Nanotechnology

- an overview of what nanotechnology is and especially how it impacts the electronics industry.

Nanotechnology has hit the headlines in a number of areas of engineering and development in recent years. In many arenas, nanotechnology is expected to provide many advantages. Although nanotechnology will have a major impact on the electronics industry, its use is far more widespread, covering disciplines including physics, mechanical engineering, bioengineering, and chemical engineering. In fact, one of the major uses of nanotechnology is expected to be within the cosmetics industry. That said, it is likely that it will have a revolutionary effect on the development of integrated circuits. With traditional design and fabrications techniques for integrated circuits likely to run into the theoretical limits before long, nanotechnology seems to be the obvious route to further reduction in the size of individual components within the integrated circuits and thereby continue the trend in increasing the levels of integration.

What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology can be defined as developments that are based on nanometre scale structures and dimensions. Typically they may be between 0.1 and 100 nm (where 1 nm = 1 / 1 000 000 mm). In this way the structures are based on a true atomic scale where the dimensions may be that of just a few atoms of molecules. One definition of nanotechnology is: "Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications." [The United States' National Nanotechnology Initiative.]

Not only does nanotechnology enable structures to be made much smaller. It also enables effects that are not visible on larger structures to be utilised. For example it is noticed that the material may exhibit different electromagnetic or optical properties ont hese scales as a result of the atomic sizes involved. This opens tremendous opportunities that can be exploited in many different ways.