The Nano World: Science, Technology, and Society

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, historical figures, tools, and manufacturing techniques of nanotechnology based on the lecture notes.

Nanotechnology

A rapidly advancing field focusing on the study and application of materials at the nanoscale, ranging from $1$ to $100$ nanometers ($nm$).

Nanoscale

The size range of $1$–$100$ nanometers, where materials often exhibit different properties compared to larger-scale materials.

Nanometer ($nm$)

A unit of length equal to $1$ billionth of a meter.

Richard Feynman

The physicist who delivered the $1959$ lecture “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom,” which originated the concepts of nanoscience.

Norio Taniguchi

The researcher who coined the term “nanotechnology” in the late $1960s$ or early $1970s$ in relation to ultra-precision machining.

Electron microscope

A device invented in the $1930s$ by Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll that uses a beam of electrons instead of light to produce highly magnified images.

SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope)

A type of electron microscope that scans the surface of objects to provide $3D$-like images.

TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope)

A type of electron microscope that looks inside objects to show internal structures.

Atomic force microscope (AFM)

Developed in $1986$ by Gerd Binnig, Calvin Quate, and Christoph Gerber, it uses a sharp mechanical probe tip to scan surfaces and collect detailed information.

Scanning tunneling microscope (STM)

Developed by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer, it uses a sharp tip and electrical signals to visualize and move individual atoms on a surface.

Nanomanufacturing

The scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials, structures, devices, and systems.

Bottom-up fabrication

A nanomanufacturing approach that builds products by assembling them from atomic and molecular-scale components.

Top-down fabrication

A nanomanufacturing approach that trims down large pieces of raw materials into the nanoscale, though it often results in discarded excess material.

Dip pen lithography

A method where an AFM tip is dipped into a chemical fluid and used to “write” on a surface, similar to an ink pen on paper.

Self-assembly

An approach where a set of components join together to form an organized structure without external direction.

Chemical vapor deposition

A procedure where chemical reactions are used to form very pure, high-performance films.

Nanoimprint lithography

A method of creating nanoscale attributes by “stamping” or “printing” them onto a surface.

Molecular beam epitaxy

A process used for depositing extremely controlled thin films of material.

Roll-to-roll processing

A high-volume manufacturing practice for constructing nanoscale devices on a roll of ultrathin plastic or metal.

Atomic layer epitaxy

A manufacturing method for laying down one-atom-thick layers of material on a surface.

Quantum Effects

Phenomena that dominate the properties of materials sized $1$–$100$ nanometers, affecting chemical reactivity, fluorescence, magnetism, melting point, and electrical conductivity.

Surface Area to Volume Ratio (Nanoscale)

Nanoscale materials have significantly larger surface areas than the same mass of larger materials; for example, $1$ cubic centimeter of nanometer-sized cubes has a total surface area of $6,000$ square meters.

National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)

A program created by the U.S. in $2001$ to organize nanotechnology research, which received budgets like $\$1.4 imes 10^9$ in $2008$.

ENIAC (European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council)

A council launched in $2008$ by the European Commission to support nanoelectronics research.

Nanotech Roadmap for the Philippines

A strategic plan covering areas such as ICT and semiconductors, Health and Biomedical, Energy, Environment, Agriculture and Food, and Nano-metrology.