NanoBlog

The newly formed Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization is holding its first conference November 4-6, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia. The theme is on the sustainability, green synthesis, environment, education, toxicology, and manufacturing of nanotechnology.

Piper Klemm at the Berkeley Science review has post a list of 10 apps for scientist. The review of apps is very helpful but some links to the apps would be welcome. It looks like this article is iPhone centric so I've included a few links that include the Android platform were possible.

• Twitter
• ACS Mobile
• PLoS
• RSC Mobile
• MRS Bulletin
• YouTube
• Nature iPhone only
• Springer link iPhone only
• ScienceDirect
• Science Facts

The IOP Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics posted a 2012 Plasma Roadmap review issue with many open access articles.

The Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics journal has a special issue on carbon that is now available and some of the articles are open access.

Advanced optical materials journal Issue 2 is now available and the articles are open access.

The ANSI U.S. Technical Advisory Groups has issued a new standards document tittled Scope of ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies. The standard defines:

• terminology and nomenclature; metrology and instrumentation, including specifications for reference materials; test methodologies; modelling and simulations; and science-based health, safety, and environmental practices.

The Congressional report: The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Overview, Reauthorization, and Appropriations Issues is out and describes the US government's efforts to promote nanotechnology. The report indicates that the US is the world leader in nanotechnology, but provides recommendation to maintain and expand this leadership position. Some of these recommendations include (excerpt from document):

• the NNI increase its emphasis on nanomanufacturing and commercial deployment of nanotechnology-enabled products, and that the agencies within the NNI must interact and cooperate more with one another to ease the translation of scientific discovery into commercial activity. In this regard, PCAST made a number of recommendations. Among them:

• double federal funding for nanomanufacturing over five years;
• launch at least five government-industry-university partnerships modeled after the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative;
• for each Nanotechnology Signature Initiative (NSI), develop milestones, promote strong education components, and create public-private partnerships to leverage the outcomes;
• fund at least five NSIs over the next two to three years—including ones in priority areas such as homeland security, national defense, and human health—at annual levels of $20 million to $40 million each;
• tap the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration for advice on how the NNI can best ensure its programs create new jobs in the United States, including mechanisms for coordinating with state efforts; and
• for DOE, DOD, NIST, NIH, NCI, and FDA to clarify the development pathway and to make sustained investments to accelerate technology transfer to the marketplace.

The ASME has produced the video Fighting Cancer with Nanotechnology. In it, Dr. Jack Hoopes, Professor of Surgery and Medicine at The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College describes cancer research using nanotechnology and specifically iron oxide particles. His team received funding and includes biologies, engineers, and material scientist.

Intel presented a paper on the new FinFET technology that in now calls a tri-gate transistors. The tri-grate transistor is triangular in shape where prior versions have been rectangular. Gold Standard Simulation Ltd. built a atom model and simulated a 22nm finFET with a triangular channel. The purpose of the simulation was to determine the advantage this triangular shape provides. It's still not clear, but it's interesting to see the channel current density move from the center out to the interface as the transistor is turned on.



Update: In his blog, Ed McKenan at SemiWiki.com says that the Intel 22 nm tri-gate transistor offers lower leakage and can operate on 0.7 V in standby mode. Intel claims a 50% power reduction.

The MRS has posted 5 videos from the Many Facets of Sustainable Development Forum held during the 2012 MRS Spring Meeting. The speakers include:

• Marty Green, NIST
• Ashley White, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
• John Baglin Physicist Emeritus, IBM Almaden Research Center
• Heather Cooley Co-Director of the Water Program, Pacific Institute
• Anu Ramaswami Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Colorado at Denver