by Candace A Bauer and Ben Rogers

What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is no longer just a buzzword, and it is certainly not uncontrollable "gray goo" threatening to take over the world. Nanotechnology is already a part of everyday life, but perhaps more importantly, it will help make tomorrow safer, cleaner, and more productive.

The word nanotechnology borrows its prefix from the word "nanometer," or one billionth of one meter. (That is about the length of seven hydrogen atoms placed side by side.) By definition, nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at the nanometer-scale in order to take advantage of material properties that dominate at that scale. The problem with working on such a small scale is that the physics and traditional engineering principles that work in the macro-world do not exist in the nano-world. Masses are so small that gravity is a negligible factor; meanwhile, van der Waals forces, or the forces between atoms, can dominate interactions at the nano-scale.

Who "started" nanotechnology?
The new field of nanotechnology is the application of nanoscience. For hundreds of years, nanoscience has gone by other names: physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, medicine. These disciplines deal with matter on the nanoscale, but only recently has it become possible to control matter, atom by atom. This is nanotechnology, and by incorporating application of such a broad assortment of the traditional sciences, nanotechnology has enabled sweeping technological discoveries and advances.

In 1959, Nobel-Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman challenged his colleagues to think small as he delivered his speech, "There is Plenty of Room at the Bottom." This speech is widely regarded as the birth of nanotechnology. In 1981, Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich Research Laboratory developed the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), and for the first time, researchers were able to see the nanoscopic world. Five years later, Binnig teamed with Calvin Quate and Christopher Gerber to invent the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), which opened the window on the non-conducting nano-world and the biological nano-world. By 1990, IBM reported using an STM to move atoms, and by 2000 the AFM surpassed the imaging ability of the STM with the ability to see "rest atoms" belowa surface. Harry Kroto, Robert Curl, and Richard

Smalley won the Noble Prize in chemistry in 1996 for their 1985 discovery of buckminsterfullerene, a soccer-ball-like configuration of carbon atoms now known as a "buckyball." Then came carbon nanotubes, which are about 2 nanometers in width (approximately the same as a strand of DNA), but have a tensile strength up to 100 times greater than that of steel at a sixth of the weight. Nanotubes are also good conductors of heat and conduct electricity better than copper. They are being used in the construction of transistors and resonators, making electronics smaller but more powerful, and may be the most promising material for nanotechnology development.

Why is nanotechnology intriguing?
Nanotechnology is interdisciplinary - drawing on scientists and engineers in myriad fields. We are learning more about the materials of nanotechnology-the atoms and molecules. For example, with the AFM, we can "feel" atoms like a finger feels Braille dots. Being this intimate with matter is unprecedented, and has yielded discoveries about the way things work on the atomic level. Nanotechnology provides us with new tools to evaluate past data and develop new solutions; like ways to treat disease, compute information, and build things. The catch phrases for nanotechnology are "do more with less" and "lighter but stronger."

When will nanotechnology be available?
Nanotech- nology is already being integrated into products. Hyperion Catalysis International builds nanotubes into the fuel lines of cars to minimize electrostatic sparks. Lightyear Technologies Inc. uses a nanosheet to free oil trapped in the tar sands in Alberta. Samsung demonstrated a nanotube-based field emission device in 1999 and plans to make small and large-scale displays in coming years. Batteries contain nano-sized particles of metal and hydrogen fuel cells contain nanoalloys, allowing the cells to be made much smaller. Ultraviolet-absorbing nanoparticles are used as additives for sunscreen lotions and scratch-resistant nanocoatings are being placed on eyeglasses.

The imagination and the laws of physics seem the sole constraints for nanotechnology's applications. At the top of the list are biological applications. These include drug delivery to specific cells, ointments to counteract toxins, destruction of targeted cancer cells, slicing and manipulation of DNA and virus strands, and detection of harmful chemicals and pathogens. Other applications include self-cleaning glass, protective shields, transistors, and displays (field emission devices).

Where will nanotechnology go next?
While remarkable preliminary results have been achieved, nanofabrication processes are not yet optimized. Fabrication parameters must be tightly controlled and equipment must be well calibrated and characterized.

New, paradigm-shifting fabrication methods, such as self-assembly and nanopatterning, are not yet entirely understood or mature and can require many failed attempts to fine tune for a specific application.

Several groups and companies are developing Computer-Aided Design (CAD) packages to help predict the results. As nano-scale fabrication and analysis capabilities develop, devices at that scale will be easier to make and use, leading to new advances in nanotechnology.

The next barrier to consider is consumer awareness. While each day more people are learning about nanotechnology, many of them are getting their information from sensationalized media reports or in science fiction books where nanotechnology is portrayed as evil "gray goo" made up of billions of nanobots that self replicate and take over the world. Acknowledging what nanotechnology is capable of doing (or, not doing), better equips us to ensure it is developed responsibly.

Nanotechnology is improving how traditional consumer products are designed and manufactured; enabling new technological revolutions, new products, and sometimes creating new markets to satisfy consumer demand.

As the field moves from "black art" to design engineering, it is a great time for you to get involved with research, new career opportunities, learn and help develop Computer-Aided Design (CAD) for modeling, and integrate new materials being developed into tomorrow's products.

ASME is a leading Professional Society in nanotechnology. Consider becoming a member of the ASME Nanotechnology Institute www.nanotechnologyinstitute.org

How can I learn more? Read more about nanotechnology:

a. The ASME Nanotechnology Institute (www.nanotechnology institute.org) offers links to journals, magazines, news articles, and conferences coming to your area.

b. "Small Tech 101: An Introduction to Micro and Nanotechnology," published by Small Times magazine (www.smalltimes.com), is a great primer loaded with illustrations.

c. From the biological perspective, "Molecular Biology of the Cell," by Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and Peter Walter is well organized and comprehensive.