…Shaping the world atom by atom NANOTECHNOLOGY …Shaping the world atom by atom

ABSTRACT “Nano” – derived from an ancient Greek word “Nanos” meaning DWARF “Nanotechnology” is the process by which objects smaller than 100 nanometers are built using one atom or molecule at a time. Its ultimate goal is to create a Universal Assembler that takes in raw atoms in one side and delivers finished products out the other. This technology was first recognized on broad scale in 1959. Nanotechnology is expected to touch almost every aspect of our lives, right down to the water we drink and the air we breathe.

The length scale reached by technology has dropped steadily from the millimeter scale of the early 1950s to the present-day atomic scale. The representative devices, from left to right, are: the first transistor, a quantum-dot turnstile, a copper 'quantum corral', a carbon-nanotube transistor, and the latest — a one-atom point contact

VISUAL IMAGES IN NANOTECHNOLOGY: Fine-Motion Controller for Molecular Assembly Simple Pump Selective for Neon Molecular Differential Gear Planetary Gear, newer version Planetary Gear, original version

FIELDS INVOLVED IN NANO TECHNOLOGY

APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY: Computer Science:.. Computing using DNA has a distinct advantage over traditional computing in that the molecular computing is extremely parallel. Each DNA molecule can act as an individual processor, greatly improving the speed of computation for complicated problems. Medicine:. A device could be created consisting of a small computer, a supply of a substance used to kill the cells identified as dangerous. Another application in the field of medicine involves tissue damage due to less blood flow.. Molecular machines could be produced to go so far as to stop a cell from functioning to prevent further damage, repair the damage, and then restore cellular function. Smart Medicines: With nanotechnology, it is possible to guard human body against harmful diseases. Consider tiny nanomachines embedded in our body performing their duties as disciplined soldiers with clock work precision. NANOROBOTS OPERATING ON ERYTHROCYTES AND BLOODVEINS

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN NANOTECHNOLOGY: Replacing COPPER conductors with NANOTUBES: Extremely tiny carbon ‘nanotubes’ can be used instead of copper conductors to interconnect parts within integrated circuits (ICs). While the work is going on carbon nanotubes based chips for long term needs, we are indirectly helping industry to keep silicon-based computer chips in use as long as possible. One advantage of using carbon nanotube interconnects within ICs is that is these interconnects have the ability to conduct more than a million amperes of current in a one sq.cm area without any deterioration which seems to a problem with today’s copper interconnects. The accomplishment involved sprouting infinitesimally thin structures called, also called ‘single walled nanotubes’ or ‘buckytubes’. But why are these Nanotubes also called buckytubes? It’s because their ends when closed, take the form of soccer ball-shaped carbon molecules known as ‘buckminsterfullerene’ or ‘bucky-balls

FLOW OF BUCKY BALLS IN NANO TUBES BUCKY BALLS NANOTUBES

Transistor technology: IBM scientists have developed a breakthrough transistor technology that could enable production of a new class of smaller, faster and lower power computer chips. Using carbon Nanotubes as transistors in chips: - Depending on their size and shape, the electronic properties of carbon nanotubes can be metallic or semi conducting. The problem scientists have faces in using carbon nanotubes as transistors is that all synthetic methods of production yield a mixture of metallic and semi conducting Nanotubes which ‘stick together’ to form ropes of bundles Transistor technology:

PROBLEMS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY: One of the most fearful events would be a uncontrollable replicates that could "take over the world" because we would not be able to stop them. Another question is if we can replicate everything we need, what will become of the global market? How will society progress if people live forever? What happens when machines make everything we use? Accidents will most likely happen, they’ve happened with nuclear devices, which aren’t ever as deadly, what will we do when we have rampant replicators? PROBLEMS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY:

These are just the surface of the effects that nanotechnology will affect. In Engines of Creation, as mentioned before, Drexler asserts that molecular manufacturing can produce materials stronger and lighter than anything currently available. This allows for the production of a variety of things. Better spacecraft, devices to repair living cells, the ability to heal disease and make the body stronger: all these and more are possible given the potential of nanotechnology. Machines could be produced, down to the size of viruses, which would work at incredible speeds. This would give us the option of assembling these tiny parts into intelligent machines, based on the use of myriads of nanoscopic parallel-processing devices which make descriptions, compare them to recorded patterns, and then exploit the memories of all their previous experiences. Thus those new technologies could alter not only the materials and means we use to shape our physical environment, but also the activities we would then be able to pursue inside whichever kind of world we eventually create. Through the use of nanotechnology, the number of possible worlds we can create is limited only by what we can imagine. CONCLUSION: