Nanotechnology has been heralded as the next "big" thing. Many believe that it will change the very fabric of society; that it will have a larger impact than computers. But what is it? The National Nanotechnology Initiative defines nanotechnology as "the ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new properties and functions". This course will cover the basics of nanotechnology with a special focus on electronic nanotechnology. The aim of the course is to provide students with a working knowledge of the basics of nanotechnology. Because nanotechnology is still a new field and since it is inherently interdisciplinary we will develop methods for understanding how different areas of science and engineering interact at the nanoscale. While the course will focus on the impact of nanotechnology on computer science, it will also broadly review the current state of the art. The course will be structured around the discussion of textbook material supplemented with current research articles. In addition there will be several small projects and one large class-wide project aimed at clearly defining the research space of nanotechnology and its impact on society.
