NanoTechnology Future of Technology

NanoTechnology

Nanotech is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular scale. The earliest, widespread description of nanotech referred to the particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabrication of macroscale products. A more generalized description of nanotechnology was subsequently established by the National Nanotechnology Initiative, which defines nanotechnology as the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers. The definition reflects the fact that quantum mechanical effects are important at this quantum-realm scale, and so this definition shifted from a particular technological goal to a research category inclusive of all types of research. It is therefore common to see the plural form "nanotechnologies" as well as "nanoscale technologies" to refer to the broad range of research and applications whose common trait is size. Because of the variety of potential applications governments have invested billions of dollars in nanotechnology research. Through its National Nanotechnology Initiative, the USA has invested 3.7 billion dollars. The European Union has invested 1.2 billion and Japan 750 million dollars.