What is Nanotechnology?

PresentedbyNathanSwami,PhD
AssociateProfessor&GraduateProgramDirector
UVADepartmentofElectrical&ComputerEngineering
PresentationDevelopedbyPamelaM.Norris,PhD
Professor,Dept.ofMechanical&AerospaceEngineering
DirectoroftheMicroscaleHeatTransferLaboratory
DirectoroftheAerogelResearchLaboratory

Definition of Nanotechnology
Nanotechnologyistheunderstandingandcontrolof
matteratdimensionsofroughly1to100nanometers,
whereuniquephenomenaenablenovelapplications.
Encompassingnanoscalescience,engineeringand
technology,nanotechnologyinvolvesimaging,
measuring,modeling,andmanipulatingmatteratthis
lengthscale.
NationalNanotechnologyInitiative

Why Nanotechnology?
Atthenanoscale,thephysical,chemical,and
biologicalpropertiesofmaterialsdifferin
fundamentalandvaluablewaysfromthe
propertiesofindividualatomsandmoleculesor
bulkmatter.
NanotechnologyR&Disdirectedtoward
understandingandcreatingimprovedmaterials,
devices,andsystemsthatexploitthesenew
properties.

In Other Words.

Smallphotoniccrystals:
titaniumdioxidemicro
sphere150min
diameter

Workingattheatomic,molecular
andsupramolecularlevels,inthe
lengthscaleofapproximately1100
nmrange,throughthecontroland
manipulationofmatterattheatomic
andmolecularlevelinorderto
design,createandusematerials,
devicesandsystemswith
fundamentallynewpropertiesand
functionsbecauseoftheirsmall
structure.

Courtesy:NationalScienceFoundation
Credit:S.Klein,F.LangeandD.Pine,UCSantaBarbara

ForPamNorrisJuly
2009

Why Now?
RichardFeynmansfamouspresentationTheresPlentyofRoom
attheBottomwasinthe1959attheAmericanPhysicalSociety.
Hereheasked:
Whycantwemanipulatematerialsatombyatom?
Whycantwecontrolthesynthesisofindividualmolecules?
Whycantwewriteallofhumanknowledgeontheheadofapin?
Whycantwebuildmachinestoaccomplishthesethings?

Why Now?
Newtoolsforatomicscalecharacterization
Newcapabilitiesforsingleatom/molecule
manipulation
Computationalaccesstolargesystemsof
atomsandlongtimescales
Convergenceofscientificdisciplinesatthe
nanoscale

Whats the BIG deal about something so

SMALL

Materialsbehavedifferentlyatthissizescale.
Itsnotjustaboutminiaturization.
AtthisscaleitsallaboutINTERFACES

Color depends on particle size

Quantum dots 3.2 nm in diameter have blue emission
Quantum dots 5 nm in diameter have red emission
EvidentTechnologies
evidotQuantumDots

Thermal Conductivity
Siphononthermalconductivity:Bulkvs.Microscale

Roomtemperaturethermalconductivitydata
forsiliconlayersasafunctionoftheir
thickness.

Thermalconductivitiesofthesilicondevice
layerswiththicknesses0.42,0.83,and1.6m.

Asheghi,A.,Touzelbaev,M.N.,Goodson,K.E.,Leung,Y.K.,andWong,S.S.,1998,Temperature
DependentThermalConductivityofSingleCrystalSiliconLayersinSOISubstrates,ASME
JournalofHeatTransfer,120,3036.

Benefits of Nanotechnology
Thepowerofnanotechnologyisrootedinits
potentialtotransformandrevolutionizemultiple
technologyandindustrysectors,including
aerospace,agriculture,biotechnology,homeland
securityandnationaldefense,energy,environmental
improvement,informationtechnology,medicine,
andtransportation.Discoveryinsomeoftheseareas
hasadvancedtothepointwhereitisnowpossibleto
identifyapplicationsthatwillimpacttheworldwe
livein.
NationalNanotechnologyInitiative

Understanding the Challenges of the

Nanoscale
Therearemanylengthandtimescalesthatare
importantinnanotechnology.
Lengthscalegoesfrom10to104this
correspondsto102to1011particles
Timescalesrangingfrom1015stoseveral
seconds
Thetemporalscalegoeslinearlyinthenumberof
particlesN,thespatialscalegoesas(NlogN),yetthe
accuracyscalecangoashighasN7toN!witha
significantprefactor.

Challenges of this Size Scale

Acriticalissuefornanotechnologyisthatcomponents,
structures,andsystemsareinasizeregimeaboutwhose
fundamentalbehaviorwehavelittleunderstanding.They
are:
toosmallfordirectmeasurements
toolargetobedescribedbycurrentrigorousfirstprinciple
theoreticalandcomputationalmethods
exhibittoomanyfluctuationstobetreatedmonolithically
intimeandspace
toofewtobedescribedbyastatisticalensemble.

Modeling, Characterization and Fabrication

are Inseparable for Nanoscale Devices

Simulation
Fabrication

Characterization

Courtesy:NASA

Applications

Nanosciencewillchangethe
natureofalmosteveryhuman
madeobjectinthenextcentury.

NationalScienceandTechnologyCouncil,2000

Economic Impact of Nanotechnology

MarketSizePredictions(withinadecade)*
$340B/yr
$300B/yr
$180B/yr
$100B/yr
$70B/yr
$20B/yr
$30B/yr
$45B/yr

Materials
Electronics
Pharmaceuticals
Chemicalmanufacture
Aerospace
Tools
Improvedhealthcare
Sustainability

$1Trillionperyearby2015
*2007Estimatesbyindustrygroups,source:NSF

Economic Impact of Nanotechnology

AccordingtoTheNanotechnologyOpportunityReport
(NOR),3rdEditionCientificaLtd.,publishedinJune2008
Themarketforproductsenabledbynanotechnologieswill
reachUS$263billionby2012.
Thehighestgrowthrateswillbeintheconvergencebetween
bioandnanotechnologiesinthehealthcareand
pharmaceuticalsectors.

National Investment
FiscalYear

NNI

2000

$270M

2001

$464M

2002

$697M

2003

$862M

2004

$989M

2005

$1,200M

2006

$1,303M

2007

$1,425M

2008

$1,491M

2009

$1,527M

TheUSinvestmentinnano
technologyrepresentsaboutof
theworldR&Dinvestment.

The2010Budgetprovides$1.6
billion,reflectingsteadygrowthin
theNNIinvestment.

Forbes Top 10 Nanotech Products-2003

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

HighPerformanceSkiWax
BreathableWaterproofSkiJacket
WrinkleResistant,StainRepellentThreads
DeepPenetratingSkinCream
WorldsFirstOLEDDigitalCamera
NanotechDVDandBookCollection
PerformanceSunglasses
NanocrystallineSunscreen
HighTechTennisRackets
HighTechTennisBalls

Forbes Top 10 Nanotech Products-2004

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Footwarmers
WashableBedMattress
GolfBallsandtheNanoDriver
NanoSkinCare
NanosilverWoundDressingforBurnvictims
MilitaryGradeDisinfectants
BASFSuperhydrophobicSpray
ClarityDefenderAutomotiveGlassTreatment
FlexPowerJointandMusclePainCream
3MDentalAdhesive

Forbes Top 10 Nanotech Products-2005

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

iPodNano
CanolaActive
OLalaFoodsChocolaChewingGum
ZelensFullereneC60FaceCream
EastonSportsStealthCNTBat
CasualApparelNanotex
ArcticShieldSocksodorandfungusresistant
BehrNanoGuardPaint
PilkingtonActiveGlass
NanoBreezeAirPurifier

About $80B in products

incorporate nanotechnology
in the US in 2009 with the
leading category being:
Consumer Products

Sporting Goods

Cosmetics, Clothes and Food

Clean and Cheap Energy

Computational
catalysis

Courtesy:Matthew
Neurock,UVA

Lasertexturedsiliconforsolarcells
Courtesy:MoolGupta,UVA

Solidoxidefuelcell

Courtesy:SteveMcIntosh,UVA

CourtesyofNASA

References
http://www.nanotechproject.org/inventories/consumer/
Aninventoryofnanotechnologybasedconsumer
productscurrentlyonthemarket.
ProductiveNanosystemsATechnologyRoadmap,
2007,BattelleMemorialInstituteandForesight
NanotechInstitute.
IWGNWorkshopReport:NanotechnologyResearch
Directions:VisionforNanotechnologyintheNext
Decade,2000,EditedbyM.C.Roco,R.S.Williams,and
P.Alivisatos,Springer.
www.nano.gov
www.science.doe.gov/nano
www.nnin.org