Nanotechnology

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http://news.com.com/2100-1001-956970.htm...

Top 5. Sep 8, 2002 7:17 AM

» Kirk - HP to unveil nanotech breakthrough

HP to unveil nanotech breakthrough

By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
September 6, 2002, 1:18 PM PT
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-956970.html

Hewlett-Packard researchers will unveil a major breakthrough in the field of nanotechnology on Monday in Europe, a milestone in the company's goal to build future generations of smaller, faster and cheaper chips based on "molecular grids."

Molecular grids are the central concept in HP's nanotechnology plans. In HP's vision, layers of molecular strands, laid down in a crisscross fashion like city streets, will form a mesh of tiny, intelligent circuits. This molecular mesh could be sandwiched between layers of ordinary chip wires to act as a communications network or, eventually, used as the foundation for a complete microprocessor.

Corporate research is increasingly focusing on nanotechnology: the science of building computer chips or other devices out of elements measuring 100 nanometers or less. The technology will let manufacturers produce chips and sensors that are far smaller, faster, more energy-efficient and cheaper to make than their present-day counterparts. It will also open up completely new areas of research, as matter behaves differently at this level, researchers have said.

HP, often in conjunction with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), has already accomplished much of the foundational research required to develop chips based on molecular grids. In 1999 and 2000, HP and UCLA announced they had created new molecules that could be switched on and off, laying the groundwork for making molecular circuits. HP has also fabricated strands of these molecules.

In 2001, the two institutions were awarded a patent that addressed one of the key hurdles in using grids: how to connect the molecular wires, which can measure six atoms wide, to the tiny wires found in computer chips, which can be 70 times thicker. Then, in January 2002, HP and UCLA were awarded a patent for forming and managing traffic on these sorts of grids.

To date, HP has demonstrated how a molecular layer can be used to connect standard computer circuits, but it has not shown off more elaborate grids complete with the intersections and signal lights that would be required in practical use.

HP would not comment on the content of the presentation on Monday other than to say that it will involve a "major" breakthrough in molecular electronics. In May, however, R. Stanley Williams, director of Quantum Science Research at HP Labs, said that HP planned on making an announcement in a few months, broadly hinting that the announcement would revolve around forming molecular grids. Williams will be the main speaker at the Monday event.

HP is not alone in its quest. Next week, Intel will partly unveil its plans for nanotechnology at its developer's conference in San Jose.

The nano ball is rolling

The first products of the nanotechnology era will likely emerge without great fanfare. General Motors, for instance, is experimenting with passive nano materials for making new footboards and other auto parts.

Next year, new microprocessors and other computer chips will technically be nanotechnology products because the average size of their internal circuits will measure 90 nanometers. These chips will be faster than current chips, but will largely be made of the same materials and function the same way.

As time goes on though, the funky nature of products with ultrasmall components will emerge. In its labs, IBM has developed a postage stamp-size memory device that can store approximately 25 million textbook pages. If all goes well, such storage devices could be on the market by 2005.

In a decade or so, carbon nanotubes, strings of carbon molecules that act like wires, could begin to be incorporated into microprocessors, gradually replacing copper wires. Not only would this make computer chips faster and more energy-efficient, they would likely be cheaper to manufacture. With current chip manufacturing methods, each transistor has to be precisely laid down through lithography, a time-consuming process that costs billions of dollars. By contrast, carbon circuits will form themselves, with the process being controlled through the laws of physics and chemistry.

"It gives you the ability to conduct electricity as we can today but with smaller conductors," Peter Glaskowsky, editor in chief of the Microprocessor Report , said in an interview earlier this week. "The first guy to figure out how to make these consistently will be a billionaire."

National governments are also funding research. After the United States dedicated $422 million toward nano research in 2001, the Japanese followed with a $410 million project. Europe and the rest of the world have sunk $425 million into nano projects.

-- posted by Kirk

Top 6. May 8, 2003 12:11 PM

» Kirk - Nanotechnology bill approved in the House

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Nanotechnology bill approved in the House
By George Leopold
EE Times
(05/08/03 11:45 a.m. EST)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved oversight legislation on Wednesday (May 7) authorizing a national nanotechnology research and development program.

By a vote of 405-19, House members approved a three-year spending plan totaling $2.36 billion for nanotechnolgy R&D programs for the National Science Foundation, the departments of Commerce and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Defense Department is also spending millions on nanotechnology research.

The House bill is designed to coordinate research among the different agencies and promote commercialization of nanotechnology applications. "Nanotechnology has the potential to become a $1 trillion global market in a little over 10 years, and as such, countries around the world are in a race to develop their nanotechnology industries," said Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif, a chief sponsor of the legislation.

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology is preparing a nanotechnology game plan that calls for delivering a set of primary objectives for a U.S. research program by the end of the summer. The strategy would include recommendations on "grand challenges" and strategic goals that could be used in developing a fiscal 2005 budget request. The recommendations would not cover spending levels, only how federal funds should be spent.

The group said it would continue to monitor the initiative through the summer of 2004. It is working with a National Nanotechnology Coordination Office to formulate the plan.

Similar nanotechnology legislation introduced in the Senate is expected to be approved shortly.

-- posted by Kirk

Top 7. Jun 21, 2004 8:47 AM

» Kirk - The Road To NanoElectronics

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From: Ian Stromberg Sunday, Jun 20, 2004 10:24 PM
View Replies (2) | Respond to of 15874

At http://www.sia-online.org/downloads/ACFE... is a Presentation given Jun 9th by Dr John Kelly, IBM Sr VP and Grp Exec. titled The Road To NanoElectronics.

I haven't found the corresponding text but the slides present an impressive future for the Semi Equipment industry. Any analyst who thinks Moore's law is facing imminent death is probably from the school of analysts that have been predicting the death of optical lithography within 10 years ever since the 70s.

-- posted by Kirk

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Jul/1...

Top 8. Jul 7, 2004 3:05 PM

» SteveT - Investment and Commercialization the Focus of Upcoming nanoSIG F

[July 07, 2004]

Investment and Commercialization the Focus of Upcoming nanoSIG Forum; Nanotechnology Business and Networking Forum Scheduled for 7/14 at SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif.
MENLO PARK, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- July 7, 2004 -- Nanotechnology investment and commercialization will be the topic of the July 14 event sponsored by nanoSIG, an international nonprofit industry organization enabling the commercialization of nanotechnology. The upcoming forum, "Nano Value Chain: IP to IPO" will be held from noon - 6 p.m. at the SRI Auditorium, 333 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park, Calif.

Brian Sefton, forum chair, said, "Success for new nanotechnology ventures depends on efficiently translating laboratory research into market facing products and successful market execution. At this event we will hear about the challenges of each link in the nanotechnology value chain from experts in research, licensing, commercialization and funding. This event is a must for any entrepreneur, investor, startup or established technology company."

Bo Varga, executive director of nanoSIG, said, "Our Nano Forums have proven value for nanotechnology commercialization as a meeting ground for deals, entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers."

Attendees will be investors, C-level business representatives, senior technical professionals, researchers and entrepreneurs, press, policy makers, economic development leaders, technology transfer experts, and more. Speakers for the nanoInvesting Forum series include executives from companies leading the commercialization of nanotechnology.

Confirmed Conference Program:

Keynote Speaker: David Aslin, managing director, 3i Ventures

Other Speakers:

Dr. Nobi Kambe: founder, Nanogram & Nanogram

Brian Sefton: chair, NanoInvestment & Commercialization Forum & managing director, The Strategic Synergy Group

Richard Trecartin: co-chair and sponsor, Partner Dorsey Whitney LLP

Dr. Yigal Blum: director, Technology Commercialization, SRI International

Michael Pak, CEO, Nanostellar Inc.

Plus representatives from the Research & Commercialization arms of UC Berkeley & Stanford University.

About SRI International

SRI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute that conducts client-supported research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses and nonprofit foundations.

See www.sri.com

[July 07, 2004]

Bo Varga, executive director of nanoSIG, said, "Our Nano Forums have proven value for nanotechnology commercialization as a meeting ground for deals, entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers."

Confirmed Conference Program:

Keynote Speaker: David Aslin, managing director, 3i Ventures

Other Speakers:

Dr. Nobi Kambe: founder, Nanogram & Nanogram

Brian Sefton: chair, NanoInvestment & Commercialization Forum & managing director, The Strategic Synergy Group

Richard Trecartin: co-chair and sponsor, Partner Dorsey Whitney LLP

Dr. Yigal Blum: director, Technology Commercialization, SRI International

Michael Pak, CEO, Nanostellar Inc.

Plus representatives from the Research & Commercialization arms of UC Berkeley & Stanford University.

About SRI International

SRI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute that conducts client-supported research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses and nonprofit foundations.

See www.sri.com

About nanoSIG

nanoSIG, is the leading business membership organization focused on the commercial development of nanotechnology. nanoSIG promotes nano business networking by bringing together investors with inventors and creating a forum where all constituencies can exchange contacts and information and enable deals.

See www.nanosig.org

-- posted by SteveT

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=...

Top 9. Jul 7, 2004 3:08 PM

» SteveT - GE Unveils Nanotech Device, May Shrink Future Chips

GE Unveils Nanotech Device, May Shrink Future Chips

Wed Jul 7, 1:02 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scientists at General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE - news) unveiled one of the smallest functioning devices ever made on Wednesday, a carbon tube about 10 atoms wide that could one day shrink computer chip technology.

Researchers at GE's central lab in Niskayuna, New York, hope that their new device, which is a rolled-up sheet of carbon atoms resembling chicken wire, will someday operate as the standard semiconductor in computers and other electronics.

The device -- a nanotube -- is part of a developing field of technology in which devices are designed on the scale of a "nano," or a billionth of a meter. That translates to about the size of 10 hydrogen atoms, or 1/80,000 the diameter of a human hair.

Semiconductors are the core of electronic equipment, acting as valves for electrons to pass through and which run everything from cell phones to lap tops.

Other companies have done work on nanotubes, including International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM - news).

GE's device has potential, according to Paul McEuen, a physics professor at Cornell University in New York state. He said the company's work is a step forward for the science and shows that nanotubes have qualities that could allow them form smaller chips than those made of silicon, the most common material for computer chips.

That is crucial because scientists say silicon chips will reach their minimum size in the next decade. After that, they will be unable to get smaller without losing their ability to function.

However, McEuen says the nanotube still faces major technical hurdles. One challenge is getting millions of stitched-together nanotubes to work in coordination.

"As a field, we can make the smallest of electronic devices and have them perform very well. Now the big question is -- what are they good for?" said McEuen.

Unlike earlier designs, GE's nanotube can both emit and detect light, GE said. That means it has potential to perform tasks like shining small amounts of light on molecules, a possible application in medicine, or security, McEuen said.

The next generation of security sensors could be made from such nanotubes, helping detect minuscule amounts of chemical or biological toxins, GE said.

-- posted by SteveT

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml...

Top 10. Aug 16, 2004 4:02 PM

» SteveT - Nanotech Research Spending Seen Reaching $8.6 Bln

Nanotech Research Spending Seen Reaching $8.6 Bln
Mon Aug 16, 2004 11:51 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Worldwide research and development spending in the emerging field of nanotechnology should rise about 10 percent this year to $8.6 billion, a research firm said on Monday.

Corporations should spend more than $3.8 billion on nanotechnology, the science of building devices on the molecular or atomic scale, reported Lux Research Inc., a New York-based research and consulting firm focused on nanotech. Venture capital spending on nanotechnology should be about $200 million.

Government remains the leader in nanotechnology spending with an estimated $4.6 billion in research and development to be spent this year, according to an yearly report on the field by Lux.

Despite a new U.S. law that will inject $3.7 billion into nanotechnology research over four years, the private sector should outspend the public sector in the field starting next year, Lux reported.

The growth forecast adds to a heated debate about the potential of nanotechnology, which has been both promoted as the "next big thing" and derided as hype. Environmentalists have even attacked nanotechnology as potentially dangerous, saying it could introduce tiny toxic particles into the air.

Skeptics found support for their view earlier this month when one of the most closely watched nanotechnology companies, Nanosys Inc., withdrew plans for an initial public offering because of what it called "adverse market conditions."

Nonetheless, Lux Research said evidence that nanotechnology is a major opportunity for companies and investors is abundantly clear. Top nanotech start-up companies focusing on specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors are reporting $10 million to $20 million in annual revenue, it said.

Applications such as a "nano-enhanced" coatings to protect ceramic surfaces from stains and scratches are quickly making their way into the marketplace, Lux reported.

-- posted by SteveT

Top 11. Aug 17, 2004 10:18 AM

» Hu - Re: Nanotech Research Spending Seen Reaching $8.6 Bln

In response to message posted by SteveT:

After stumbling upon a nanotech company that intrigues me, I've found the float so small it's next to impossible to take a position in it without dramatically moving the price of it. (Would you believe a spread between the bid and ask of better than 50% of the value of the bid is not uncommon?) Yup, that's the OTCBB for you...

So, I suppose I'll have to continue patiently "waiting my turn" for some stock closer to the bid price, rather than the ask. It's some goofy stuff. Another amazement to me was how much stuff out there now clings to the term "nanotech." It's quite similar to the attaching of ".com" to your company logo a few years back.

-- posted by Hu

http://www.forbes.com/investmentnewslett...

Top 12. Oct 22, 2004 7:49 AM

» Kirk - Nanotechnology's Disruptive Future

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Hugs, is the company you are interested in on this list?

Adviser Soapbox
Nanotechnology's Disruptive Future
Josh Wolfe, 10.21.04, 12:04 PM ET

How many technologies have really changed our world over the past five years? E-mail, broadband Internet and cell phones would certainly top the list. These three breakthroughs have spawned industries and companies few of us could have predicted.

Photovoltaic Paint/Liquid Solar Cells
Politicians get a lot of mileage out of pledging to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but a trio of U.S.-based solar cell startups might actually be able to do something about it. These startups, Nanosolar, Nanosys and Konarka Technologies, and corporate players such as Matsushita and STMicroelectronics (nyse: STM - news - people ) are striving to produce photon-harvesting materials at lower costs and in higher volumes than traditional crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells.

Nanosolar has developed a material of metal oxide nanowires that can be sprayed as a liquid onto a plastic substrate where it self-assembles into a photovoltaic film. A roll-to-roll process similar to high-speed printing offers a high-volume approach that doesn't require high temperatures or vacuum equipment. Nanosys intends for its solar coatings--based on structures called nanotetrapods--to be sprayed onto roofing tiles. And Konarka is developing plastic sheets embedded with titanium dioxide nanocrystals coated with light-absorbing dyes. The company recently scored a coup by acquiring Siemens' (nyse: SI - news - people ) organic photovoltaic research activities, and Konarka's recent $18 million third round of funding included the world's first- and fifth-largest energy companies, Electricité de France and ChevronTexaco (nyse: CVX - news - people ).

If nanotech solar fabrics could be applied to, say, buildings and bridges, the entire energy landscape could dramatically change. Integrated into the roof of a bus or truck, they could split water via electrolysis and generate hydrogen to run a fuel cell. Who could lose? Certainly current photovoltaic-cell makers such as Sharp and Kyocera (nyse: KYO - news - people ) and battery manufacturers such as Duracell, part of Gillette (nyse: G - news - people ), and Energizer Holdings (nyse: ENR - news - people ). Just don't expect giant utilities to sit and watch their businesses be stolen away.

Biological Electronics
Angela Belcher of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Evenlyn Hu of the University of California at Santa Barbara were courted by companies like IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ), but instead chose to start their own company based on their pioneering research in evolutionary biology. Cambrios Technologies was formed in 2003 to apply molecular biology to making materials like semiconductors.

"People question using biological manufacturing for the mass markets, but beer, bread and vitamin B12 are all manufactured by microorganisms," says Chief Executive Mike Knapp. "Biological manufacturing on a huge scale is cost-effective and done all the time. Long before it's possible to commercialize the biologically self-assembled Pentium 40, there will be biological components inside your television set or cell phone battery."

Who loses out if Cambrios succeeds? Many of the world's passive (non-semiconductor) electronic component leaders such as Japan's Murata, Kyocera and TDK (nyse: TDK - news - people ); the U.S.'s Vishay (nyse: VSH - news - people ); and active (semiconductor) electronic leaders like Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ), Toshiba and NEC (nasdaq: NIPNY - news - people ).

Multifunctional Dendrimers (Combination Disease Imaging And Treatment)
The University of Michigan's Jim Baker is one of the pioneers of dendrimer technology, tree branch-like polymers that can have multiple, simultaneous attachments to biological targets (e.g., cell surfaces). What does this mean for you? If dendrimers make it to market for diseases like cancer, you could not only be saving treatment costs by piggybacking multiple drugs on one carrier (the dendrimer), but you will likely be able to image, follow the progress and treat the cancer sooner and more effectively than ever before. Companies to keep an eye on include Australia's Starpharma, Baker's Nanocure and Nanobio, and Kereos. Who stands to lose? Monoclonal antibody companies like ImClone (nasdaq: IMCL - news - people ) and Chiron (nasdaq: CHIR - news - people ), which make other forms of drug carriers.

Regenerative Neurotechnology
Stem-cell research has become a hot button issue, yet one area absent from this political and ethical debate is work being done by researchers at MIT. John Kessler and Samuel Stupp showed that they were able to cause neural progenitor cells to change into neurons (rather than the scar tissue that causes paralysis) upon spinal injury. What does this mean? Using nanofibers, the two scientists were able to stop paralysis from happening in rats. While this technology will still face the rigorous Food and Drug Administration approval process, these nanoscale fibers could be one of the most life-saving nanotechnologies under development.

Self-Cleaning And Self-Freshening Clothes
Thanks to Greensboro, N.C.-based Nano-Tex, nanotech pants have been growing in popularity and availability. While Nano-Tex's stain- and wrinkle-resistant technology, called NanoCare, has been the first out of the gate, its NanoFresh (wicks away odor from sports clothing) will not be far behind.

Also, scientists at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have been able to build a nano-thin layer of particles of titanium dioxide, a substance that reacts with sunlight to break down dirt and other organic material. This layer can be coated on cotton to keep the fabric clean. Clothes simply need to be exposed to natural or ultraviolet light for the cleaning process to begin. Once triggered by sunlight, clothing made out of the fabric will be able to rid itself of dirt, pollutants and microorganisms. The whole laundry industry--from detergents to stain sticks--will be affected.

Full disclosure: Lux Capital, through its subsidiary Angstrom Publishing, publishes the Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report. Lux Capital is an investor in Nanosys, Cambrios Technologies and Lux Research.

Excerpted from the September issue of the Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report. For more information and to subscribe to the Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report, click here.

-- posted by Kirk

Top 13. Jun 1, 2005 8:12 AM

» Kirk - Cambridge Display Technology (OLED:Nasdaq)

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One thing the article doesn't mention is organic displays have an issue with "rotting" just like a basket of real fruit doesn't last as long as ceramic fruit.

From What's Not in a Name? Nano
By Kevin Kelleher
TheStreet.com Senior Writer
6/1/2005 7:07 AM EDT

Exerpt:

At a time when putting the "nano" prefix in a company's name can spark a speculative frenzy, it's probably an encouraging sign that a publicly traded company with a proven and potentially disruptive technology involving nanotech steers clear of any and all nano labels.

Cambridge Display Technology (OLED:Nasdaq) , a U.K.-based company whose stock debuted on the Nasdaq last December, is just that company. It's pushing to make its light-emitting polymer technology a fixture in future generations of flat-panel screens used in everything from 40-inch TVs to mobile phones to automobile displays.

But scan its Securities and Exchange Commission filings and you won't find any references to nanotechnology. Even its Web site is free of all but a few sparse uses of the term.

For all its efforts, though, Cambridge often behaves like a nanotech stock. After topping out at $13 on its first day of trading, the stock has languished along with other nanotech plays, and it's subject to bouts of sudden, irrational volatility. On Tuesday, shares fell more than 10% to $7.60 without any announcement or analyst report to trigger the drop.

That kind of volatility isn't unusual for a company involved in emerging technology, especially one laboring to introduce a new standard in a highly competitive field such as electronic displays.

The bulk of Cambridge's revenue has come from licensing fees and royalties from its 69 patents (with another 160 patents for which it has applied) to companies such as LG.Philips (LPL:NYSE ADR) , DuPont (DD:NYSE) and Dow Chemical (DOW:NYSE) . On May 24, Cambridge announced its first joint venture to supply polymer materials to Sumitomo Chemical.

"Consumers will be drawn to flatter, more vibrant displays that use less power at reasonable prices," says Jonathan Dorsheimer, an analyst at Adams Harkness, which has an investment banking relationship with the company and a market-perform rating on the stock, primarily for its near-term obstacles. "Cambridge Display is still basically a development-stage company. We believe that to gauge [its] progress, investors are primarily looking for news of company and industry milestones."

Unlike companies collecting scattershot nanotech patents in hopes of holding the winning lottery ticket, Cambridge's patents are focused around a technology developed at Cambridge University in the late 1980s.

Still, investors in this sector can't help but remember Candescent Technologies, a Silicon Valley company that raised hundreds of millions of dollars over more than a decade to develop a potentially revolutionary new display technology, only to sell off its patents to Canon for roughly $10 million.

But in the consumer-driven global economy, the appetite for cheaper, thinner, sharper screens seems bottomless, opening up a chance for a new display technology that can deliver all three.

Three years ago, flat-panel display screens overtook the boxy cathode-ray tube monitors and are now expected to account for 70% of the estimated $90 billion display market, according to research firm DisplaySearch. The flat panels are not only sleeker and more stylish, they are lighter, more energy efficient and can be viewed from a wider angle.

A similar disruption may occur inside the flat-panel display market, which is now dominated by liquid-crystal displays. New screens that rely on polymer light-emitting devices promise to deliver screens that -- when compared with LCDs -- are sleeker, lighter, more energy efficient and can be viewed from an even wider angle. Plus, they are flexible, which opens them up to a broader range of electronic devices.

Unlike most other LED screens, PLEDs rely on polymers, or very long organic molecules that emit light when stimulated electronically. Modifying the structure of the molecules can change the light that's emitted. The layer of polymers, which is less than 100 nanometers thick, is sandwiched between a metallic electrode and a transparent electrode.

Displays using organic materials such as PLEDs are expected to generate $5.3 billion in sales in 2008, or about 6% of the flat-panel display market, up from $235 million in 2003, according to DisplaySearch.

Cambridge will have to do battle with Eastman Kodak (EK:NYSE) to gain an upper hand in that growing market. Kodak uses a different approach to organic light-emitting diodes, and it has two advantages: Its technology has been on the market longer, and it has partnerships with more manufacturers.

-- posted by Kirk