Molecular Manufacturing: Nano Building Nano

Abstract

A wide variety of nanotechnology programs, both pedagogical and research-oriented, can incorporate some aspect of molecular manufacturing. Nanotechnology is developing from large tools that give us access to the nanoscale, to tools constructed at or near the nanoscale. To date, these nanoscale tools are not capable of accomplishing much of commercial interest; however, this will be changing with increasing rapidity over the next decade or two. Eventually, nanoscale tools will be capable of broad classes of nanoscale construction; this will enable the fabrication of increasingly complex and useful structures. Fabrication of structures with molecular precision is especially relevant. When nanoscale tools are developed to the point of being capable of building duplicate tools, a manufacturing revolution may occur; even before that point, there are both scientific and likely commercial benefits to developing capabilities in this area.