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Nanomanufacturing

Nanomanufacturing is the essential bridge between the discoveries of the nano sciences and real-world nanotechnology.

It is the utilization of value-added processes to control matter at the nanoscale in one, two, and three dimensions for reproducible, commercial-scale production;
It encompasses bottom-up directed assembly, top-down high resolution processing, molecular systems engineering, and hierarchical integration with macro-scale systems.

Advancing nanotechnology from the laboratory into high-volume production ultimately requires careful study of manufacturing system issues including product design and development, manufacturing process integration, supply chain management, and standards for measurement, processing, and safe handling.

Nanomanufacturing introduces an inherently multi-disciplinary set of problems for working with structures in the 1-100 nm regime. Critical research and technological challenges include: controled assembly of three-dimensional heterogeneous systems; quality processing of nanoscale strutures in high-rate/high-volume manufacturing systems; and ensuring the long-term reliability of nanostructures.

Much of the momentum for nanomanufacturing emanates from the semiconductor industry. With nearly 60 federally-funded research centers and over 900 nanotech companies in the U.S., the drive to move nanotechnology from the laboratory to the marketplace is strong.

Nanomanufacturing can be applied in all areas of contemporary manufacturing, such as:

Electronics and Semiconductor Industries
IT and Telecommunications
Aerospace and Automotive Industries
Energy and Utilities
Materials and Chemical Industries
Forest and Paper Products
Food Industries
Pharma, Biomed and Biotechnology
Environment and National Security
Clothing and Personal Care

There are many consumer products currently on the market that incorporate nanotechnology in some way. The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies maintains an online inventory of consumer items, including:

batteries and appliances
mobile devices, cameras, and electronic displays
bikes, tennis racquets, and golf clubs
antibacterial kitchenware and food storage bags

References and Resources

General

Singer P. 2007. Nanotechnology: Turning Nanoscience into Nanomanufacturing. Semiconductor International. 30(1): 36.
Society of Manufacturing Engineers. What is Nanomanufacturing? Available from www.sme.org/nano.

Articles

Busnaina, Ahmed. 2009. Nanotechnology Enables a Major Manufacturing Paradigm Shift. Small Times Winter Quarterly: 10-17. Available from http://www.electroiq.com/index/display/nanotech-article-display/354182/articles/small-times/volume-9/issue-1/features/nanotechnology-enables-a-major-manufacturing-paradigm-shift.html.
Biscarini, Fabio, et al. 2002. Nanomanufacturing and Processing—Research, Education, Infrastructure, Security, Resource. Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering 124: 489-490.
Chryssolouris G, Stavropoulos P, Tsoukantas G, Salonitis K, and Stournaras A. 2004. Nanomanufacturing Processes: a critical review. International Journal of Materials and Product Technology 21(4): 331-348.
Doumanidis H. 2002. The Nanomanufacturing Programme at the National Science Foundation. Nanotechnology 13: 248-252.
Lyons, K. 2007. Integration, Interoperability, and Information management: What are the key issues for nanomanufacturing? Proc SPIE. 6648. DOI: 10.1117/12.735615.
Postek M and Lyons K. 2007. Instrumentation, metrology and standards: Key elements for the future of nanomanufacturing. Proc SPIE. 6648. DOI: 10.1117/12.730855.
Sengul H, Theis TL, and Ghosh S. 2008. Toward Sustainable Nanoproducts: An overview of nanomanufacturing methods. Journal of Industrial Ecology 12(3): 329-359.

Reports

NSET Committee on Technology, Subcommittee on Nanocale Science Engineering and Technology, National Science Foundation. Manufacturing at the Nanoscale. Technical Report. Nanotechnology Coordinating Office. 2007.
NSET Subcommittee, Committee on Technology. The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry—Supplement to the President’s 2006 Budget. National Nanotechnology Initiative. 2005.
Komanduri R, Chen J, Malshe A, and Doumanidis H. 2002. NSF-EC workshop of nanomanufacturing and processing: a summary repor. Proc SPIE. DOI: 10.1117/484270.
Russell, Richard and Hall, Dale, eds. (2008) Manufacturing the Future: Federal Priorities for Manufacturing R&D. Technical Report. National Science and Technology Council.
Schmidt KF. 2007. Nanofrontiers: Visions for the Future of Nanotechnology. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.

Books

Busnaina A. 2007. Nanomanufacturing Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.
Tolfree and Jackson. 2008. Commercializing Micro-Nanotechnology Products. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.
Cui Z. 2008. Nanofabrication: Principles, Capabilities and Limits. Springer.