National Nanomanufacturing Network: The Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing, one of four NSF-funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers in the country that focuses on manufacturing, has recently been highlighted in Small Times for the innovative nanoscale assembly techniques it is developing.
Under the direction of Ahmed Busnaina, the Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing has developed a scalable technique for directed assembly of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks. The process allows the nanoscale structures to be assembled on a variety of substrates, from silicon to polymers, and to be transfered from one substrate to another. Because it could enable the high-rate, bottom-up production of nanostructures, the process' potential impact on the nanotech industry is strong.
