An Introduction to NanoScience

Nanotechnology is a growing field that explores electrical, optical, and magnetic activity as well as structural behavior at the molecular and submolecular level. One of the practical applications of nanotechnology (but certainly not the only one) is the science of constructing computer chips and other devices using nanoscale building elements. Nanoscale structures permit the control of fundamental properties of materials without changing the chemical status of the materials. As might be inferred, nanotechnology is highly interdisciplinary as a field and it requires knowledge drawn from a variety of scientific and engineering areas.