possesses extraordinary physical and

NANO
chemical properties because of which it is
TECHNOLOGY possible to make incredible components.
The importance of nanotube transistors in
making new class of smaller, faster and
Document By
SANTOSH BHARADWAJ REDDY lower power consumed computer chips is
Email: help@matlabcodes.com illustrated. In this text proofs for the
Engineeringpapers.blogspot.com
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above site

existence of nanotechnology in the

Abstract: present world are given. It is clearly
Nanotechnology, the short gun described with neat and realistic figures how
marriage of chemistry and engineering in this technology has been a break through in
molecular manufacturing or more simply, all fields especially in computers and
building things one atom or molecule at a electronics. This presentation also
time with programmed nanoscopic robot emphasized on the prominent role played by
arms. This technology proposes the this elegant technology in making several
construction of novel molecular devices comfortable, tiny and easily operatable
possessing extraordinary devices by components. Finally, the latest
manipulating atoms individually and placing developments taken place in the world are
them exactly where needed to produce the exemplified, ending with an interesting
desired result. In this paper the two conclusion about the performance of this
fundamental different approaches to technology in the future.
nanotechnology are clearly explained
Introduction:
including the two main concepts of the
Imagine a technology so powerful that it
technology and differentiated those two
will allow such feats as desktop
concepts. Carbon tubes, which are the heart
manufacturing, cellular repair, artificial
for this technology, is highlighted which
intelligence, inexpensive space travel,
clean and abundant energy and
environmental restoration; a technology
so portable that every one can reap its
benefits; a technology so fundamental to the tools capable of manipulating
that it will radically change the individual atoms, just as the proteins in a
economic and political systems; a potato manipulate the atoms of soil, water
technology so imminent that most of and air to make copies of themselves. The
people will see its impact within the shotgun marriage of chemistry and
lifetimes. Such is the promise of engineering called nanotechnology is
nanotechnology. ushering in the era of self replicating

Albert Einstein first proved that each machinery and self-assembling consumer

molecule measures about a nanometer (a goods made from cheap raw atoms

billionth of a meter) in diameter. In 1959, it What is nanotechnology?

was Richard P. Feynman who predicted a
Nanotechnology is molecular
technological world composed of self-
manufacturing or, more simply building things
replicating molecules whose purpose would
one atom or molecule at a time with
be the production of nano-sized objects.
programmed nanoscopic robot arms. A
Almost a hundred years after Einstein’s
nanometer is one billionth of a meter (3 to 4
insight and 40 years after Feynman’s initial
atoms wide). Utilizing the well-understood
proposition, the nanometer scale looms large
chemical properties of atoms and molecules
on the research agenda. The semiconductor
(how they stick together) a nanotechnology
industry is edging closer to the world of
proposes the construction of novel molecular
nanotechnology where components are
devices possessing extraordinary properties.
miniastured to the point of individual
The trick is to manipulate atoms individually
molecules and atoms. A push is well
and place them exactly where needed to
underway to invent devices that will
produce the desired structure.
manufacture anything at almost no cost, by
Nanotechnology broadly refers to the
treating atoms discretely, like computers
manipulation of matter on the atomic and
treat bits of information. This would allow
molecular scales i.e. where the objects of
automatic construction of consumer goods
interest are 0.1-100 nanometer n size.
without traditional labour, like a Xerox
Atomic diameters represent the lower end of
machine produces unlimited retyping the
this range at tenths of nanometers.
original information. Electronics is fuelled
Transistors used in the present generation of
by miniasturisation. Working smaller has led
microprocessors, with dimensions of the below the wavelength of light, X-ray; etc. The
order of 100 nanometers are at the upper end ultimate result is circuit elements consisting of
of the nanotechnology range. As atoms single molecules.
come together to form molecules and By treating atoms as discrete, bit-like
molecules come together to form clusters or objects, molecular manufacturing will bring a
crystals, the inherent macro-scale properties digital revolution to the production of material
are determined. By controlling molecular objects. Working at the resolution limit of
structure in material synthesis, mankind has matter, it will enable the ultimate in
gained unprecedented control over the basic miniaturization and performance. By starting
material properties such as conductivity, with cheap, abundant components---molecules
strength, capacity, ductility and reactivity, and processing them with small, high
yielding innovative applications ranging frequency, high productivity machines, it will
from batteries to automotive materials. This make products inexpensive. Design computers
is a passive nano technique that primarily will each execute more instructions per second
focuses on tuning the properties of resulting than the entire semiconductor CPU’s in the
bulk materials. The active nano technique world.
facilitates creation of functional electronic
Approaches of nanotechnology:
and ultimately mechanical devices at the
nano scale.

At nano-scale, different laws come into

play. Properties of traditional materials change
and the behaviour of surfaces starts to
dominate the behaviour of bulk materials,
opening up new realms. In the electronic
domain, the benefit of working on nano-scale
is production of smaller things. Using
nanotubes or other molecular configurations
enables engineers to break through this barrier
in the semiconductor industry, which is
expected to provide even smaller circuits and
even more powerful computers, by working
 mainly at what may be considered the more
primitive bottom-top stage, building upward
in the Molecular scale as shown in the figure
1.

Concepts of nano technolgy:

There are two concepts commonly
Nano materials associated with nanotechnology:
Chiral materials
Carbon Nano
tubes
Multifunctional • Positional Assembly
polymers
Nano Nano
sensors actuators • Self-Replication
Artificial muscle
Nano and Micro
pump Clearly, we would be happy with any
Nano Nano and Micro
electronics motors
method that simultaneously achieved the
following three objectives. However, this
Nano seems difficult without using some form of
systems

Nano Electro Mechanical

positional assembly (to get the right
Systems
Nano Machines and
robots
molecular parts in the right places) and some
Telesurgery
Drug delivery form of self-replication (to keep the costs
Figure 1 down).

The two fundamentally different 1. Get essentially every atom in the right
approaches to nanotechnology are place.
graphically termed ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom- 2. Make almost any structure consistent with
up’. Top down refers to making nanoscale the laws of physics and chemistry that we
structures by machining and etching can specify in atomic detail.
techniques, whereas bottom-up, or
3. Have manufacturing costs not greatly
molecular nanotechnology, applies to
exceeding the cost of the required raw
building organic and inorganic structures
materials and energy.
atom-by-atom, or molecule-by-molecule.
Top–bottom or bottom-up is a measure of Tools of nano technology:
the level of advancement of nanotechnology. The icons of this revolution are scanning
Nanotechnology, as applied today, is still probe microscopes—the scanning tunneling
microscope (STM) and the atomic force fullerenes preparation. This discovery opened
microscope (AFM). Both these machines have a new chapter both in nanotechnology and in
the ability to interact with materials at the carbon chemistry.
molecular level, although this is limited. They Because of their nano scale size and
are capable of creating pictures of individual particular structure, carbon nanotubes exhibit
atoms or moving them from place to place. following novel electronic, mechanical and
Drexler has proposed the Assembler, a chemical properties.
nanosize mechanical machine, which could The average E value from the experiments
manipulate atoms precisely. These machines of tubes was around 1.28 TPa with no
could be told to build anything. To control dependence on tube diameter, which is similar
these miniature run-abouts, Drexler has to the in-plane modulus of graphite, 1.06 TPa;
designed the nanocomputer. This is not an the largest of any known bulk material. (for
electronic device but one that would work on steel, the E value is around 200 GPa).
‘rod-logic’; a system of criss-crossing
Based on their unique properties, carbon
mechanically-operated rods interacting with
nanotubes are expected to have variety of
each other. These computers would be small,
applications. A lot of research has been carried
typically fitting inside a 400-nanometer cube,
out on synthesis, characterization, property
which is approximately 1000 times smaller in
measurement and applications of carbon
volume than one human cell. However, these
nanotubes and will be continued. The structure
would be as powerful as some of today’s
of nano tubes can be seen in figure 2.
desktop computers.
The high stiffness, coupled with the low
Carbon nanotubes (key role in nano
density for nanotubes, implies that nanotubes
technology): might be useful as nanoscale fibres in strong,
Figure 2.

In 1991, carbon nanotube was discovered

from the cathode product in carbon-arc
discharge method similar to that used for lightweight composite materials.
 The researchers have built the world’s first In 1998, Israeli scientists demonstrated
array of transistors out of carbon nanotubes— that DNA could be coated with silver and
tiny cylinders of carbon atoms that measure as made to conduct electricity. They predicted
small as 10 atoms across and are 500 times that the ability of DNA to organize itself
smaller than today’s silicon-based transistors. into complex patterns and copy these
The breakthrough is a new batch process for patterns precisely over again and again
forming large numbers of nanotube transistors, would render such life molecules to develop
which is essential for future mass production. into electronic molecules.
Some types of those transistors can be seen in
Nano mechanical computational
below figure 3.
systems:
The positioning systems in molecular
assemblers need devices to direct their
programmed movements and ways to store
these programs. Computers and control
systems similar to those already devised for
macroscale robotic arms can be
Figure 3. implemented at the molecular level. At the

These are pentacene thin film transistors current rate of development, molecular
which are photo lithographically fabricated on electronic computers that would be used for
flexible polymide film. this purpose will likely be commercialized
well before the robot arms.
Real-world nano exists:
The following Drexler’s analysis of a
Given Imaging, an Israel company, has
molecular mechanical computer provides
developed a pill-size video camera that can
what is essentially a lower bound to the
travel through the digestive track and
performance of a computer that could be
transmit pictures along the way, providing a
built, given replicating assembler systems:
less invasive technique to examine the small
• Switching times are on the order of
intestines. This video camera uses a
0.1ns;
miniature CMOS video imaging chip and
white LED as a light source.
• Combinational logic systems can achieve Harvard university engineers have
for register to register transfers in 1.2ns; developed faster and smaller chips using
tiny crystal rods of silicon and other
• Nanomechanical reduced instruction set
semiconductors. The semiconductor rods
computer(RISC) machines can achieve clock
were sliced onto chips to form rudimentary
speeds of 1GHz, executing instructions at
circuits that perform logic operations. These
1000MIPS(million of instructions per second);
rods, or nanowires, are easier to be
• A forced convection system with fractal
manipulated into miniature sizes for
plumbing could effectively remove about
producing super fast chips. These chips were
100KW from a 1cm cube at 273K. This would
built from individual atoms. Out of a droplet
allow 1012 CPU scale systems with million
of solvent saturated with silicon or gallium
transistors each to operate with in that volume.
nitride the researchers were able to grow
This 1012 CPU system would run at about perfect rod shaped sub-miniature crystals.
1015 MIPS. By comparison, personal
A solution containing nanowires is
computers run at about 5-20MIPS, engineering
squirted onto a silicon-oxide wafer. A
workstations run at about 200plus MIPS,
chemical on the wafer guides the wires to
supercomputers run at about 1lakh MIPS and
the right place. Each intersection where one
the human brain runs at 1crore MIPS. So one
nanowire crosses another acts like a
of these machines would have the
transistor, which is much smaller than the
computational equivalent of a million human
tens of millions of transistors in current
brains in the volume of a cubic centimeter (in
computer chips. These transistors are
terms of logic operations per second;
essentially voltage-controlled switches. The
programming is another matter). Fast
nanowires can be wired together to perform
molecular tape memory similar to RNA is also
basic logic operations needed for
possible. It would have a storage density on
computations. To build a dense circuitry, the
the order of 5*1021 bits per cubic centimeter.
nanowires need to be moved closer.
That density is sufficient enough to store the
Practical computer chips using
information content of the library of congress
nanowires are likely to be developed in the
within the dimensions of a office sheet paper.
near future. Dr Lieber reveals that in a year
Super-fast chips: or two, such nanowire transistors could be
used as biological sensors by attaching them
to specific molecules. A piece of anthrax can using the molecular equivalent of a
be bound to the nanowires. Since DNA and conveyor belt. Once a conveyor belt, the
proteins carry electrical charges, these could molecules can be transported to other belts,
switch the transistors on, setting off an alert. changing speed or frequency if necessary.

Nanotechnology, a break through in all The estimated belt speed is 0.5cm/s and the
transition time form belt to belt is less than
fields:
0.2µs. a system for transforming a stream of
Nanotechnology has been successful in small feedstock molecules into a stream of
almost all the fields irrespective of its kind and reagent moieties would be between one
with the help of this technology it is possible million and three million atoms in size. It
to perform any type of operations starting from could deliver the equivalent of its own mass
manipulating the molecules for separating is about 3 sec. The error is rated to be less
impurities to the stage where it is the easy than 1in 1015 operations at 106 operations per
method for the production of power. second. This gives a mean time to failure of
In molecular manufacturing systems, using about 3000 years. Other possible scheme has
nanotechnology it is possible transform raw reagent moieties transported up through the
materials, in molecular form, into finished centre of a hollow manipulator arm to a
products. Impurities could be separated from working tip for positional synthesis. Drexler
feedstock molecules using a sorting rotor has analyzed one such device as shown in
which can be seen as in the figure 4. figure 5.

Figure 4.
Figure 5.
The purified molecules can be
transported away from the sorter system
 The device shown in the above figure has
arms design stiffness of 25N/m helps to hold
positional errors to below one in 10
Applying 1nN of force at the tip would deflect
the arm only 0.04nm. The net result of this
device is that it uses a cheap fuel such as
acetone, weighs one KG, can produce high
purity products at a rate of 1Kg/Hr, has a
waste product of high purity water and Figure 7.

generates excess power along with waste heat The process involved for electronic
from release of energy from feedstock display using nanotubes is as follows:
molecules.
• Firstly, Mixture of C60 and nickel is
Below figures shows the possibility for the ‘steered’ to specific surface sites by
production of compact power generation using evaporating through a mask. The mask has
nanotubes which are very productive even an array of holes of 300 nm and can be
from the commercial side. moved with a precision of 1 nm.

Nano technology is also playing an • The C60/nickel mixture is evaporated

important role for electronic displays so as sequentially in ultra high vacuum so as to

replace existing CRO and CRT’s and it is form alternating layers of C60 and nickel

even competing with LCD (Liquid Crystal with no impurities

Display) which is the advanced trend in • Then heat it up in the presence of a

electronic displays. magnetic field. In this step, the C60

molecules are transformed into bundles of
perfectly aligned nanotubes.

Figure 6.
 one’s software defines. A universal assembler
may look like a microwave oven, connected to
raw atomic feed stock, like carbon black,
oxygen, sulphur powder etc. Other portable
assemblers would extract atomic feed stock
out of the air and soil. The assembler would
make Dock Martins as easily as it would make
a supercomputer or a pizza.

With the researches which are going on

Figure 8.
in the labs as shown a period of 8 to 15
Latest developments: years seems to be the best guess estimate.

In the year 2002 International Electron As more people from all walks of life learn
Devices meeting, there were presentations of the nanotechnology concept and add their
from Japan’s NTT DoCoMo engineers that talents to the quest, you can be sure that
described transistors that can be used switched research will accelerate and the time frame
on and off based on the movement of a single will shorten. How long will it take for
electron. Lucent Technologies researchers paradise to arrive on earth and in space after
presented a data storage technology concept in the universal assembler is invented? Not too
which information is stored in an aerosol of long, we hope.
floating crystals as small as three nanometers, To hit the road ahead:
or three-billionths of a metre, in diameter.
Progress in the 21st century will be 1000
Quantum Logic devices is developing sensors
times greater than in the 20th century in
to detect substances at levels too low to be
terms of technical change. Around 2030, we
found by existing methods. Such sensors could
should be able to flood our brains with
be used, for example, to diagnose diseases
 Nanobots that can be turned off and on,
sooner than is now possible.
and which would function as ‘experience
When will nanotechnology arrive?
beamers’ that allow us to experience the full
‘Arrive’ is broadly defined as the arrival of range of other people’s sensory experiences
the first ‘universal assembler’ that has the too boring, we will have access to archives
ability to build with single atoms anything where more interesting experiences are
stored. By 2030, non-biological thinking affordable. For these and other reasons,
will be trillion of times more powerful than global lifestyles will change radically and
biological thinking. human behaviour will be drastically
impacted. The world is on the brink of a new
 Desktop molecular computers could
technological revolution beyond any human
have the computational power of a million
experience. A new, more powerful industrial
human brains in terms of switching
revolution capable of bringing wealth, health
operations per second.
and education, without pollution, to every
Humanity will be faced with a powerful,
person on the planet is just around the
accelerated social revolution as a result of
corner. No longer need will forest to be cut
nanotechnology. In the near future a team of
or smoke spewed into the air. This is the
scientists will succeed in constructing the
promise of Nanotechnology.
first nano-siezed robot capable of self
replication. Within a few short years and References:
five billion trillion nano-robots later, o J.BR.Interplanet, Nanotechnology:
virtually all the present industrial processes Evolution of the concept
will be obsolete, along with our
o The Future Impact Of Nanotechnology on
contemporary concept of labour. Consumer
textile technology and on textile industry
goods will become plentiful, inexpensive,
o IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement
smart and durable. Medicine will take a
quantum leap forward. Space travel and Magazine

colonization will become safe and o Electronics For You Magazine –June, 2002.

Document By
SANTOSH BHARADWAJ REDDY
Email: help@matlabcodes.com
Engineeringpapers.blogspot.com
More Papers and Presentations available on above site