o understand the SRC Nonclassical CMOS
Research Center, a joint project of electrical
engineering and materials experts from UC
Santa Barbara and other leading universities, it
helps to know some terminology and some history.
SRC is the Semiconductor Research Corporation, a non-
profit consortium funded by technology firms. It supports
the Nonclassical CMOS Research Center, set up in
2006, with a 3-year, $7 million grant. CMOS stands for
"complementary metal-oxide semiconductor" and refers
to transistors made from metal or polysilicon electrodes
and oxide (usually silicon dioxide) insulators. The CMOS
model is a mainstay of microprocessors, memory and
other key elements of modern computing and electronics.
"Nonclassical" refers to the center's mission to move
beyond the standard silicon technology, which is hitting
its natural limits. This is where the history comes in.
Mark Rodwell, a UCSB professor of electrical and
computer engineering who leads the center's device-