Nanotechnology R&D impacts many industries Electronics Materials Health/Biotech Chemical Environmental Energy Aerospace Automotive Security Forest products Instrumentation More Discussion on Nanotechnology Applications
Making Small Smaller An Example: Electronics-Microprocessors ibm.com macroscale microscale nanoscale
Electronics Keep On Getting Better Moore's "Law": Number of Transistors per Microprocessor Chip intel.com
Specialized Nano-Coatings Inframat hardened coatings for Navy high-wear parts Self-cleaning surfaces - like a Lotus leaf (ultrahydrophobic) Biocompatible coatings for long lasting orthopedic joints
Nano for Regenerative Medicine
Super Adhesives Adhesive force of a single gecko foot-hair Nature 405, (8 June 2000) Microfabricated Adhesive Mimicking Gecko Foot-Hair Nature Materials 2, (2003)
Solar Cells and Integration of Nanotechnology Organic/Inorganic solar cells Silicon solar cells are most common and efficient right now. Reflection of incoming light is a big natural limitation for efficiency. Konarka Evergreen Solar, Inc. Marlboro, MA
Top side metallization grid Sunlight 0.5 µm n + emitter Average phosphorus~10 18 cm -3 ~ µmBoron~10 16 cm -3 p base Optional p + back surface diffusion Back side metallization Typical P-N Junction Silicon Solar Cell Structure REFLECTION! Anti-reflection coating
n0n0 n1n1 n2n2 Incident wave Transmitted wave R1R1 R2R2 Anti-Reflection Conditions
Pattern Transfer by Etching (Tunable Anti- Reflective Coating) J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 20.6., Nov. Dec 2002 UMASS Can work as an anti- reflective coating! NNIN.ORG Moth Eye
Source: Nano solar cell: Inorganic nanorods embedded in semiconducting polymer, sandwiched between two electrodes ] 200 nm Other Nano-Solar Cells Nano solar cells mixed in plastic could be painted on buses, roofs, and clothing!
Flat Panel Displays, Colorants, Smart Papers …(Photonic Crystals) PHYSICAL REVIEW E 74, Reflection from butterfly wings and beetles exocuticle 2 April 2007 / Vol. 15, No. 7 / OPTICS EXPRESS 4351
Quantum dots glow in UV light –Injected in mice, collect in tumors –Could locate as few as 10 to 100 cancer cells Sources: Early tumor detection, studied in mice Quantum Dots: Nanometer-sized crystals that contain free electrons and emit photons when submitted to UV light Nanogold Disease Detection (Using Quantum Dots) Gold Color ?
Some resources on nano applications The Woodrow Wilson Center consumer product inventory The Nano 50 awards Small Times magazine