NANOTECHNOLOGY

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Abstract

Albert Einstein first proved that each molecule measures about a nanometer (a billion of a meter) in diameter. And in 1959, it was Richard P. Feynman who predicted a technological world composed of self-replicating molecules whose purpose would be the production of nano-sized objects.

Almost a hundred years after Einstein's insight and 40 years after Feynman's initial proposition, the nanometer scale looms large on the research agenda. The semiconductor industry is edging closer to the world of Nanotechnology where components are miniaturized to the point of individual molecules and atoms.

Nanotechnology broadly refers to the manipulation of matter on the atomic and molecular scales. This technology enables creation of things one atom or molecule at a time. The possibilities with nanotechnology are enormous and are of great benefit to us.

This seminar report aims to discuss various concepts behind nanotechnology, implementation of nanotechnology in medical field and to other fields also.

Introduction

The development and use of devices that have a size of only a few nanometres. Research has been carried out into very small components, which depend on electronic effects and may involve movement of a countable number of electrons in their action. Such devices would act faster than larger components. Considerable interest has been shown in the production of structures on a molecular level by suitable sequences of chemical reactions. It is also possible to manipulate individual atoms on surfaces using a variant of the atomic force microscope.

Nanotechnology is the creation of functional materials, devices and systems through control of matter on the nanometer length scale (1-100 nanometers), and exploitation of novel phenomena and properties (physical, chemical, biological) at that length scale. For comparison, 10 nanometers is 1000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. A scientific and technical revolution has just begun based upon the ability to systematically organize and manipulate matter at nanoscale. Payoff is anticipated within the next 10-15 years.

A push is well underway to invent devices that manufacture at almost no cost, by treating atoms discretely, like computers treat bits of information. This would allow automatic construction of consumer goods without traditional labor, like a Xerox machine produces unlimited copies without a human retyping the original information.

Electronics is fueled by miniaturization. Working smaller has led to the tools capable of manipulating individual atoms like the proteins in a potato manipulate the atoms of soil, air and water to make copies of itself.

The shotgun marriage of chemistry and engineering called "Nanotechnology"is ushering in the era of self replicating machinery and self assembling consumer goods made from cheap raw atoms (Drexler, Merkle paraphrased).

Nanotechnology is molecular manufacturing or, more simply, building things one atom or molecule at a time with programmed nanoscopic robot arms. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter (3 - 4 atoms wide). Utilizing the well understood chemical properties of atoms and molecules (how they"stick" together), nanotechnology proposes the construction of novel molecular devices possessing extraordinary properties. The trick is to manipulate atoms individually and place them exactly where needed to produce the desired structure.

Working at the resolution limit of matter, it will enable the ultimate in miniaturization and performance. By starting with cheap, abundant components--molecules--and processing them with small, high-frequency, high-productivity machines, it will make products inexpensive.