Application Essay for a Graduate Study on Nanoelectronics

One of the biggest influences in my childhood was my uncle. He was an amateur ham radio operator and a dedicated electronics hobbyist. This was in the mid 1990s India, specialized electronic systems were prohibitively expensive, leading to growth of homebrew culture. I used to sit in his room every evening and observe with wonder, as he operated his homebrew radio setup, building strong connections with people across vast distances. His room which also served as his workshop, was stuffed with a bewildering array of components and spare parts. Noticing me lurking around, he would call me and try to explain the basics. He would mumble away, while I enthusiastically nodded along, but being in primary school I could never make head nor tail of it. This was my first introduction to electronics, sparking in me the flames of curiosity, burning ever brighter and illuminating my path.

The first opportunity I got to exercise my pent-up curiosity in electronics was when I matriculated as an Undergraduate at Manipal Institute of Technology. The VLSI Design course in my fifth semester drew my attention towards microminiaturization technology. My reasons for such a focus were manifold; I had a brilliant professor for this course, who placed great emphasis on the pioneering research happening at the micro scale. Also, VLSI is the crucial link between electronic circuits and computation systems, both of which are subjects close to my heart. Consequently, I selected the VLSI/ULSI process technologies elective in the subsequent semester. This course introduced me to the physics behind actual fabrication methodologies employed in the semiconductor industry. It brought back memories of the awe and wonder I had felt in my childhood. At this juncture,...

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... my research involved study of transport characteristics in semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes when interfaced with metal probes. The Schottky-Barrier CNFET tool published on NanoHUB by Dr. H.-S. Philip Wong et al., provided an excellent platform to test and refine my understanding of the phenomenon. Looking for more information on the topic, I stumbled upon his book “Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Device Physics”, which again proved indispensable. Dr. Wong's group has made unparalleled contributions to the field of Carbon Nanotube based Computation systems. If given an opportunity, I would be delighted to study under and work alongside such a distinguished professor. Moreover, Stanford University has a long established focus on excellence in research. I have cultivated an interest for the research in Nanoelectronics and I am now keen to take up graduate study in pursuit.