Nanotechnology Design AxesWilliam Knop, Dmitry SaltykovNovember 14th, 20041 General DefinitionsProcess :Description: A method manipulating materials to result in a product.Explanation: A process qualifies as nanotechnology if and only if its output qualifies as nanotech.Product :Description: A system, material, or device, resulting from a process.Explanation: A product qualifies as nanotech if and only if it’s SCUs s atisfy the metrics as defined in section 2,below.SCU :Description: A significant, controllable unit of any product.Explanation: An SCU can be evaluated in the degree to which it qualifies as nanotech, the quality of nanotechit represents, and its potential nano-scale risks by the metrics below. This is the functional ”atomic” unit ofnanotechnology.2 AxesActive/Passive :Description: The ability to affect external substances.Explanation: This is a binary metric which gauges the risk factor based on whether the technology has the abilityto modify its surroundings in a controlled fashion.Example: A nanomachine that catalyzes CO into CO2, resultng in a 1. A fullerene sphere would not metabolizeanything, leading to a 0.Scale: [0,1]Assembly Method :Description: The degree, on a scale from 0 to 1, to which the assembly is top-down, as opposed to bottom-up.Explanation: This metric is helpful to determine how much of an impact a technology will make. Generally,top-down methods require very large investments, while bottom-up methods do not. A technology based ona bottom-up method is likely to make a greater impact.Example: Lithography equipment is extremely costly, so an advance in lithography will likely only directly affecthuge businesses.Scale: [0..1]Assembly Procedure :Description: The degree, on a scale from 0 to 1, to which the assembly is deterministic, as opposed to random.Explanation: The more random a process is, the more akin to traditional chemistry, rather than nanotechnology,it is. For instance, fluidic self assembly is deterministic in that it’s randomness is constrained to one orsometimes two spacial dimensions. It is not as deterministic as, say, some of the various types of lithography,however.Example: Doping a silicon region of a nano-transistor is a very random process (AP 0), whereas m asking thedoped region via lithography is very deterministic (AP 1).Scale: [0..1]Bio-Integration Index :Description: The degree, on a scale from 0 to 1, to which the product interacts with carbon-based life.Explanation: This would be a rather heuristic measure, to be set based on the amount of significant work thatthe technology does on living carbon-based organisms.1Example: A nanomachine that spends its time floating around the bloodstream and decomposing cholesteroldeposits would rank highly by this metric. This would be in contrast to a nanomachine that is introducedinto a water supply to decompose complex petrochemicals. This machine would spend a good deal of timebeing in people, and would interact heavily with carbon compounds, but would not be as go od an exampleof bio-integrated nanotech.Scale: [0..1]Dimensions Controlled :Description: The number of distinct, controlled dimensions on the given size scale.Explanation: A process must control at least one dimension to within the given size s cale to be considerednanotechnology. If more dimensions are restricted to and controlled on that scale, the process becomes allthe better as an example of nanotechnology. Note that this only considers the classic three dimensions oflength, width, and height, rather than ”compound dimensions” such as radius.Example: Although a meter-long carbon nanotube would be impressive, it would actually be less nanotech (DC2) than one that fits within the size scale in length as well (DC 3).Scale: [0..3]Infrastructure Scale :Description: The order of magnitude of the most significant dimension of the SCU’s infrastructure, as measuredin nm.Explanation: This is particularly useful to determine how densely the SCU may be packed. A technology thatrequires significant large infrastructure to support it is still nanotech, but less so than a technology that doesnot rely on non-nano assistance. Additionally, this infrastructure may well be reduced in size with progressin non-nanotech fields, which will allow this metric to model improvements to this technology from otherindustries.Example: A nano-transistor which requires 1mm wires to be used as an interface would have an IS of 6.Scale: [0..∞)Mobility :Description: The likelihood of the product being borne in various mediums.Explanation: This is a binary metric which indicates whether the product is anchored or not. A device which canmove by self-locomotion or by environmental means poses a high risk of spreading damage.Example: A transistor which is anchored to a human nerve, even though it may bio-integrate, is likely to onlycause local damage, and thus poses very little risk. A device which freely moves through the circulatorysystem, however, may cause widespread damage, and may even be transmitted to another person.Scale: [0,1]Non-Spatial Parameters :Description: The number of distinct parameters used to describe all states of the product.Explanation: This is helpful for determining how useful a product is. The more parameters one can control, themore potential it has for use.Example: A nano-motor may be able to move clockwise, counterclockwise, or not at all. Therefore it only has onenon-spatial parameter: angular velocity.Scale: [0..∞)Size Scale :Description: The order of magnitude of the significant dimensions controlled, in nm.Explanation: Each of the significant dimensions controlled must be near the nano-scale, specifically 10−9meters.The farther it departs from this, the less nano it is. One might define a cut-off point for nanotech to be a sizescale of 2, or 100nm.Example: A transistor which is 10−6meters, or 103nm, to each side has a size scale of 3.Scale: [0..∞)STP :Description: The lack of requirement of a special environment, or in other words, acceptability of standardtemperature and pressure.Explanation: This is a binary metric which indicates if the process or device can be used at STP.Example: Most lithography processes require a vacuum e nvironment, thus getting a 0 in this metric.Scale: