Emerging Nonotechnologies for manufacturing

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a term that is used to describe the science and technology related to the control and manipulation of matter and devices on a scale less than 100 nm in dimension. It involves a multidisciplinary approach involving fields such as applied physics, materials science, chemistry, biology, surface science, robotics, engineering, electrical engineering and biomedical engi- neering. At this scale the properties of matter is dictated and there are few boundaries between scientific disciplines. Generally, two main approaches have been used in nanotechnology. These are known as the ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ approaches. The former involves building up from atoms into molecules to assemble nanostructures, materials and devices. The latter involves making structures and devices from larger entities without specific