What Is Nanotechnology?
Willi Mickelson
Executive Director
Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems
What is Nanotechnology?
define: nanotechnology
•  The branch of engineering that deals with things smaller than 100 nanometers.
•  Nanotechnology, shortened to "nanotech", is the study of the controlling of matter
on an atomic and molecular scale.
•  Nanotechnology is the handling of matter about a billionth of a meter in size, at
the molecular level. Atoms and molecules are handled as individual components
to create materials from small clusters of atoms with unique characteristics and
properties.
Nanotechnology Definition
Not nano by accident
Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions
between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena
enable novel applications.
Really, really small
Not just small, but small and different
Something new
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
(from www.nano.gov)
Nanotechnology Timeline
“It would be, in principle, possible (I think) for a physicist to synthesize any chemical
substance that the chemist writes down. Give the orders and the physicist synthesizes it.
How? Put the atoms down where the chemist says, and so you make the substance.” –
Richard Feynman, There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom (1959)
The word nanotechnology is first used to describe the "production technology to get the
extra high accuracy and ultra fine dimensions, i.e. the preciseness and fineness on the
order of 1 nm (nanometer), 10-9 meter in length” – Norio Taniguchi, On the Basic
Concept of 'NanoTechnology’ (1974)
“The gray goo threat makes one thing perfectly clear: we cannot afford certain
kinds of accidents ... ” – K. Eric Drexler, Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of
Nanotechnology (1986)
Scientists write “IBM” with Xenon atoms on Nickel surface using a scanning tunneling
microscope. (1989)
National Nanotechnology Initiative is established to (i) advance the world-class
nanotechnology R&D program, (ii) foster the transfer of new technologies into products
for commercial and public benefit, (iii) develop and sustain educational resources, a
skilled workforce, and the supporting of infrastructure and tools to advance
nanotechnology, and (iv) support responsible development of nanotechnology. (2001)
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
How small is a nanometer?
(Image: Jirka Cech)
A human hair is about
100,000 times the diameter of
a carbon nanotube!
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
What is different about nano?
1.  Really small – quantum
properties can dominate over
bulk properties
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Novel Optical Properties
Optically
Boring
Optically Exciting
quantum dot
bulk semiconductor
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Quantum Confinement
laser
quantum confinement
hole
electron
quantum dot
bulk semiconductor
Physical confinement of
excited state leads to
unique quantum effect: light
emitted depends on size.
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
What is different about nano?
1.  Really small – quantum
properties can dominate
dominate over bulk properties
2.  Length scales are the same
(or even smaller than)
biological length scales
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Mimicking Nanoscale Biology
Real Gecko Feet
Synthetic Gecko Adhesive
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
(Fearing, UC Berkeley)
Targeted Drug Delivery
Nanowire-coated
sphere
Strong interaction
between nanowires
and microvilli increase
adhesion of sphere
Microvilli
Putting pharmaceutical in or
on nanowire coated sphere
allows targeted delivery of
drug
(Fischer et al, Nano Letters, 2009)
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Cell Imaging
Biological imaging with fluorescent nanoparticles (red) and fluorescent
dye (green)
After 3 minutes of exposure,
the fluorescent dye has been
“bleached”, or lost its
fluorescence.
(Alivisatos, Nature Biotechnology 2004)
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Cancer Treatment
Gold nanoparticle with
cancer-specific binding
Expose cells to light
Nanoparticles heat up and
destroy cancer cells
(Lukinova-Hleb et al, Nanotechnology 2010)
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
What is different about nano?
1.  Really small – quantum
properties can dominate over
bulk properties.
2.  Length scales on same
scale (or even smaller than)
biological length scales
3.  Surface area to volume ratio
becomes extremely large
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
High Surface Area Materials
For a cube of length r, surface area goes as r2 while volume goes as r3
surface
volume
1
r
We get more surface area in the same
volume for smaller particles
A number of technologies rely on maximizing surface area, for example:
•  Catalysis
•  Batteries
•  Filters
•  Composites
•  Sensors
Example: smaller particles used
to increase the surface area of
the anode of a battery
charge 10X faster,
last longer
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
10X
more
surface,
same
volume
Nanotechnology Application
A123 Systems make batteries using low impedance Nanophosphate electrode
technology, which provides significant performance advantages over alternative high
power technologies, due to its high surface area to volume ratio.
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Lotus Effect
Nanoscale bumps create large
surface area. Surface energy
required to “wet” the leaf is too
great, so water beads up.
Lotus Leaf - super hydrophobic
Nanotex makes
stain resistant fabric
using nanoscale
fibers to simulate a
lotus leaf.
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Nano Glass
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
What is different about nano?
1.  Really small – quantum
properties can dominate over
bulk properties
2.  Length scales on same scale (or
even smaller than) biological
length scales
3.  Surface area to volume ratio
becomes extremely large
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Nanotechnology Applications
•  Medicine
-  Diagnostics
-  Drug delivery
-  Tissue engineering
•  Energy
-  Batteries
-  Solar cells
-  Increased efficiency
-  Fuel cells
•  Environment
-  Water filtration
-  Pollution mitigation
mitigation/
sequestration
•  Electronics
-  Memory storage
-  Semiconductor Devices
-  Thermal management
-  New logic devices
•  Industrial
-  Composite materials
-  Lubricants
-  New materials
•  Consumer
-  Food/ Agriculture
-  Sunscreen/cosmetics
-  Textiles/ apparel
-  Sporting goods
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at
dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where
unique phenomena enable novel applications.
Nanomaterials are different from bulk materials because they:
a)  are really small – quantum properties can dominate over bulk
properties,
b)  are on the same length scale (or even smaller than) biology, and
c)  have an extremely large surface area to volume ratio.
Nanotechnology products are entering a wide range of markets. This
will bring great benefit to society and revolutionize some fields, but
nanotechnology must be developed safely and responsibly.
Willi Mickelson, Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, UC Berkeley
Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems
(COINS)
COINS Vision and Goals
COINS mission is to inspire and realize applications
directed towards sensing of environmental conditions
using nanomechanical technology.
COINS is employing two major technology approaches:
•
PACMON
–  Personal And Community based environmental MONitoring
(PACMON)
•
TTL
–  Chemical/biological sensing with integrated communication
and power for Tagging, Tracking, or Locating (TTL)
COINS Application Drivers
Personal and Community Environmental Monitoring
(PACMON)
  Todayʼs personal environmental monitors
are bulky, heavy, noisy, and run for only 8
hours at a time with limited sensitivity#
  COINS goal: better air-quality detection#
  Should be portable, sensitive, low-cost,
low-power#
  Something that people can use easily#
State-of-the-art personal
environmental monitor.#
Exhaust from power plant
smokestack#
COINS Application Drivers
Tagging, Tracking, or Locating (TTL)
  Current deployable chemical detections
systems are very bulky and sedentary.#
  After disaster, collapsed buildings are
dangerous for rescue teams making it
difficult to locate people safely.#
Rapidly Deployable
Chemical Detection System,
2006#
Rescuers search for survivors
after earthquake in Haiti, 2010#
  COINS goal: create efficient tools for
search, rescue and protection services. #
  Should be mobile, communicate
wirelessly, run for a year#
  Dimensions suitable for application#
Detection Platform
•
To achieve its mission, COINS is:
–  Carrying out the basic and applied research necessary to
develop, characterize, and integrate a new nanomechanical
detection platform
–  Working to integrate nanoscale sensing, power, electronics,
wireless communication, and mobility into the Platform for
Advanced Nanomechanical Detection Applications (PANDA)
Deployable#
tag#
deployable tag#
NSF Site Visit, April 27, 2010
COINS Research Thrusts
COINS Vision and Goals
COINS mission is to inspire and realize applications
directed towards sensing of environmental conditions
using nanotechnology.
Three environmental sensing applications guide the
research:
•  Personal Monitoring
•  Community Monitoring
•  Mobile Monitoring
COINS Application Drivers
Personal Monitoring
  Current personal environmental
monitors are expensive, power
hungry, and run for 10 hours at a time#
ppbRAE 3000!
State-of-the-art personal
environmental monitor.#
  COINS goal: better air-quality
detection#
  Should be portable, sensitive,
low-cost, low-power#
  Something that people can use
easily, interfaces with cell phones#
Exhaust from power plant
smokestack#
COINS Application Drivers
Community Monitoring
San Bruno Gas Explosion#
Crop Duster Applying Pesticide#
  Low-power, low-cost chemical sensors will
enable wireless sensor networks to provide
real-time feedback of environmental
conditions to:#
•  Detect and locate leaks of explosive
gas and other harmful pollutants#
•  Monitor pesticide drift in air and
pesticide build-up in ground and
drinking water#
  COINS goal: explore novel low-power, lowcost, selective nanomaterials-enabled
chemical sensors for detection of explosives
and toxicants#
COINS Application Drivers
Mobile Monitoring
  In addition to being expensive and power
hungry, current chemical detections
systems require humans for mobility.#
  After disaster, collapsed buildings are
dangerous for rescue teams making it
difficult to locate people safely.#
Rapidly Deployable
Chemical Detection System,
2006#
Rescuers search for survivors
after earthquake in Haiti, 2010#
  COINS goal: create efficient tools for
search, rescue and disaster prevention
services. #
  Should be mobile, communicate
wirelessly#
  Dimensions suitable for application#
Research Categories
Research divided in three categories:
•  Fundamental – basic research critical to
understanding nanomaterials, nanodevices and
nanosystems
•  Next Generation – applied research that is 5+ years
away from implementation
•  Applied – applied research that could feasibly be
integrated into the COINS detection system within the
lifetime of current grant (3 - 4 years)
Systems integration effort to revolve around applied
research.
COINS Research Thrusts
COINS Thrust Integration
Full
Integration
into Sensing
Platform
Sensing
COINS Accomplishments: Sensing Example
Selective Coating Materials
Arun Majumdar and Seung-Wuk Lee
Challenge: enable highly selective chemical sensors for
both gas and fluid phases with sustained performance in
field-able conditions.
Solution:
•  Use biomimectic approaches to develop
selective sensory materials
•  Identified the selective coating materials
using phage display
•  Demonstrated for TNT and PBDE (flame
retardant)
COINS Accomplishments: Sensing Example
Integrated Selective Coated Carbon Nanotube FET Sensor
Arun Majumdar and Seung-Wuk Lee
Challenge: Field deployable measurement method for
detection of specific targets
Solution: Combine peptide receptors with
carbon nanotube FET
•  Peptide receptors enable high selectivity
•  Carbon nanotube FETs provide high
sensitivity with a low-power, electronicallysimple read-out
COINS Accomplishments: Sensing Example
Atomic-Resolution Mass Sensor
Alex Zettl
Mass resolu=on (room temperature): 1.3 x 10-­‐25 kg/Hz1/2 = 0.4 Au atoms/Hz1/2 (Jensen, Kim, Ze,l, Nature Nanotechnology 2008) COINS Accomplishments: Electronics/Wireless Example
NEM relays for ultra-­‐low-­‐power circuits Tsu-Jae King Liu and Roya Maboudian
Challenge: Ultra-low-power electronics for
computation and communication, to enable
self-sustaining sensors.
Solution: Create a ultra-low-power nanoelectromechanical (NEM) relay that offers
ideal switching performance:
-  zero standby power
-  abrupt switching
-  high on-state conductance
COINS Accomplishments: Mobility Example
Nanostructured Adhesives Roya Maboudian and Ron Fearing
Challenge: provide the controllable adhesion necessary
for all-terrain mobility.
Solution: polypropylene nanoscale
fiber arrays. Fiber array features:
•  sliding induced shear adhesion
(2 N/cm2)
• Easy attach, easy release
• Directional (high shear, low peel)
• Non-adhesive default state
• First demonstration of gecko-like
adhesion with rigid polymer fibers
20 µm
COINS Accomplishments: Mobility Example
Mimicking Nature: Gecko-Inspired Hierarchical
Nanostructured Adhesives
Ron Fearing and Roya Maboudian
Challenge: Provide adhesion to
surfaces of varying roughness for allterrain mobility
Solution: Hierarchical structure of
lamellae and nanofibers
•  Over 60 times greater adhesion than
non-structured counterpart
•  First demonstration of hard polymer
nanofiber adhesion to non-planar
surface.
!
COINS Accomplishments: Mobility Example
Robo=c Work Highlight Roya Maboudian and Ron Fearing
Challenge: Create a mobile platform, capable of
carrying COINS sensors, which dynamically engages
nanofibrillar adhesives.
Solution: DASH platform (mass 15 grams) with 60
ms leg cycle.
800 nm diam.
LDPE nanofibers
climbing slope using high friction nanofibers
COINS Accomplishments: Energy Example
Silicon Core-Shell Solar Cells
Peidong Yang and Arun Majumdar
Challenge: increase efficiency and manufacturability of
nanowire-based solar cells.
Solution:
•  Current Efficiency: 6.5%
•  Core-shell solar cell design represents
a practical approach towards low-cost
silicon PV.
•  Orthogonal light absorption and
charge transport.
1 µm
COINS Accomplishments: Energy Example
Polymer Piezoelectric Nanogenerator
Liwei Lin
Challenge: Scavenge energy from environment
using lightweight, compliant materials
Solution: Direct-write piezoelectric polymer
nanogenerator
•  Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) can be
written directly onto flexible substrate
•  High efficiency
•  Can also be used as a nanoactuator
COINS Accomplishments: Platform Integration Example
The Carbon Nanotube Radio
Alex Zettl
Challenge: Development of functional, integrated
components for COINS platform.
Solution: Create fully functional, fully
integrated radio receiver, orders-ofmagnitude smaller than any previous
radio, from a single carbon nanotube. The
single nanotube serves, at once, as all
major components of a radio: antenna,
tuner, amplifier, and demodulator.
Multi-component System: Radio
Radio Receiver#
Complete Radio Receiver:
Nanoscale Components
Complete Nanoscale
Radio Receiver
Radio in action
K. Jensen, J. Weldon, H. Garcia, and A. Zettl,
Berkeley Physics
Off resonance
Tuned in
K. Jensen, A. Zettl, et al. (2007)
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