Nanomanufacturing Summit 2009

May 27-29, 2009
Boston, MA

Nanomanufacturing is the controllable manipulation of materials structures, components, devices, and systems at the nanoscale (1 to 100 nanometers) in one, two, and three dimensions for large-scale reproducibility of value-added components and devices. Nanomanufacturing remains the essential bridge between the discoveries of the nanosciences and real-world nanotechnology products.

The challenges facing nanomanufacturing methods, processes, and systems represent an inherently multi-disciplinary set of problems addressing issues that must combine the range of top-down and bottom-up processes available in order to provide multi-scale systems integration. To achieve the necessary economy of scale for large-scale production, new concepts and principles must be envisioned to achieve revolutionary transformation of the existing manufacturing infrastructure. The critical challenges for nanomanufacturing are the need to control assembly of three-dimensional heterogeneous systems; to process nanoscale structures in high-rate/high-volume applications without compromising their inherent properties; and to ensure the long-term reliability of nanostructures through testing and metrics.

These challenges reflect the need for research in the characterization of nanomaterials and nanoparticles as the building-blocks of nanostructures, and in the fabrication and synthesis of both top-down and bottom-up processes. Further, they require advanced instrumentation to characterize and measure nanostructures, to provide predictive simulation of nanostructure behavior, and to contribute to the design and integration of nanodevices and systems. Finally, knowledge sharing and outreach is a challenge to be overcome to enable technology transfer and to contribute to public awareness of nanotechnologies.

The nanomanufacturing community is represented by multidisciplinary, cross-sector scientists and researchers who face key challenges in bringing advanced and emerging nanotechnology-enabled processes to the forefront of next generation product manufacturing. In order to realize both the economic and societal benefits offered by integrated nanomanufacturing systems, critical collaborations and information exchange must be fostered within this community, and further transition this information in the form of roadmaps, initiatives, and directives to policymakers, investors, and educators.

The Nanomanufacturing Summit 2009 is a showcase for high-quality technical contributions by experts and practitioners in the field of nanomanufacturing, as well as a networking event for the broader nanomanufacturing (NM) community. A primary objective is to highlight those areas of practice that stand out from the general nanotechnology and nanoscience themes as being near-term and having the potential to facilitate the commercial development and/or marketable application of nanoscale systems and devices.