03-07-2012, 11:35 AM
Nanoscience and the Mobile Device
[attachment=26486]
The Work
In the ongoing race to make phones smaller, thinner, stronger,
and increasingly functional, Nokia is already beginning to apply
nanotechnologies. But to deliver a product like Morph is an
entirely different story. How do we make sure the right work
is happening?
Our challenge is to understand technologies today that will still
make sense in 2015 or 2020—especially as new technologies
lead to sometimes surprising applications. Given a lead time of
10 to 15 years for a solution like the mobile gateway device,
our work is well under way. Following are examples of areas of
investigation that may support Nokia’s mobile gateway vision.
Nanoscale sensors
Nanotechnologies can be used to create new building blocks and
materials that improve both the resolution and the stability of
microsensors. This is in part because nanocomponents have an
immense surface area–to-volume ratio, allowing plenty of space
for chemical reactions.
Nanostructures can also enable robust chemical and biochemical
sensing, especially in scenarios where nanoscale values
are being measured. And since nanoscale is the scale of the
fundamental processes of life, nanoscale chemical sensors can
leverage principles and materials common to biological systems.
Nanowire lithography on silicon
To improve sensor and signal processing characteristics,
nanotechnology can yield innovative fabrication techniques
that exploit the building-block nature of nanocomponents.
Scientists at Nokia Research Center and the University of
Cambridge have demonstrated a versatile new nanowire
lithography (NWL) process for fabricating a range of ultrasmall,
large-area, and self-aligned 3D architectures.
[attachment=26486]
The Work
In the ongoing race to make phones smaller, thinner, stronger,
and increasingly functional, Nokia is already beginning to apply
nanotechnologies. But to deliver a product like Morph is an
entirely different story. How do we make sure the right work
is happening?
Our challenge is to understand technologies today that will still
make sense in 2015 or 2020—especially as new technologies
lead to sometimes surprising applications. Given a lead time of
10 to 15 years for a solution like the mobile gateway device,
our work is well under way. Following are examples of areas of
investigation that may support Nokia’s mobile gateway vision.
Nanoscale sensors
Nanotechnologies can be used to create new building blocks and
materials that improve both the resolution and the stability of
microsensors. This is in part because nanocomponents have an
immense surface area–to-volume ratio, allowing plenty of space
for chemical reactions.
Nanostructures can also enable robust chemical and biochemical
sensing, especially in scenarios where nanoscale values
are being measured. And since nanoscale is the scale of the
fundamental processes of life, nanoscale chemical sensors can
leverage principles and materials common to biological systems.
Nanowire lithography on silicon
To improve sensor and signal processing characteristics,
nanotechnology can yield innovative fabrication techniques
that exploit the building-block nature of nanocomponents.
Scientists at Nokia Research Center and the University of
Cambridge have demonstrated a versatile new nanowire
lithography (NWL) process for fabricating a range of ultrasmall,
large-area, and self-aligned 3D architectures.