And she really means a revolution. For the first time in history, scientists and engineers can see, analyze and manipulate individual atoms. This makes it possible, Vogel explains, to study and artificially mimic the very process of life as it unfolds on the molecular level. Nanotechnology breakthroughs already are leading to greater miniaturization of electronics, more biologically compatible medical implants and new ultra-strong composite materials. Bringing together professors and students from a dozen departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Pharmacy and School of Medicine, the center will coordinate an interdisciplinary approach to research and education in nano-scale science and engineering.
New partnerships inspired by the center already appear to be paying off.
This is the first in a series of articles featuring projects that received UIF awards in 1997. Look for more articles in coming weeks. It is widely recognized throughout the research community, both in academia and industry, that the next century will be dominated by developments in nanotechnology just as the past quarter of a century has been dominated by microtechnology. For example, the current process of making computer chips by etching tiny components on a silicon wafer using ultraviolet light will soon be obsolete. As chips continue to shrink, this technique eventually will no longer work because the size of the components will be smaller than the wavelength of the light.