This Glossary is a work in progress.

Naimo partners are especially encouraged to contribute new definitions!

The main sources for the definitions given here have been the web sites nanoword.net, nanoforum.org, nanotech-now.com, webopedia.com, sciencedaily.com, nanoelectronicsplanet.com, the web site of the Foresight Institute and the Information brochure from the European Commission, "Nanotechnology: Innovation for tomorrow’s world", 2004.

A

Assembler

A chemical device that given certain atomic or molecular inputs (starting materials) can output a specific molecular structure or aggregation

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)

An instrument able to image surfaces to molecular accuracy by mechanically probing their surface contours.A device in which the deflection of a  sharp stylus mounted on a soft spring is monitored as the  stylus is moved across a surface. If the deflection is  kept constant by moving the surface up and down by  measured increments, the result (under favorable  conditions) is an atomic-resolution topographic map of  the surface. Also termed a scanning force microscope.

B

Biomolecular nanotechnology

Nanotechnology applied to living systems and resulting from our ability to use biomolecules as components for nanotechnology.

Bottom Up

A  general approach going from small items to bigger ones.The opposite of Top Down. Building (or designing) larger, more complex objects by integration of smaller building blocks or components. Nanotechnology seeks to use atoms and molecules as those building blocks.

C

Computational nanotechnology

Computer aided modeling and simulation of complex structures with nanometer dimensions.

Conductor

A substance, material or object that allows electricity to flow through it with low resistance.

D

Dendrimer

From the Greek word dendra - tree, a dendrimer is polymer that branches.

E

Electronic ink

A new material that can be processed into a film for integration into electronic displays. E-ink is made of millions of tiny  microcapsules containing positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles move to the top of the microcapsule where they become visible to the user. This makes the surface appear white at that spot. At the same time, an opposite electric field pulls the black particles to the bottom of the microcapsules where they are hidden. By reversing this process, the black particles appear at the top of the capsule, which now makes the surface appear dark at that spot.

Electronic paper

E-paper is a portable, reusable storage and display medium that looks like paper but can be repeatedly written on (refreshed) - by electronic means - thousands or millions of times.

The basic technology is a thin piece of transparent plastic that contains millions of small beads. Each bead--half white half black--is contained in an oil-filled cavity and is free to rotate within its cavity. When voltage is applied to the surface of the sheet, the beads rotate to display either their black sides or white sides. Images of pictures and text are created when a pattern of voltages are sent to the paper. The image will remain until the voltage pattern changes.

E-paper will be used for applications such as e-books, electronic newspapers, portable signs, and foldable, rollable displays. Information to be displayed is downloaded through a connection to a computer or a cell phone, or created with mechanical tools such as an electronic "pencil".

F

Flexible solar cells

Flexible photovoltaic devices, or solar cells are created by building up nanometer-thick layers of materials selected for their ability to self-assemble and to convert light to electricity. The materials used to build them are polymers and molecules called fullerenes. The advantages of these carbon-based (organic) materials over silicon are flexibility and light weight.

Fullerene

A molecule formed in a hollow, hexagonal or pentagonal group shape. Much of the work on fullerenes is focused on C60 (carbon-60), a naturally occurring form of carbon. These ball-shaped molecules are considered to have vast potential for the generation of new, organic compounds because each of the molecule's 60 atomic corners is available to bond with other molecules. . The name is an homage to R. Buckminster Fuller, for his writing on geodesic domes. Also a referred to as Buckyballs. First discovered in 1985 by three scientists analyzing the trails emanating from red stars. This work earned the three scientists, Richard E. Smalley, Robert Curl, Jr. and Harold Kroto, the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

I

Insulator

A substance, object or material that does not conduct electricity.

Integrated circuit

Intermolecular

Between different molecules

Intramolecular

Within a single molecule.

L

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

LCDs represent the predominant technology used in flat panel displays. The principle that makes the display work is that the crystals alignment can be altered with an electric current. If the crystal is lined up one way  it will allow the light waves to pass through a polarized filter, but if the electric current alters the crystals alignment, it will guide light so that the polarized filter blocks the light. By densely packing red, blue and green light emitting crystals next to each other on a sheet (called a substrate), one can create a full color display. The great thing about LCD is that the crystals can be packed together closely, allowing for a higher-resolution, finer-detail display. The problem is that LCDs are somewhat fragile, require a lot of power and are relatively less bright.

LED (Light-Emitting Diodes)

LEDs work on a completely different concept than LCDs. Traditionally LEDs are created from two semiconductors. By running current in one direction across the semiconductor the LED emits light of a particular frequency (hence a particular color) depending on the physical characteristics of the semiconductor used. The semiconductor is covered with a piece of plastic that focuses the light and increases the brightness. These semiconductors are very durable, there is no filament, they do not require much power, they are brighter and they last a long time. By densely packing red, blue and green LEDs next to each other on a substrate one can create a display.

The disadvantage of LEDs is that they are much larger  than LCDs therefore the resolution is not nearly as good as LCD displays. That’s why most LED displays are large, outdoor displays, not smaller devices, like monitors.

Lithography

In nanotechnology, the technique of producing microscopic structures, usually by means of photo-reactive coating, which is inscribed with beams of light or electrons, developed, and then reveals or conceals required parts of the surface for etching and other processes.

M

Molecular Electronics (ME)

Single molecules are able to adopt the functionality of modern semiconductive devices (e.g. switches, diodes transistor etc.). The present semiconductor technology might be replaced by molecular electronics in the future. The benefit will be a dramatic reduction in size and power consumption.

Molecular nanotechnology

A term coined by Drexler which refers to a technology resulting from the ability to control the matter on the molecular level.

Multifunctional material

Material that can perform multiple functions at the same time. For example, a material with designed electronic, optical, sensing and magnetic capabilities.

N

Nano

From the Greek nanos - meaning "dwarf" this prefix is used in the metric system to mean 10-9 or one billionth (1/1,000,000,000).

Nanocrystals

Molecular-sized solids formed with a repeating, three-dimensional pattern of atoms or molecules with an equal distance between each part. Nanocrystals are believed to have potential in optical electronics because of their ability to change the wavelength of light. Also known as nanoscale semiconductor crystals.

Nanoelectronics

Electronics on a nanometer scale, whether by current techniques or nanotechnology; includes both molecular electronics and nanoscale devices resembling today's semiconductor devices

Nanomaterials

can be subdivided into nanoparticles, nanofilms and nanocomposites. The focus of nanomaterials is a bottom up approach to structures and functional effects whereby the building blocks of materials are designed and assembled in controlled ways

Nanometer

One billionth of a meter (1/1,000,000,000). The abbreviation is nm.

Nanoscience

The scientific discipline seeking to increase our knowledge and understanding of nanoscale phenomena, i.e. science on the scale of 0.1 nm to 100 nm.

Nanotechnology

Area of technology where dimensions and tolerances in the range of 0.1nm to 100nm play a critical role.

Nanotube

Cylindrical tube-like molecule consisting of graphite sheets. They are extremely strong materials and have a good thermal conductivity. Carbon nanotubes are extremely thin (their diameter is about 10,000 times smaller than a human hair). A single walled nanotube (SWNT) is composed of one graphite sheet, a concentrical formation of more than one sheet is named multiwalled nanotube (MWNT).

O

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes)

A light emitting device similar to a LED, but where the semiconductors were replaced by one or a stacked layer of organic thin films. The organic molecules emit light when a current is applied. Unlike the LEDs the OLED technology provides the possibility for the production of high resolution displays. Displays based on OLEDs are supposed to be faster, lighter, brighter and cheaper than the common LCD displays.

P

Polymer

A molecule consisting of many smaller sub-units covalently linked together.

S

Scanning Tunneling Microscope

A scanning probe technique where a local metallic probe is scanning a conductive surface. The topographic information is deduced from the tunnel current which runs between probe and sample without mechanical contact. The electron shells, or clouds, surrounding the atoms on the surface produce irregularities that are detected by the probe and mapped by a computer into an image.

Self-assemby

Spontaneous aggregation of molecules or other particles to complex and ordered systems. Referred to as Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAM) in the case of quasi two-dimensional aggregating systems. Although Self-Assembly and Self-Organisation are very similar, the term Self-Assembly is normally used for systems where covalent bonds are involved whereas Self-Organisation points to weakly interacting systems as they can be found for example in biological systems.

Semiconductor

Is a substance, usually a solid chemical element or compound, that has a conductivity between a metal and an isolator (e.g. Silicon, Germanium). It's conductivity is adjustable (doping) making it a good medium for the control of the electrical current.

T

Thin films

Thin films are atomically engineered layers of a wide variety of materials including metals, insulators, semiconductors and organic material. The major applications of thin films are in modification of the surface properties of solids. Individual films may be electrically conductive or non-conducting, hard or soft, thermally conducting or insulating, optically transparent or opaque. A thin film coating can transform the electrical, mechanical and/or optical properties of a solid base material in a cost-effective way. Some common examples are scratch-resistant coatings for spectacles, anti-reflection coatings for lenses, transparent conducting coatings for flat-panel displays and low-friction coatings for bearings. Hard coatings can significantly enhance the lifetime of cutting, drilling and forming tools. Oxygen and moisture barrier films are in widespread use in the packaging of foodstuffs, contributing to the long shelf life of many convenience foods. Thin film coatings also have unique properties that may be exploited in the polarization, reflection, transmission and absorption of light. Complex coatings can be used to provide eye-protection from lasers without significant reduction in overall transmission and other high-performance films are in use for the multiplexing of telecommunication laser signals. Other inherent properties of thin films are used in microelectronics, magnetic recording and optical recording media.

Top-down

A  general approach going from large items to smaller ones. The opposite of bottom up. In a lithographic sense it means to produce micro- or nanoscaled structures using macroscopic instruments. The most common method is photolithography, which is capable of producing sub-100 nm features. Other examples are electron beam lithography (EBL) and scanning probe lithography (SPN).

Tunnel current

Current that should actually not flow, because it passes an insulating gap, bt can flow in the nano-cosmos, although it then depends significantly on the size of the insulating gap. This effect has made the scanning tunnel microscope possible.