NSF OVERVIEW

Previous NSF activities in nanotechnology have originated in the disciplinary programs throughout the Foundation, and also result from several relevant interdisciplinary initiatives:

• the Advanced Materials and Processing Program, which deals with generation, properties, and characterization of nanostructured materials

• the Ultrafine Particle Engineering initiative, which covers synthesis and processing of nanoparticles with controlled properties, with a focus on high rate production processes

• the National Nanofabrication Users Network (NNUN), which connects researchers and facilities at five universities to fabricate nanometer-scale structures, initially focused on miniaturization in the electronics industry

• an initiative on Instrument Development for Nano-Science and Engineering (NANO-95), which seeks to develop new instrumentation to advance atomic-scale measurements of molecules, clusters, nanoparticles, and nanostructured materials

A broad spectrum of individual or small-group projects in the areas of materials, chemistry, physics, electrical and chemical engineering, biosciences and bioengineering, computer science, and manufacturing have received support in the area of NT by competing in the disciplinary programs of the NSF Directorates for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), Engineering (ENG), Biosciences (BIO), and Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering (CISE). The 1997-8 level of NSF investment in nanotechnology research totals approximately $65 million, of which about $41 million is spent in MPS and about $20 million in ENG, with relatively lower expenditures in BIO and CISE.

Several NSF-supported centers in engineering (e.g., the Engineering Research Center on Microelectronics at the University of Illinois) and materials research (e.g., the Material Research Science and Engineering Center at Brown University) have plans targeted at nanosciences and nanotechnology. More detailed information concerning NSF NT activities can be found in the outlines of the NSF areas of support given in the following sections.

High-risk/high-gain research is sought in all aspects of nanosciences and nanotechnology. The "building-up" approach -- from molecular and particle levels to nanostructured materials, nanocomponents, and nanodevices -- is preferred. In order to succeed, this activity will require an interdisciplinary research and education endeavor. It is expected that the NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) will be also involved. The fundamental research opportunities may be grouped as follows:

• advanced generation and processing techniques to generate nanostructures with controlled properties, including chemistry and bio-self-assembly techniques, and artificially structured materials

• advanced methods to simulate structure growth dynamics and assembly processes at mesoscale

• stability, dynamic properties, and chaotic behavior of nanostructures

• methodologies to characterize nanoscale materials at atomic and molecular scales with increased sensitivity and spatial resolution, including instrumentation and nanosensors based on novel concepts and principles

• tools and concepts of quantum control and atom manipulation, including laser and atomic trapping techniques and optically generated waveguides

• theoretical and computational studies of how biological structures encode and utilize information

• new knowledge of computing systems architecture and nanoscale robotic systems

• novel health-care technologies

• use of cell biology and materials science for functional nanostructures

• Advanced Materials and Processing Program (including nanostructures, molecular self-assembly, chem., etc.)

• Ultrafine Particle Engineering (synthesis at high rates)

• National Nanofabrication Users Network (a focus on electronics, extending MEMS top-down approach)

• Several other centers (ERC at U. of Ill, Particle Center at Penn State, MRSEC at Brown U., etc.); and individual projects

• Biosciences and Bioengineering projects

• NANO-95 (for instrumentation; increasing the success rate)

• Education opportunities (in centers, collaboration with industry; groups of young researchers to Japan and Europe)