Exploring Nanoscale Science and Engineering through Carbon Nanotubes John Jaszczak, Physics Yoke Khin Yap, Physics Howard Wang, Mat. Sci. & Eng. Owen Mills, Mat. Sci. & Eng.
1st a Brief Survey… What do you know about nano?
What is Nano Anyway? A very small length scale 10-9 m 0.000000001 m Size of small clusters of atoms Ultimate scale at which nature designs STM image of carbon atoms on the surface of graphite (courtesy of John Rakovan). (Click for animation.)
What is Nanotechnology? The application of nanostructures into useful nanoscale devices. The next industrial revolution?
What’s So Special About Nano? Transitional properties between atoms and bulk matter New properties Tunable properties Small size New applications Compact/economical Economic/societal/ethical implications 0.5 mm Gold Crystal From Nevada http://www.minerslunchbox.com/eugene.htm The Space Window Washington National Gallery
Funding US Government (National Nanotechnology Initiative) 2003 – $862 million (actual) 2004 – $961 million (appropriated) 2005 – $982 million (requested) Foreign Governments Even more… Private Industry Intel 50 Mbit SRAM
The Amazing World of Carbon Buckyballs Graphite Diamond Nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes CNT is a tubular form of carbon with diameter as small as 0.4 nm. Can be metallic, semiconductor, or superconductor, depending on structure. Excellent thermal conductor. Extraordinary mechanical properties: Young’s modulus > 1Tera Pascal (> 5x stronger than steel), as stiff as diamond (tensile strength ~ 200 GPa). Bend without breaking.
Carbon nanotubes made at Michigan Tech Dr. Y. K. Yap (Physics)
Applications Mechanical (sky elevator?) Strong, heat-conducting fabrics Scanning Probe Microscope tips Hydrogen Storage Fuel Cells Electrical: conductors, gates, batteries… Chemical & Biological probes Flat panel displays Nano lithography
Other Applications: Smart Drugs Tissue Repair Disease Prevention Inorganic nano assembly Model Information storage, transfer, usage Use bio as step toward making inorganic nano Bio-computing
Ethical Questions: What can we do? What should we do? What are the implications? 1999 Interior for the Guardian newspaper www.papertiger.co.uk/.../ habbi2pop.html
Societal Implications Potential for great “good” Cost (could $ be better spent?) Economic impact: jobs Greatest impact in unimagined areas Public Acceptance/Resistance Ambivalence Unintended consequences Positive & Negative Hype
The Near Future at MTU: See: nano.mtu.edu Fundamentals of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (2 credits, Spring 2005) New interdisciplinary minor in “Nanoscale Science and Engineering (Nanotechnology)” proposed to be offered starting Fall 2005. See: nano.mtu.edu