Nanotechnology

Derek Cheung
Under the mentorship of:
Dr. Duck Yang
Independent Study and Mentorship
2015-2016
Independence High School

We cannot predict the future, but we

can invent it.
-Danridge M. Cole

To develop a knowledge of the research process

and how materials function on the nanoscale to
inspire innovation with a passion and a
foundation.

Things i want to learn this year:

This year I hope to gain sufficient knowledge in the research process one must
undertake in nanotechnology, become able to ask creative questions that will lead to novel
discoveries, learn the basics of nanotechnology and how innovations typically develop in
nanotechnology.

Job title:

Nanoscientist,researcher,innovator,materialsscientist

Job description:

Nanotechnology is not a field in itself. Rather, nanotechnology describes a paradigm

shift towards working with things on the nanoscale level. Thus arises the need for
engineers and scientists to be able to work on a fundamentally different scale, the
nano-scale. For lack of better term, nanotechnologists are responsible for
performing research and work relating to structures at the atomic and subatomic
levels. They may work in fields such as energy development, medicine and others in
order to discover new applications for nanotechnology, and improve upon existing
applications. Some other duties include:

Work with structures at the atomic and

subatomic levels: perform research relating to structures at the atomic and
subatomic levels, work with materials that range in size from 1 to 100 nanometers,
use specialized equipment and nanotools to manipulate nanomatter, develop new
products ranging from more effective sunscreens and more potent medicines, to
more durable materials and faster electronic microprocessors, create
high-performance materials and components by integrating atoms and molecules

Recommended High School Programs:

During the school year, I will focus on ISM, online materials science courses, and
independent studying. During summer I hope to be able to do research at the UTD nanoExplorers
program. Another research program I hope to get into during the summer is the
CRISP High

School Research Fellowship. Other programs I will apply to include the CATALYST
academy, ASM Materials Camp, and the SCHS research program,.

National And Local Professional Programs:

The NNI is a U.S. Government research and development (R&D) initiative involving
the nanotechnology-related activities of 20 departments and independent agencies. There
are also PhD programs in concentrated areas of nanoscience such as the Rice University
PhD in science and engineering with concentration on nanophotonics.

Related Areas:

During PhD or post-graduate research, there are always opportunities for

entrepreneurship in the light of innovative discoveries or methods. Since nanotechnology is
rather broad and is an interdisciplinary field, it encompasses a number of other fields. It
encompasses fields such as
surface science
,
organic chemistry
,
molecular biology
,
semiconductor physics
, microfabrication and covers fields such as nanoelectronics,
nanoengineering, and nanophotonics. Nanotechnology has applications medicine,
electronics, robotics, energy production, energy storage, defense, food & agriculture,
cosmetics, and other fields.

Salary:

The National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network has categorized the expected

salary level of nanotechnologists by level of education:
Bachelors Degree:
$40,000 - $65,000 per year
Masters Degree:
$50,000 - $80,000 per year
Doctorate Degree:
$75,000 - $100,000 per year

Career Outlook:

Demand for Nanotechnology Engineering Technicians is expected to go up, with an

expected 14,040 new jobs filled by 2018. This represents an annual increase of 2.64 percent
over the next few years. The two states with the most potential for nanotechnology jobs are
Texas and California with current employment numbers of 6460 and 9580 respectively.
The nanotechnology market can be segregated into nanomaterials, nanotools, and
nanodevices. It has been forecasted, though with much hype and accounting for the full
product in evolutionary nanotechnology, that the global nanotechnology industry will grow
to reach US $75.8 Billion by 2020. Current nanotechnology is not at the original level it was
conceived at. Molecular nanotechnology refers to building structures to complex, atomic
specifications by means of a hypothetical
chemical syntheses
in which reaction outcomes
are determined by the use of mechanical constraints to direct reactive molecules to specific
molecular sites. Current nanotechnology is known as evolutionary nanotechnology.
Evolutionary nanotechnology involves scaling existing technologies down in size to the
nano-scale. For example, in silicon chip technology, smaller-scale components allow
designers to pack more circuitry into a smaller area of silicon, and this has big advantages
in terms of processing speed and memory capacity. Nonetheless, there is a surge in
investment in nanotechnology as companies are now focused on actual practical
application as investors want tangible results that can be turned into marketable products.
The Federal funding shift also emphasizes this. Corporations, too, will cease funding
projects just because they are focusing on nano-science in favor of funding individual
products that have been improved by alterations at the nano-scale. Companies are now
shifting products from the micron scale to the nanoscale.

Nanoscience Vocab List:

adenosine triphosphate
(ATP)

Organic molecule that stores energy in a biological cell

amines

compounds used as attachment points for molecular structures.

amphiphile

A molecule that has two distinct parts; a hydrophilic (waterloving) head and a
hydrophobic (water-fearing) tail.

atom

Smallest particle of an element, composed of three types of charged particles: protons

(positive), neutrons (neutral), and electrons (negative)

atomic force microscope

(AFM)

A scanning probe instrument that measures the atomic force acting on its tip as it
moves along the surface of a sample.

benzene

A ring of 6 carbon atoms, each with one hydrogen atom.

bioactive materials

Materials capable of interacting with living tissue.

bioavailability

The extent to which a drug successfully targets specific cells. Used in measuring the
effectiveness of drug delivery.

biometrics

Identification based on personal features such as face recognition or fingerprint.

biomimetics

Applying systems found in nature to the design of engineering systems and modern
technology. Velcro is an example of biomimetics: the plastic hooks and loops resemble
plant burrs (hooks) that cling to animal fur and clothing (loops).

biosensor

A sensor that detects biological molecules such as proteins.

bottom-up fabrication

A construction process that works with the smallest units of a material first (in this
context, atoms) and builds them up into the form of the final product. Compare
top-down fabrication.

buckyball

Short for buckminsterfullerene; a molecule containing 60 carbon atoms in a soccer-ball

orientation. Also known as fullerene or C60.

buckypaper

A randomly oriented network of carbon nanotubes formed into a flat sheet.

cantilever

A solid beam allowed to oscillate at one end. Used in atomic force microscopes (AFMs).

carbon nanotube

A graphite sheet rolled up into a tube.

catalyst

A substance that reduces the amount of energy required during a chemical reaction. Its
presence increases the rate of reaction without the consuming the catalyst.

chirality

In the context of this book, chirality is the "twist" of a carbon nanotube. Twisting carbon
nanotubes down the length of the tube gives them unique properties that depend upon
the degree of the twist. (For example, specific twists make a nanotube either metallic or
semiconducting.)

colloidal self-assembly

A process by which colloids assemble themselves into useful alignments; used in

developing photonic crystals.

colloids

Very small particles (within the lnm-to-l000nm range) that remain dispersed in a liquid
for a long time. Their small size prevents them from being filtered easily or settled

rapidly.
colorimetric sensors

Sensors that provide an indicator for quick macroscopic analysis by changing color.

composite

An engineered material composed of two or more components.

conduction band

The energy at which electrons can move freely through the material.

covalent bond

Atoms that bond sharing two electrons.

curing

Process of hardening. In this context, heat is added to a liquid polymer to harden it.

data mining

Sifting through large amounts of data, trying to find relationships and patterns within
the information.

decoherence

Decoherence is the breakdown of quantum properties (superposition and entanglement)

changing the behavior of the system from quantum mechanics to quantum physics. This
is usually when a quantum mechanical system interacts with its environment.

dendrimer

An artificial, polymer-based molecule that resembles a foam ball with tree sprigs
shooting out of it in every direction. Contains a great number of voids between the
sprigs, which allows it to carry drug molecules.

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

The nucleic acid that carries the genetic blueprint for all forms of cellular life.

diffraction

The spreading or bending of light as it passes by an object. An example of diffraction is

using a prism to spread sunlight into a spectrum of color.

doping

Adding specific impurities ("dopants") to give a material desired properties, - as in the

process that creates either n-type or p-type silicon.

electrochromatics

Materials that change color when energized by an electrical current.

electroluminescence

Converting electrical energy into light.

electron-beam lithography
(EBL)

Fabrication method that uses a tight beam of electrons to form nano-scale features on a
substrate.

electro-osmosis

A method that uses an electric field to move liquids through a nano-channel. The sides
of the nano-channel's wall are charged, allowing the liquid to slip through at a constant
rate.

electrophoresis

: A method of using an electric field to move particles through a nano-channel and

separate them by size. The particles move at a rate inverse to their mass the larger ones
are slower than the smaller ones.

endocytosis

A process whereby cells absorb particles by enveloping them with the help of vesicles
formed from the cell wall.

enigma

A mystery wrapped in a riddle. "Atomic interactions at the nanoscale are an enigma

that is yet to be fully understood." To Rich, nanotechnology and women are both
enigmas.

entanglement

Relationship in which the quantum states of two or more objects are always described
with reference to each other, even if they're physically separate.

exocytosis

The removal of particles by enveloping them in a vesicle and releasing them outside the
cell wall.

extreme ultraviolet (EUv)

Light whose wavelengths are in the range of 10 to 200 nm, outside the higher end of the
visible spectrum.

fabrication

Creating something physical. In the context of this book, the actual manufacture of
computer processors.

fiber optics

Technology that uses light pulses through thin glass fibers at high speeds.

field-effect transistor

The most common type of transistor used in computer processors. It has a gate that
controls whether it's a 1 or a 0.

fluorescence

A property of some molecules to absorb one wavelength of light and then emit light at a
higher wavelength.

fullerene

A molecule containing 60 carbon atoms in a soccer-ball orientation. Also known as

buckminsterfullerene, buckyball, or C60

functionalization

Attaching groups of molecules to a surface to serve a specific purpose.

graphite

A flat sheet of benzene rings attached together

gray goo

Nanotech-disaster scenario in which myriads of self-replicating nano-assemblers make

uncountable copies of themselves and consume the earth - "gray" because they're
machines; "goo" because their small size makes them look like a thick liquid when taken
together

Works Cited:

Drexler,Erix."HowtoStudyforaCareerinNanotechnology."
MetamodernRSS
.
Metamodern.com,24Feb.2010.Web.05Dec.2015.