Beyond Moore

Science and technology in the Beyond Moore field builds upon and moves beyond what is currently possible at micro and nanometre scales in the electronics domain. This research addresses new electronics, spintronics, photonics, light generation and biological interfaces. Possible application areas include gas sensing, new memory and high frequency components, optical communication, drug screening and personal healthcare tools, diagnostic tools and light sources (OLEDs and LASERs).

Overview6A Advanced nanoelectronics devices6B Functional nanophotonics6C Nano-bio interfaces6D Nanophotonic devices

6. Beyond Moore

This field is the engine that will drive the high-tech industry of the near future. Footprint reduction is an important driver for miniaturisation, especially for new components and memory solutions. Furthermore, small dimensions enable new phenomena to occur and be controlled. For example, new tuneable light sources and the facilitation of interaction with biological building blocks such as living cells and DNA. The semiconductor industries will have new possibilities of adding sensors, MEMS and NEMS to the CMOS-based technologies, enabling interaction between digital electronics and the real world. For the optical industries this technology adds new light sources and new functionalities at a nano scale. For the bio-medical industries new opportunities appear due to the fact that the nano scale of the devices is in the same range as the nano scale of for instance a virus or a DNA molecule.


Theme coordinator
Dr. J.N. (Hans) Huiberts (Philips)

This theme contains the following programmes:

6A Advanced nanoelectronics devices
6B Functional nanophotonics
6C Nano-bio interfaces & devices
6D Active nanophotonic devices

The theme ‘Beyond Moore’ bridges the gap between the electrical domain and other physical quantities, such as light, chemistry, magnetism, etc. These new functionalities are possible due to the miniaturisation of, e.g. single-molecule detection, nano-bio interfacing and spintronics. For the semiconductor industries it adds sensors, MEMS and NEMS to the CMOS-based technologies, enabling interaction between digital electronics and the real world. For the optical industries  it adds new light sources and new functionalities at a nano scale. For the bio-medical industries new opportunities appear due to the fact that the nano scale of the devices is in the same range as the nano scale of e.g. a virus or a DNA molecule. This subject is the engine that will drive the high-tech industry of the near future.

6A Advanced nanoelectronics devices

The programme Advanced nanoelectronic devices will provide a focused impulse to Dutch strategic research in nano-electronics. Three clusters of strategic research, each of them with a device oriented approach, have been selected:
A. Nanowire sensors
B. Nanospintronic devices
C. Nonvolatile memory

The programme aims at demonstrating electronic nano-devices with alternative operating principles and enhanced or novel functionality, enabling new applications particularly in hybrid electronic or smart embedded systems – in line with strategy of Dutch industry and potential for creating new SMEs/startups. Each of the clusters couples concrete activities at research centres of our industrial partners to scientific excellence brought in by academic partners. The three clusters are mutually overlapping to stimulate cross-fertilization across the entire programme. Thus, we aim at enhancing the innovative power of the Netherlands in the field of nano-electronics, which is of crucial importance for the future of the Dutch high-tech sector. An optimal technology transfer will be guaranteed by direct industrial participation (such as Philips), via participation by IMEC, Europe’s largest independent research centre in nano-electronics, and by strong links and exchange of expertise and facilities with the Holst open-innovation centre.

Programme Director:
Prof. dr. Bert Koopmans (Eindhoven University of Technology)

6B Functional nanophotonics

Photonics have helped to shape modern day society enabling the high-speed communication that is now taken for granted. Even so, it is expected that in the foreseeable future photonic components will be needed that support a bandwidth growth to 100-1000 times the current bandwidth. To help meet these increased demands the programme Functional nanophotonics aims to generate new photonic functionality by harnessing the unique properties of light at the nanoscale.

Functional nanophotonics is not only ideally suited for new modalities for on-chip data-transport, -handling and storage but also for novel types of sensors. In addition to this excellent application perspective, the control of light at the nanoscale represents an inherent, significant academic challenge. The programme will focus on three key functionalities: switching, guiding and sensing.

Programme Director:
Prof. dr. L. (Kobus) Kuipers (AMOLF)

6C Nano-bio interfaces & devices

The programme Nano-bio interfaces & devices focuses on employing lithography-based fabrication techniques to create devices capable of detecting small numbers of biomolecules in solution and of interfacing with individual living cells. The overarching goal is to bring the massive level of parallelisation most commonly associated with, e.g., the computing industry, to bear on (bio)chemical and cell-level analysis.

This is an exciting, rapidly developing field with enormous application potential in, amongst others, biomedical diagnostics, drug discovery, environmental monitoring and implantable devices. Our goal is to develop three broadly applicable technology platforms:

  • Massively parallel CMOS-based electrode array biosensors
  • Lithographically fabricated silicon nanowire biosensors
  • Nanofabricated interfaces to living cells

Programme Director:
Prof. dr. Serge G. Lemay (University of Twente)

6D Active nanophotonic devices

n the programme Active nanophotonic devices we focus on the efficient generation and detection of photons in nanostructured materials and devices. We bring together 3 coherent clusters aimed at specific photonic challenges in science and industry.

There exists a large number of links between these clusters as to achieve enough focus and mass. We focus on:

  • efficient light generation in organic materials
  • nanolasers
  • nanostructures where we want to utilise the increased rate of optical processes.

The work in this programme is directly linked to a number of activities within Philips and the Holst center.

Programme Director:
Prof. dr. Paul M. Koenraad (Eindhoven University of Technology)