Glossary of terms used on NANO Magazine

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SNOM

Scanning near field optical microscopy.

Sol-gels

Sol–gel methods involve a set of chemical reactions which irreversibly convert a homogeneous solution of molecular reactant precursors (a sol) into an infinite molecular weight three-dimensional polymer (a gel) forming an elastic solid filling the same volume as the solution. Typically this involves a hydrolysis reaction followed by condensation polymerization.

Spintronics

Electronics that exploits the spin of an electron in some way, rather than just its charge.

SPM

Scanning probe microscope.

STM

Scanning tunnelling microscope.

SWNT

Single walled nanotube.

Thin Films

Thin films are atomically engineered layers of a wide variety of materials including metals, insulators and semiconductors. The major applications of thin films are in modification of the surface properties of solids. Individual films may be electrically conductive or non-conducting, hard or soft, thermally conducting or insulating, optically transparent, or opaque. A thin film coating can transform the electrical, mechanical and/or optical properties of a solid base material in a cost-effective way. Common examples are scratch-resistant coatings for spectacles, anti-reflection coatings for lenses, transparent conducting coatings for flat-panel displays, and low-friction coatings for bearings. Hard coatings can significantly enhance the lifetime of cutting, drilling, and forming tools. Oxygen and moisture barrier films are in widespread use in the packaging of foodstuffs, contributing to the long shelf life of many convenience foods. Thin film coatings also have unique properties that may be exploited in the polarization, reflection, transmission and absorption of light. Complex coatings can be used to provide eye-protection from lasers without significant reduction in overall transmission and other high-performance films are in use for the multiplexing of telecommunication laser signals. Other inherent properties of thin films are used in microelectronics, magnetic recording and optical recording media.

Top-down

Refers to making nanoscale structures by machining and etching techniques. cf. bottom-up.

Wet Nanotechnology

The study of biological systems that exist primarily in a water environment. The functional nanometre-scale structures of interest here are genetic material, membranes, enzymes and other cellular components. The success of this nanotechnology is amply demonstrated by the existence of living organisms whose form, function, and evolution are governed by the interactions of nanometre-scale structures.

Zeolite

Any one of a family of hydrous aluminum silicate minerals, whose molecules enclose cations of sodium, potassium, calcium, strontium, or barium, or a corresponding synthetic compound, used chiefly as molecular filters and ion-exchange agents. Zeolite nanocrystals can act as hosts for supramolecular organization of molecules, complexes and clusters, thus encouraging the design of precise functionalities. The main role of the zeolite framework is to provide the desired geometrical properties for arranging and stabilizing the incorporated species.