TAMTAMS: An open tool to understand nanoelectronics

In order to assure the best learning experience, the teaching activity in Electronic Engineering is expected to closely follow the rapid evolution of CMOS technology. As a consequence the necessity of new teaching tools arises. These instruments must be flexible enough not only to follow technology evolution, but also to improve the learning experience by assuring interactivity and adaptability. In this work we present a tool “made by students for other students” which analyzes and compares different technologies from nanoscale CMOS transistors to emerging technologies, based for example on Carbon Nanotubes and Silicon Nanowires. The aim of this tool is to grant the students, but also the designers, with a useful instrument to understand the impact of scaling and of emerging technologies on nanoelectronics circuits. It allows the evaluation of different circuit parameters, from device level (currents, capacitances, …) to system level (power, speed, area, …). Since the best way to learn is “learning by doing”, the tool, based on the open source software GNU Octave, has a modular structure. In this way students not only can use it, but they can develop new modules starting from the literature, from teacher's experiences or from interesting case studies, contributing themselves to improve the learning experience of other students.