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Nanotechnology
Article by: K. Eric Drexler, Foresight Institute, Palo Alto, California.
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Techniques and products involving nanometer-scale
structures, with dimensions ranging from 1 to 100 nano-
meters, especially those that transform matter, energy,
and information using nanometer-scale components with
precisely defined molecular features. In the late 1980s, the
term nanotechnology entered widespread use to describe
anticipated technologies based on the use of molecule-based
machine systems designed to build complex products with
atomic precision. Since the mid-1990s, usage has broadened to
embrace instruments, processes, and products in which key di-
mensions are in the 1–100-nm range. Technologies that fit this
definition are extremely diverse, but many could potentially
contribute to the development of new products and processes
such as advanced molecular manufacturing.
Products include nanoscale particles, fibers, and films of
diverse materials and structures; nanoscale structures for
electronics (many integrated circuits now qualify); structures
formed by spontaneous molecular aggregation (self-assembly);
and solids containing nanoscale grains or pores. The means
and materials used to produce nanoscale and nanotextured
structures often have little in common, and their applications
range from stain-resistant clothing to state-of-the-art electron-
ics. Many nanotechnologies are a continuation of preexisting
fields under a new label. What they share (particularly toward
the lower end of the 1 – 100 nm range) is the emergence of
novel properties, relative to the corresponding bulk materials,
associated with surface and quantum effects, together with
a distinctive set of instruments and computational modeling
techniques. Grouping these diverse nanotechnologies together
has fostered a vibrant cross-fertilization of disciplines.
Long-term objectives
Progress in nanotechnology can be judged by several
metrics, but long-term objectives include atomic precision,
arbitrary complexity, low-cost production, and large-scale
products.
The metrics of complexity and scale define the chief fron-
tiers. In small structures, precision has already reached the
atomic limit. Examples include quantum dots, engineered
biomolecular objects, self-assembled molecular structures, and
sections of carbon nanotubes. For systems built with atomic
precision, scale limits complexity. Great complexity is possible,
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Content
• Long-term objectives
• Productive nanosystems
• Basic principles
• Applications
Key Concepts
• Nanotechnology is the study and application of components at the molecular level, on
scales ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers.
• Nanotechnology is especially used in transforming matter, energy, and information
with products including nanoscale particles, fibers, and films; integrated circuits and
other electronics structures; self-assembling structures; and solids such as graphene.
• Much of the focus in nanotechnology is the development of productive nanosystems,
which put the manufacturing of precise molecular systems under programmatic control.
• The basis for productive nanosystems is mechanosynthesis, which is the synthesis of
molecules in planned sequences and positions, using mechanical forces to move the
reactant atoms or molecules.
