Nanotechnology
is an expected future manufacturing technology that will make
most products lighter, stronger, cleaner, less expensive more
compact cheaper enviromental wastage friendly and more precise.
Nanotechnology is a new technology for creating MEMS structures
in the Nano range which is three orders of magnitude,
or 1000 times smaller than the current generation of MEMS devices.
Refers to devices ranging in size from a nanometer to a micron.
In the
coming decades nanotechnology could make a supercomputer so
small it could barely be seen in a light microscope. Fleets
of medical nanorobots smaller than a cell could roam our bodies
eliminating bacteria, clearing out clogged arteries, and reversing
the ravages of old age. Clean factories could eliminate pollution
caused by manufacturing. Low cost solar cells and batteries
could replace coal, oil and nuclear fuels with clean, cheap
and abundant solar power. New inexpensive materials over fifty
times stronger per kilogram than those used in today's rockets
could open up space and make lunar vacations no more expensive
than vacations to the South Pole. Material abundance for all
the people of the earth could become a reality.
Manufactured
products are made from atoms. The properties of those products
depend on how those atoms are arranged. If we rearrange the
atoms in coal we can make diamond. If we rearrange the atoms
in sand (and add a few other trace elements) we can make computer
chips. If we rearrange the atoms in dirt, water and air we can
make potatoes.
Todays manufacturing methods are very crude at the molecular
level. Casting, grinding, milling and even lithography move
atoms in great thundering statistical herds. It's like trying
to make things out of LEGO blocks with boxing gloves on your
hands. Yes, you can push the LEGO blocks into great heaps and
pile them up, but you can't really snap them together the way
you'd like.
In
the future, nanotechnology will let us take off the boxing
gloves. We'll be able to snap together the fundamental building
blocks of nature easily, inexpensively and in most of the
ways permitted by the laws of physics. This will be essential
if we are to continue the revolution in computer hardware
beyond about the next decade, and will also let us fabricate
an entire new generation of products that are cleaner, stronger,
lighter, and more precise.
Introduction © by Ralph
C. Merkle Distinguished Professor, Georgia
Tech College of Computing
Nanotechnology
is the targeted construction of the smallest structural units
and particles using the construction kit of the periodic system
of elements in order to produce working materials with new properties,
the most miniature machines and total systems.
This involves working on the most miniature scale. After all,
7 to 10 atoms in a row only measure 1/1,000,000,000 m, a nanometer.
A
size comparison: A nano-structural unit is to a football as
a football is to the earth. Up to now construction in nanodimensions
was exclusive to nature. For millions of years it has constructed
our world of plants, animals and humans using this successful
principle. NanoGate
Germany .
We are going to attempt to master this process, it's not if,
or how? How soon is more appropiate, we know time holds and
controls the turnkey to master all nano solutions.
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Nanotechnology
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Universities
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Centre for Nano-Device Modelling, Leeds |
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Center for Nanotechnology, University of Washington |
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Centre for Molecular and Nanoscale Electronics, Durham |
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Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Electronics, Coventry
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The Center for Near-field Atom-Photon Technology |
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IBF CITBB
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Institute of Physical and chemical research, Riken, Japan |
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and Process Simulation Center, The Beckman Inst.,Caltec, U.S.A. |
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Mechanical Engineering Stathclyde |
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The Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory |
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School of Informatics University of Wales, Bangor |
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University of Bristol Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) Group |
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Other Research Centres and Organisations
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ESF |
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International Society for Molecular Electronics and BioComputing |
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Materials Research Society, San Francisco, U.S.A. |
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MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems), USC, CA., U.S.A. |
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Nanobionet |
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Nanocentre at Newcastle |
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Nano Science and Technology Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences |
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PNNL Nanoscience, Nanoengineering and Nanotechnology |
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Royal Academy of Engineering |
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Science and Technology Information Center, Taiwan |
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NPL |
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Royal Society (RS) and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) |
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Companies
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Nanofactory |
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Nanogate Germany |
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NanoLab Inc. |
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Nanomagnetics |
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Nanoworld |
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Quantum Precision Instruments |
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Surrey Satellites Technology Ltd |
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Other
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AZOM |
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GlobalTechnoscan |
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INEX: Nanotechnology Exploitation |
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Innovation Relay Centre for Scotland |
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National Nanotechnology Initiative |
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Nanotechweb |
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NanoSystems UK
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NanoSystems.info
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Nature Materials
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Biotech Directory
Books
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Nanotechnology UK books |
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Nanotechnology
US & World Books |
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Nanotechnology
deutsche Bücher
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»
The
Foresight Institute - Non-profit institute
focused on nanotechnology, the coming ability to build materials
and products with atomic precision, and systems to aid knowledge
exchange and critical discussion, thus improving public
and private policy decisions.
» Nanotechnology
Now - Comprehensive and informative nanotechnology
portal. Provides introduction to nanotechnology, general
information, images, interviews, news, events, research,
books, glossary and links.
»
Applied Computational
Research Society - Nonprofit organization fostering
interdisciplinary approaches to modeling and simulation
in the advancement of computational science and high technology.
Focused on nanoscience and MEMS applications.
» The
ASME Nanotechnology Institute - American Society of
Mechanical Engineers: nanotechnology resources, events,
programs, activities, online courses, webcasts, news and
links.
» CMP
Cientifica - News, networks, conferences and nanotechnology
resources in Europe
» Euspen
- European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology
- contains society news, conference information, discussion
forums and expertise search. Euspen is a not-for-profit
company based at Cranfield University in the UK, with
members around the world.
» Exploring
the Nanoworld - Movies of nano-structured materials:
ferrofluids, memory metals, amorphous metals, LEDs, re-entrant
foams, self assembly, DNA, Magnetic Resonance Imaging,
atomix imaging, Lego models, Giant Magneto Resistance,
silicon, carbon nanotubes, polymers, and semiconductor
devices. National Science Foundation supported Materials
Research Science and Engineering Center on Nanostructured
Materials and Interfaces at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
» The
gRobots Project - An open source project to build
and run a globally distributed supercomputer for the simulation
of evolvable nanotechnology.
» How
Stuff Works: How Nanotechnology Will Work - Animated
narrative shows how Nanotechnology has the potential to
totally change manufacturing, health care and many other
areas.
» IBM
Almaden STM Molecular Art - Some of the famous images
of atoms and molecules made with IBM's scanning tunneling
microscope.
» Institute
for Atomic-Scale Engineering - Personal page of Forrest
Bishop: published and unpublished concept articles.
» Institute
of Nanotechnology (UK) - The Institute of Nanotechnology
has been created to foster, develop and promote all aspects
of science and technology in those domains where dimensions
and tolerances in the range of 0.1 nm to 100nm play a
critical role.
» Iran
Nanotechnology Policy Studies Committee - A committee
for studying nanotechnology trends in Iran and the world.
» Minatec
- Centre for innovation in micro and nanotechnology. Teaching,
research, and industrial development.
» Minatec
- Centre for Innovation in Micro and Nanotechnology in
Grenoble. Teaching, research, and industrial development.
» MITRE
Corp. Nanosystems Group - Reviews current nanotechnology
research and people behind it, downloadable copies of
several widely-used articles. Nanoelectronics focus.
» Molecular
Manufacturing Shortcut Group - Promotes developing
nanotechnology as a way to facilitate space exploration
and settlement.
» Moletronics
and Nanotechnology references - Links to sites with
information mainly on molecular electronics.
» Nano
Science & Technology Institute - Events, publications
and news in nanotechnology, microtechnology and biotechnology.
» Nano
Space - Nano technology as it applies now and in the
future to Space Exploration and Studies.
» NanoApex
- Nanotechnology portal.
» Nanobase
- Loyola College, Maryland. National Science Foundation
sponsored site presenting up-to-date sources of information
on nanotechnology in the areas of major research centers,
funding agencies, major reports and books.
» NanoComputer
Dream Team - Multidisciplinary project to make Earth's
first nanometer supercomputer via Internet.
» Nanodot
- News and Discussion of Coming Technologies: Weblog devoted
to nanotechnology-related news stories, with attached
discussion forum. (based on Slashdot software)
» Nanoforum.org:
European Nanotechnology Gateway - Offers background
information, news and developments in industry and research
and a selection of publications.
» nanogloss
- Online dictionary of nanotechnology.
» Nanoguys
- Nanotechnology Career Consultants. Recruiting and placement
of staff in nanotechnolgy related positions such as Organic,
Inorganic, Biological, Project Management, Research Scientist,
Engineer, and Lab Technician.
» Nanomagazine
- Interviews with people in the Nanotechnology field.
» NanoManipulator:
3rdTech - Commercial version of the NanoManipulator
system originally from University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill.
» NanoManipulator:
University of North Carolina - The nanoManipulator
provides an improved, natural interface to SPMs (STMs
and ATMs) by coupling the microscope to a virtual-reality
interface giving a virtual telepresence on the surface,
scaled by a factor of about a million to one.
» Nanomedicine
- Devoted to the medical applications and implications
of molecular nanotechnology. Nanomedicine may be defined
as the monitoring, repair, construction and control of
human biological systems at the molecular level, using
engineered nanodevices and nanostructures. Includes the
Nanomedicine Art Gallery. (From the Foresight Institute.)
» Nanoscale
Science and Engineering - National Science Foundation.
Activities, Information & Education, Research &
Development, Connections, and NSF & NNI (National
Nanotechnology Initiative) Reports.
» NanoScout
- Portal with forums, and links sorted by topic and popularity.
» NanoSpace
- The Center for NanoSpace Technologies is a Texas-based
nonprofit scientific research and education foundation
chartered to conceive, establish, and conduct cutting-edge
technology, research, and development in the areas of
aerospace, education, energy, life sciences, and shipping
& transportation.
» NanotechNews
- News for nanotechnologists and investors: regular updates,
many links to other nanotechnology websites, archives,
search function, newswire.
» Nanotechnology
- Institute of Physics quarterly journal
» Nanotechnology
- Institute of Physics monthly journal for aspects of
nanoscale science and technology
» The
NanoTechnology Group - A consortium of nano companies,
universities and organizations developing a nano science
curriculum for K-12.
» Nanotechnology
in Manufacturing - What Next? The Coming Revolution
In Manufacturing: Autodesk Technology Forum Presentation
by John Walker, May 10th, 1990. Somewhat dated but well
worth reading.
» Nanotechnology
Journals Database - References, and links to, papers
about nanotechnology, from selected scientific journals
(eg PRB, PRL, JACS, JAP, JPCB).
» Nanotechweb.org
- A portal for nanoscience and nanotechnology online resources
for academics, industrialists and investors, as well as
for laymen interested in nanotechnnology.
» NanoTechWire.com
- Provides information for nanotechnology and research.
» Nanotek
- Nanotechnology: articles online, news, pictures, cvs
» nanoTEN
- Nanotechnology consulting firm. Services include nanotechnology
matchmaking, assessment of trends, feasibility studies,
materials and products analysis, and presentation assistance.
» nanoTITAN
- Nanotechnology Software, Data & Services: nanoTITAN
offers Java libraries and applications, a nanodevice database,
the nanoML specification, custom simulation and visualization
to the nanotechnology and general scientific communities.
» Nanotube
Patent Search - Results from a search of nanotube
or nanotube related patents at the United States Patent
& Trademark Office
» The
Nanotube Site - Michigan State University's Library
of Links for the Nanotube Research Community
» NanoWave
- An MIT startup, Nanowave offers SPPE (Scanning Probe
Position Encoder) technology for picometer-order (subnanometer)
resolution over ranges greater than several inches.
» National
Science Foundation - Partnership in Nanotechnology
(US). Recent technical and policy reports, funding opportunities,
profiles of projects currently supported, and links to
other nanoscience/technology sites.
» Phantoms
- European Union sponsored nano electronics network. Contains
comprehensive information about European nanotechnology,
and links to groups and events worldwide.
» Polymer
Simulation - Computer simulation of a polymer sticking
to a surface.
» Scanning
Tunneling Microscope (STM) - Describes the invention
of the topografiner, a precursor instrument, between 1965
and 1971, and also tells of the STM's development.
» Scientific
American - Nanotechnology articles, some free and
some archived.
» Self
Replicating Systems - NASA and Self-Replicating Systems:
Implications for Nanotechnology.
» Small
Times - Daily articles covering MEMS, nanotechnology,
and microsystems, with a business angle.
» Stony
Brook Buckyballs - A virtual tour of fullerenes in
Laszlo Mihaly's laboratory at the Physics Department at
SUNY, Stony Brook.
» STT:
Netherlands Study Center for Technology Trends - Somewhere
in this confusing site is good material in English, though
it is often labeled in Dutch, and Dutch material is often
labeled in English. STT hopes to bring their project to
the attention of a wide audience, thereby contributing
to the development of nanotechnology.
» Technology
Review: Nanotechnology and Materials - Articles, discussion
and services for nanotech built on MIT's award-winning
monthly magazine.
» Thermodynamics
Research Laboratory - Classical, Quantum, Nanoscale
& Statistical Thermodynamics & Mechanics data
and property calculation sites.
» Virtual
Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology - A
weekly multijournal compilation of the latest research
on nanoscale systems. Published by the American Institute
of Physics and the American Physical Society.
» VISION
Online - Virtual Institute supported by the EC, committed
to promotion and training in the precision engineering
and nanotechnologies. Contains discussion forums, training
programmes and patent library.
» Xerox/Zyvex
Nanotechnology - Former Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
Nanotechnology page: brief introduction to core concepts
of molecular nanotechnology (MNT), and links for further
reading.
» Yahoo
Groups: Nanotechnology - Active nanotechnology discussion
group.
» Yashnanotech
- Provides marketing and consultancy services for products
developed by nanotechnology. Promotes nanotech awareness
through training, educational publications, seminars,
workshops and conferences.
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