Post by williamplayer on Jan 20, 2014 12:59:40 GMT
IBM: Nanotechnology
Can a tiny structure, 10,000 times thinner than a human hair, provide us with the answers to the world’s greatest challenges? Scientists at IBM think the answer is yes.
Nano comes from the Greek word for “dwarf” and broadly speaking, the field of nanotechnology can be defined as research and technology developments at the atomic or molecular level. Researchers in nanotechnology seek to understand and control some of the smallest objects known to humankind.
In terms of length, one nanometer is the equivalent of about four gold atoms or one millionth of a millimeter. Or to use an analogy, the diameter of an atom compares to the diameter of an orange as the orange compares to the Earth.
As the world becomes more instrumented, with billions of transistors embedded in everything from cars to appliances to livestock, nanotechnology will play an increasingly important role in the design of future computer chips that are smaller, smarter and more energy efficient.
To achieve these performance goals, sophisticated nanotechnology processes are needed to fabricate these increasingly small transistors. Just as cells are the basic building blocks for the human body, IBM envisions a world in which nanotechnology processes are the basic building blocks for transistors and microprocessors. IBM scientists are exploring the use of new materials, such as semiconducting nanowires, to improve the fundamental design of transistors, which is more than 50 years old.
IBM Research opened the door to the world of nanoscience in 1981 when Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer invented the scanning tunneling microscope, revolutionizing our ability to manipulate solid surfaces the size of atoms. [Read more about the Icon of Progress, Scanning Tunneling Microscope]. And since that time, IBM has achieved breakthrough upon breakthrough in the field.
Read Full Article: www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/nanotechnology/
Can a tiny structure, 10,000 times thinner than a human hair, provide us with the answers to the world’s greatest challenges? Scientists at IBM think the answer is yes.
Nano comes from the Greek word for “dwarf” and broadly speaking, the field of nanotechnology can be defined as research and technology developments at the atomic or molecular level. Researchers in nanotechnology seek to understand and control some of the smallest objects known to humankind.
In terms of length, one nanometer is the equivalent of about four gold atoms or one millionth of a millimeter. Or to use an analogy, the diameter of an atom compares to the diameter of an orange as the orange compares to the Earth.
As the world becomes more instrumented, with billions of transistors embedded in everything from cars to appliances to livestock, nanotechnology will play an increasingly important role in the design of future computer chips that are smaller, smarter and more energy efficient.
To achieve these performance goals, sophisticated nanotechnology processes are needed to fabricate these increasingly small transistors. Just as cells are the basic building blocks for the human body, IBM envisions a world in which nanotechnology processes are the basic building blocks for transistors and microprocessors. IBM scientists are exploring the use of new materials, such as semiconducting nanowires, to improve the fundamental design of transistors, which is more than 50 years old.
IBM Research opened the door to the world of nanoscience in 1981 when Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer invented the scanning tunneling microscope, revolutionizing our ability to manipulate solid surfaces the size of atoms. [Read more about the Icon of Progress, Scanning Tunneling Microscope]. And since that time, IBM has achieved breakthrough upon breakthrough in the field.
Read Full Article: www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/nanotechnology/