What Techniques are Used for Nanomaterial Manipulation?
There are several techniques employed to manipulate materials at the nanoscale:
Bottom-up synthesis: This involves assembling materials atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule. Techniques such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) fall into this category. Top-down fabrication: This involves etching or milling larger structures down to the nanoscale. Techniques include electron beam lithography and focused ion beam machining. Self-assembly: This process allows molecules to spontaneously organize into well-defined structures. This method is often used in the creation of nanoparticles and nanowires. Template synthesis: A template is used to guide the formation of nanoscale structures. This technique is popular in the production of nanostructured polymers and metals.
