Nanomanufacturing

Nanomanufacturing is a term used to describe either the production of nanoscaled materials, which can be powders or fluids, or to describe the manufacturing of parts "bottom up" from nanoscaled materials or "top down" in smallest steps for high precison, used in several technologies such as laser ablation, etching and others. Nanomanufacturing should not be confused with molecular manufacturing, which refers specifically to the manufacture of complex, nanoscale structures by means of nonbiological mechanosynthesis (and subsequent assembly). ^[1]

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The term "nanomanufacturing" is widely used, e.g. by the European Technology Platform MINAM^[2] and the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).^[3] NNI refer to a sub-effort of nanotechnology—one of its five "priority areas."^[4] There is also a nanomanufacturing program at the U.S. National Science Foundation.

The NNI has defined nanotechnology very broadly,^[5] to include a wide range of tiny structures, including those created by large and imprecise tools. However, nanomanufacturing is not defined in the NNI's recent report, Instrumentation and Metrology for Nanotechnology. In contrast, another "priority area," nanofabrication, is defined as "the ability to fabricate, by directed or self-assembly methods, functional structures or devices at the atomic or molecular level" (p. 67). Nanomanufacturing appears to be the near-term, industrial-scale manufacture of nanotechnology-based objects, with emphasis on low cost and reliability.

References

1. ^ Glossary of Drexler's Nanosystems
2. ^ MINAM website
3. ^ U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative website
4. ^ Events in British Telecomms History. Events in British TelecommsHistory. Retrieved on November 25, 2005.
5. ^ U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative: What is nanotechnology?