We are in the center of the most life-changing technological revolution the Earth has ever known. In little more than 65 years, an eye-blink in human history, a single technological invention has launched the proverbial thousand ships, producing the most sweeping and pervasive set of changes ever to wash over humankind; changes that are reshaping the very core of human existence, on a global scale, at a relentlessly accelerating pace. And we are just at the very beginning.
Silicon Earth: Introduction to Microelectronics and Nanotechnology introduces readers with little or no technical background to the marvels of microelectronics and nanotechnology, using straightforward language, an intuitive approach, minimal math, and lots of pictures. The general scientific and engineering underpinnings of microelectronics and nanotechnology are described, as well as how this new technological revolution is transforming a broad array of interdisciplinary fields, and civilization as a whole. Special "widget deconstruction" chapters address the inner workings of ubiquitous micro/nano-enabled pieces of technology, such as smartphones, flash drives, and digital cameras.
Completely updated and upgraded to full color, the Second Edition:
- Includes new material on the design of electronic systems, the future of electronics, and the societal impact of micro/nanotechnology
- Provides new widget deconstructions of cutting-edge tech gadgets like the GPS-enabled smartwatch
- Adds end-of-chapter study questions and hundreds of new color photos
Silicon Earth: Introduction to Microelectronics and Nanotechnology, Second Edition is a pick-up-and-read-cover-to-cover book for those curious about the micro/nanoworld, as well as a classroom-tested, student-and-professor-approved text ideal for an undergraduate-level university course. Lecture slides, homework examples, a deconstruction project, and discussion threads are available via an author-maintained website.
"Silicon Earth tells one of the most compelling stories of our time; how the sand on the beach, a common plaything for children, is the building block for the advanced technological hardware that enriches our daily lives. Dr. John Cressler chronicles the advancements of the transistor from its humble beginnings to modern day, where it is arguably the single most important device in modern society. This text is filled with exciting and relevant examples of everyday technology and delves into their inner workings. The book is written more as a novel than a textbook and is engaging to the reader to learn not only about where we've been technologically, but also aboutwhere we might go."-Joel Andrews, Ph.D., Garmin International
Praise for the Previous Edition
"In this unique book, Cressler, ? displaying his immense and diverse knowledge, demystifies the overwhelming concepts of microelectronics. ? Summing up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals; general readers."-M.S. Roden, emeritus, California State University, Los Angeles, USA, from CHOICE, February 2010
"? provides a concise, easy-to-follow, step-by-step discussion of the evolutionary history of silicon-based electronics, microelectromechanical structures (MEMS), and nanotechnology, as well as their impact on our lives. ? This book is a comprehensive yet thrilling and invigorating, simple-to-read text that is well on its way to becoming a classic. ? The book reduces highly abstract, technical, and mathematical topics foundational to the frontiers of silicon into a thrilling tale of pioneering history with very simple mathematics in an easy-to-understand and readable style. Graphically decorated with pictures and stories from the greatest science fiction movies (e.g., Terminator and Fantastic Voyage), the book helps the reader visualize the fundamental principles of electrical engineering and nanotechnology."-Mohammad Mojarradi and Benjamin Blalock, from IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine, September 2010
