concept for electron devices is re quired for electronics in the future. Devices using intelligent materials could meet such a demand and simplify electronics so that a system made of such devices could perform more complex functions close to those of human brains and organisms. Intelligent materials are distinct from conventional materials in their charac teristics and have high potential to become the dominant electronic materials in the future because of their built-in functions. There are two ways to realize intelligent materials. One is to artificially create intelligent materials, and the other is to metamorphose exist ing materials into intelligent materials. This article will focus on the latter with two examples: ferroelectric devices and k-space en gineering, which manipulates the band structure of an existing material.