Held in National Chemical Laboratory, Pune during July 9-11, 2009:
Nanotechnology cannot be viewed in terms of dimensions alone. In fact, it represents a convergence of the traditional disciplines of physics, chemistry biology at continuously evolving research frontier. This is an area which is having highly promising prospects for turning fundamental research into successful innovation. Miniaturization of the experimentation and precision in intervention at the atomic level is the hallmark of progress in research of Nanotechnology. During the past decade the field of Nanotechnology has emerged as a frontier research area due to it's enormous promise for novel applications to diverse fields of human endeavor such as Bio-medical sciences (drug delivery, therapy, hypermedia, advanced imaging), defense (smart and light systems). Aerospace (engineered surfaces and composites) agriculture, energy and advanced device systems, special paints and coating etc.
Intense research which is now in progress worldwide is directed at realizing this promise via controlled nano-synthesis, appropriate functionalisation of nano-materials, self assembly or templated assembly of nanostructures, integration of nanomaterials with other materials to generate functional nano-composites, development and implementation of novel devise concepts highlighting the special quantum features of nano-materials and so on.
The chief attraction of the workshop was highlighted by the galaxy of the Speakers who delivered talks. In his plenary talk Prof. C.N.R. Rao from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, discussed the need to work on the interface between water and an organic liquid which according to him has not been investigated adequately for preparing nano-crystals and thin films of materials. His research consisting of liquid-liquid interface provides an excellent medium for preparing ultrathin nanocrystalline films of metals, metal chalcogenides and oxides.
Paul S. Weiss from the Pennsylvania State University Park talked about the use of molecular design, tailored synthesis, intermolecular interactions and selective chemistry to direct molecules into desired positions to create nanostructures apart from connecting functional molecules to the outside world. Anupam Medhukar from University of Southern California tried to communicate the ability to synthesize nanostructures of a wide variety of inorganic, organic and bio-organic materials. According to him, this ability enabled the designed fabrication of functional nano-systems with increasing sophistication in their architecture and expanding arenas of applications. These applications will help to reveal new approaches to addressing important issues of human environment and health. This will be possible from new paradigm for solar energy conversion to nanoscale real-time imaging of bio-makers of intracellular processes in live cells to manipulating or endowing cell function.
Nano science and nano-technology is not simply a continuation of miniaturization from the micro to the nano scale, respectively. Nano is different. The transition from micro to nano is a disruptive step, a discontinuous continuation, in many ways: in component size, in technologies, in analytics, in material properties, and in concepts. Nano-science and nano-technology stand at the confluence of classical and quantum mechanical properties and behavior and of a multiplicity of fields such as condensed matter physics and technology, macromolecular chemistry, and biology. Nano-mechanics and nano-chemistry are forging new pathways between the 'virtual' world of data processing of all kinds, including mechanical, chemical and thermal processing, and the 'real' world of sensing and actuation, bringing about a pervasive wave of new, integrated processing, sensing, and actuation technologies.
Work done by Gwangmin Kwon from Hanyang University in Korea et al reflects on ongoing minuiaturization in size and integrity of electronic and mechanical devices which lead to an interest in the fabrication of nanometer-sized uniform structured on surfaces. This technique will be an easier method for metal deposition onto the specific area under atmospheric condition. India has to visualize the potential of these types of "nanomanufacturing technologies" that will be essential in the time of full-scale application of future nanotechnology through a series of possible research efforts listed below:
a) To construct the basic technologies for efficiently manufacturing nanodevices and nanomaterials --- the design, fabrication and pattern transfer of nanostructures, the highly-reproducible and large-scale production of nanomaterials, nanomanufacturing using self-organization, and the evaluation and inspection of nanostructures.
b) To develop machines to realize above-mentioned nanomanufacturing processes and thus implement the developed nanomanufacturing technologies for various applications.
c) To investigate phenomena related to nanomanufacturing based on nanoscale science, and feed back the knowledge to the nanomanufacturing technology.
d) To innovate the manufacturing technology of various devices, systems and materials based on nanoscale science. For example, improvement of reproducibility and uniformity by understanding the interactions between tools in a broad sense and workpieces at nanoscale, develop sophisticated and environmentally-friendly manufacturing process based on nanoscale chemistry.
Some of the Frontier Areas of Nanotechnology Research are:
1) To fabricate devices by combining top-down processing and self-organization.
2) Establishment of ultra-high resolution printing technology and advance its practical applications.
3) Establishment of nanoetching technology and advance its practical applications.
4) Applying nanoimprint technology to various materials and advance its practical applications.
5) To develop innovative photo-lithography technology and laser processing technology.
6) To develop processing and inspection technology using super-parallel beam/probes.
7) Establishment of innovative bonding technology through nanosurface modification.
8) Establishment of organic synthesis technology to create nanostructures.
9) To invent new Miro-Nano Electromechanical Syatems (MNEMS) process and advance its practical applications.
10) Establishment of nanocoating technology.
11) Establishment of ultra-precision machanical processing technology with nanometer accuracy.
12) To develop next-generation nanoprocessing and nanoinspection machines.
13) Drastic improvement of the throughput and reproducibility of nanomaterial processes.
14) Establishment of large-scale nanomaterial production method.
15) Establishment of defect repairing technology for nanostructures.
16) To develop technology for the precise arrangement of biomaterials and apply the technology to biochips.
17) To produce nanomaterials and biomaterials using nanofluidic chips.
18) To fabricate new devices by integrating various nanoprocessing technologies.
19) To clarify the mechanism of self-organization, and control the self-organization.
20) Drastic improvement of manufacturing efficiency and reduce environmental burden through nanoscale science.
21) To clarify the interactions between tools in a broad sense and workpieces using nanotechnology.
Nitin Padture from the Ohio State University, Columbus, USA elaborated on recent results and concepts about 3-D ceramic/single wall carbon nanotubes compositers that posses unprecedented, hierarchical grain boundary structures. These nanocomposites are beginning to show promising mechanical properties that could be tailored; toughness, strength, contact damage resistance, and high temperature creep. In, addition, the unique grain-boundary structures of these nanocomposites could allow tailoring of their electrical and thermal properties independently, offering true multifunctionality.
Strategic significance of the workshop is understood if we glance through the areas in which current work of nanotechnology is being explored. At present, advanced photolithography, nanoimprint (nanopattern transfer), ink jet nanoprinting, scanning probe processing and measurement, laser nanoprocessing and nanomeasurement, self-organization, bioprocesses, microreactors etc. are studied as nanoprocessing technology. Nanodevices and systems such as ultra-high density LSI, nanobiochips and MEMS/NEMS and various nanomaterials are being studied. Consequently, a number of promising ideas and seeds have been generated. However, it has become clear that one important issue to be solved in the application and development of such ideas is to build the highly-efficient mass-production methods.
The scientific justification of this strategic sector is that the development of nano-measurement technology has made it possible to scientifically understand various phenomena at nanoscale. Technologies such as functional scanning probe microscopy, infinitesimal material identification, the ultra-sensitive measurement of surface-adsorbed materials, ultra-sensitive force measurement and nanoscopic positioning have been and continue to develop. These nano-measurement technologies have facilitated the scientific understanding of various phenomena seen in manufacturing processes at nanoscale.
In the presentation titled ‘Quantum Wells and Quantum Dots for Functional Devices’; S.B. Kripanidhi from Indian Institute of Science described his work in the context of recent progress in top-down lithograpjy, colloidal chemistry, and epitaxial growth have made it possible to fabricate structures in which carriers are confined in all three dimensions to a nano-size region of a semiconductor. The 3-D carrier confinement and the near discrete route of bound states are ideal for implementation of infrared detectors and energy related applications.
Amongst other notable presentations some were: Light Emitting Quantum Clusters of Gold and Silver (T.Pradeep, IIT Madras), Nanowire for logic and photovoltaic applications (Supratik Guha, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center), Functional nanoscale materials for devices (J.V. Yakhmi, BARC), Template based synthesis of nanowires and nanotubes of metal oxide and molecular materials and experiments on single nanowire (A.K.Raychaudhari, S.N.Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata), Metal nanorod arrays: Modern solutions for classical problems(Pushan Ayyub, TIFR, Mumbai), Hybrid Solar Cells: Wet-chemical process for nanocrystalline semiconductor thin films with water soluble conducting polymers (Wonjoo Lee et. al., Hanyang University, Korea), Synchrotron based characteristics of advanced materials (Xingyu Gao, National University of Singapore), Designing superior piezoelectric ferroelctrics through nanostructured materials science (Nagarajan Valanoor, University of New South Wales,
Australia).
This workshop marks the important transition phase in Indian context. As the world, mainly USA, EU and Japan has taken giant strides in the direction of development of novel devices from the quantum nanotechnology, our country has to take serious dedicated steps in the direction of long-term basic research on self-assembly/organization and surface/interface science, young researcher training programs and the importance of user facilities for interdisciplinary exchange. Also, this workshop underlined the urgency to reshape our orientation towards “complex nanosystems,” “three-dimensional measurements with excellent temporal resolution in engineering-related fields” and “convergence of science, engineering and technology at the nanoscale.”
The promise of nanotechnology can only be realized if robust, reliable devices can be constructed which have predictable functional and mechanical properties. While at the macro scale we know how to measure the requisite properties that can be used to predict mechanical reliability, straightforward tests don’t exist as the size of devices and specimens approaches the nanoscale. There are also serious questions raised as to whether the properties themselves are size dependent. Mechanisms of failure and the character of the flaws from which failure initiates can also be different for materials at the nanoscale. The coming world is the world of Electronical, Biological devices which are based on these applications of nanotechnology. Welcome to the world of Nano BioElectronics !!!
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