Nanotechnology Handbook

Nanoscience is an interdisciplinary field that have encompassed physics, biology, engineering chemistry and computer science, among others, the prefix nano appears with increasing frequency in scientific journals and the news. Thus, as we increase our ability to fabricate computer chips with smaller features and improve our ability to cure disease at the molecular level, nanotechnology is at the doorstep. Scientists and engineers believe that the fabrication of nanomachines, nanoelectronics, and other nanodevices will help to sole numerous problems faced by mankind today related to energy, health, and materials development. In nanoelectronics there are two opposing developments: the lithographic scaling down of semiconductor components tending towards the sub10 nanometer region to supramolecular self assembling macroscopic structure with new properties. Currently the trends are mixed and one can build a variety of structures of all scales. For example one can build large scale supramolecular structures serving as templates for building circuits with nanoscale components. On the nanoelectronics architecture side, there have also been many interesting developments trying to cope with the increasing density and smallness of components and the needs of self assembly and fault tolerance. In the emerging field of nanotechnology, the production of nanostructures having special physical and chemical properties with respect to those of bulk materials is an objective due to their limited size and high density of corner or edge surface sites. Metal nanoparticles have received significant scientific and technological interest because of their use in applications such as catalysis, electronics, optics, optoelectronics, biological and chemical sensing and SERS. Nanotechnology is now creating a growing sense of excitement in the life sciences, especially biomedical devices and biotechnology, as there is an immense opportunity to arrange and rearrange molecular structures. The global market for nanotechnology products is worth an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1% from 2010 to 2015. The largest segment of the market, made up of nanomaterials, is expected to increase at a 5 year CAGR of 14.7% The book contains polymeric nanofibres, synthesis of nanostructure, analysis of electron currents through nanojunctions, water soluble carbon nanotubes, nanoelectronic switching networks, growth of silica nanorods, magnetic nanostructures, nanomachining of microscope tips and carbon nanotubes, nanocrystalline semiconductors and many more. The present book is a sincere attempt to make the readers aware of the evolutionary trends underlying modern engineering practice which are grounded not only on the tried & true principles & techniques of the past, but also on more recent & current advances. This book will be an invaluable resource to technocrats, researches new entrepreneurs, technical institutions & introduction to this field.