Sponsor Logos: NSF, ONR, AFOSR, DOC

WTEC Study on Research and Development in Nanoparticles, Nanostructured Materials, and Nanodevices

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Department of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Energy of the United States government

Sponsor Logos: NIST, NIH, NASA, DOE

  • Introduction
  • Background
  • Preliminary Scope
  • Panelists
  • Current Outline of Study
  • Sites Visited by Panelists li>Links to related WWW Pages

    Workshop Information

    The WTEC Workshop on the Global Assessment of Research and Development in Nanoparticles, Nanostructured Materials, and Nanodevices occured on February 10, 1998. Viewgraphs from the presentations, given by the WTEC panel members and sponsors, are available.

    WTEC Workshop Report on R&D Status and Trends in Nanoparticles, Nanostructured Materials, and Nanodevices in the United States. This is the proceedings of the May 8-9, 1997 workshop.

    To reserve a copy of the final report at pre-publication prices or for more information on this study, please send email to Trina Foley: cmf@loyola.edu

    Introduction

     The National Science Foundation and other agencies of the U.S. government have asked the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC) to perform an assessment of status and trends in nanoparticle and nanostructure technology and applications R&D around the world in comparison to that in the United States. The purpose of this study is to provide the scientific/engineering community with a critical view of the field and identify the most promising areas for future research and industrial development, to stimulate the development of an inter-disciplinary and international community of nanoparticles/ nanostructures researchers, and to identify opportunities for international collaboration in the field.

    Sponsors of the study include the Engineering, Math and Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences Directorates of the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Office of Naval Research, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Commerce (Asia/Pacific Technology Program), the National Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Energy of the U.S. government.

    Background

    Nanoparticle synthesis, processing and device manufacturing are part of an emerging field referred to as nanotechnologies. R&D in this field emphasizes scientific discoveries in generation of nanoparticles with controlled characteristics, research on their processing into microstructured bulk materials with engineered properties and technological functions, and introduction of new device concepts and manufacturing methods. New properties are due to size reduction to the point where critical length scales of physical phenomena become comparable to or larger than the size of the structure. Applications take advantage of high surface area and confinement effects, which lead to nanostructures with different properties than conventional materials, and creating opportunities for innovative principles of operation for devices and instruments. Synthesis and processing of nanoparticles/nanostructures will require new aerosol, colloid, thermal, plasma or combustion approaches, and device manufacturing is at the intersection of a broad spectrum of disciplines. R&D in this field is also stimulating understanding of the physics of new phenomena and processes at nanoscales (1-100 nm), furthering the development of new modeling and experimental tools, and generating new device principles and manufacturing methods.

    The extraordinary potential this field offers in the form of bulk, composites or coating materials to opto-electronic engineering, magnetic recording, ceramics and special metals, micro-manufacturing (coming from small to large, as opposed to MEMS), and bioengineering is recognized by industry. Large-scale programs, institutes and research networks have been initiated recently on these topics in Japan, EC, China and other countries.

    The importance of nanotechnology was underscored a few years ago with the announcement by MITI in Japan of two ten-year nanotechnology programs (Science, 25, p. 1303, 1991): the Atomic Technology Project for $185 million, and Quantum Functional Devices Project for $40 million. The Science and Technology Agency funds several research institutes on nanoparticles, nanostructures and related technologies. It is believed that Japanese companies and research institutions are focused more on the processing and manufacturing aspects, including advanced diagnostics instrumentation and applications in microelectronics. The nanostructured materials or nano-processed devices have broad applications from pharmaceutics, bioengineering, pigments and electronics to optic and magnetic devices and structures and coatings with special properties.

    Scope

    The following topics and issues were considered by the sponsors in determining the initial scope of the study:

    Panelists

    Based on the above objectives, the following panel of U.S. experts in the relevant fields has been recruited to carry out the study:

    Current Outline of Study

     The sponsors and the panelists listed above have now agreed on the following outline of the study:

    Nano materials can be classified into the following categories:

    1. clusters with aspect ratios between 1 and infinity
    2. multilayers
    3. ultrafine grained overlayers
    4. nanophase materials

    The overall focus of this study is on the building blocks, the assembly of these in controlled ways to make materials with new properties, and the assembly of these materials into useful "things" (devices, etc.). So this hierarchy of (a) atomically engineered building blocks (b) assembly, materials fabrication and (c) applications can become the basis for organizing this study. What is needed in this study is a "broad-brush, stand-back" view of the world of nanostructures and their applications, both now and in the future, with respect to both short-term and "blue-sky" applications.

    Based on this approach, the following organizational chart was drawn for the study:

    Proposed Organizational Chart for Study

    The draft report outline based on this structure calls for a separate chapter for each of the applications boxes at the bottom of this structure, each to be written by one panelist. These would be preceded by a broad "synthesis & manufacturing" chapter to be written by Evelyn Hu and David Shaw (representing the top box in the above diagram). The report outline would thus be as follows:

    Prof. Jelinski will work with all of the above authors to assure that biological issues, approaches, and applications are adequately covered throughout the report.

    Sites Visited by Panelists

    France

    Germany

    Japan

    Taiwan

    Belgium

    Netherlands

    Switzerland

    United Kingdom

    Workshop and Round Table Meeting Participants

    German Roundtable (Stuttgart)

    Participating Institutions:

    Russian Workshop (St. Petersburg)

    Participating Institutions:

    Sweden Roundtable (KTH, Stockholm)

    Participating Institutions

    U.S. Workshop Paper Presenters

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    12 February 1998; WTEC Hyper-Librarian