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Nanotechnology pp 89–159Cite as

Nanostructures in Motion: Micro-Instruments for Moving Nanometer-Scale Objects

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Abstract

This chapter describes the integration of micro-actuators and nanometer-scale tips to manipulate and control things on a small scale. The micro-instruments or micro-robots are made using micro-machining technology. The micro-machining field has been given the generic name micro-electromechanical systems or MEMS. This field is quite broad and includes integrated micro-sensors, micro-actuators, micro-instruments, micro-optics and micro-fluidics, and includes applications ranging from accelerometers[2] to deploy an automobile airbag, ink jet printer heads[3,4]; an array of movable mirrors for color projection displays[5]; to atom probes for imaging and transporting atoms [6].

“ I would like to describe a field in which little has been done, but in which an enormous amount can be done in principle.”

“ What I want to talk about is the problem of manipulating and controlling things on a small scale.”

Richard P. Feynman, “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”, December 26, 1959 [1].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, 14853

    N. C. MacDonald

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  1. N. C. MacDonald
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ, 07974-0636, USA

    Gregory Timp

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MacDonald, N.C. (1999). Nanostructures in Motion: Micro-Instruments for Moving Nanometer-Scale Objects. In: Timp, G. (eds) Nanotechnology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0531-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0531-9_3

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