Nanotechnology From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. /
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mite next to a gear chain produced using nanotechnology
Nanotechnology comprises any
technological developments on the
nanometer scale, usually 0.1 to 100 nm. (One nanometer equals one thousandth of a
micrometer or one millionth of a
millimeter.) The term has sometimes been applied to any
microscopic technology.
The term nanotechnology is often used interchangeably with
molecular nanotechnology (also known as "MNT"), a hypothetical, advanced form of nanotechnology believed to be achievable at some point in the future. Molecular nanotechnology includes the concept of
mechanosynthesis. The term
nanoscience is used to describe the interdisciplinary field of science devoted to the advancement of nanotechnology.
The size scale of nanotechnology makes it susceptible to quantum-based phenomena, leading to often counterintuitive results. These nanoscale phenomena include
quantum size effects and molecular forces such as
van der Waals forces. Furthermore, the vastly increased ratio of surface area to volume opens new possibilities in surface-based science, such as
catalysis.
Nanotechnology is expected to have considerable impact on the field of
electronics, where the drive towards
miniaturization continues. The device density of modern computer electronics (i.e. the number of transistors per unit area) has grown exponentially, and this trend is expected to continue for some time (see
Moore's law). However, both
economics and fundamental electronic limitations prevent this trend from continuing indefinitely. Nanotechnology is seen as the next logical step for continued advances in
computer architecture.
1 History2 New materials, devices, technologies3 Radical nanotechnology4 Potential risks5 Nanotechnology in fiction6 See also6.1 Important people6.2 Topics7 External links8 References