The Nanomanufacturing Programme at the National Science Foundation

Abstract

This paper describes the new Nanomanufacturing programme at the National Science Foundation (NSF). This programme focuses on up-scaling fabrication and synthesis of functional nanoscale structures, devices and systems. It also emphasizes integration across multiple dimensional scales, multi-functionality across several energetic domains, and new design and manufacturing approaches such as biomimetics. The paper elaborates on key issues to this goal, including research in precursor nanomaterials and nanoparticles; fabrication, analysis and synthesis processes; instrumentation and equipment for characterization and processing; theory, modelling, simulation and control; design and integration of nanodevices and systems; and nanomanufacturing education and dissemination strategies. The discussion suggests a number of outstanding research issues and topics, and illustrates them with current research projects in nanomaterials processing, nanomachines and metrology, nanosystems and design etc supported by the NSF.