FUNDAMENTALS OF NANOMATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS

Nanomaterials represent a pivotal frontier in modern electronics, offering unprecedented opportunities to enhance device performance through their unique quantum, surface, and interface phenomena. Defined by at least one dimension within the 1–100 nm range, these materials exhibit distinctive electrical, optical, and mechanical properties that deviate significantly from their bulk counterparts. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles governing nanomaterials for electronic applications, encompassing their classification, synthesis, structural characteristics, and functional behaviour. Special emphasis is placed on carbon-based nanomaterials, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes and on metal oxide systems such as TiO₂, ZnO, and SnO₂, which underpin major advances in transistors, sensors, and optoelectronic devices. The chapter also discusses hybrid and nanocomposite materials that integrate organic–inorganic interfaces to achieve tunable conductivity, enhanced charge mobility, and multifunctionality. Furthermore, state-of-the-art fabrication strategies, including both top-down and bottom-up methods, directed self-assembly, and nanoscale 3D printing, are evaluated in terms of precision, scalability, and sustainability. Collectively, the discussion illustrates how nanoscale engineering is redefining electronic materials, driving the development of next-generation devices that are faster, more efficient, and environmentally adaptive.