Old Physics for Modern Nanotechnologies - Studies of Nano-Scale Ordering by Simulations and Experiments

Shaping and ordering of nanostructures is mandatory for many applications. However, top-down approaches like electron lithography have their limits and are expensive. Here, we present some bottom-up approaches like self-ordering and alignment at interfaces, which are driven by well-known thermodynamic processes like phase separation and surface energy minimization. The reaction pathways are studied by atomistic computer simulations and verified by experiments. The relevance for some applications, e.g. FLASH memories and Si-based light emitters, will be demonstrated.