Course

Application

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For 04/26/07

Title: Cubosome Processing: An Example of Industrial Nanoparticle Technology and Process
Development
Speaker: Dr. Patrick T. Spicer
(Complex Fluids Research)
Company: The Proctor & Gamble Company
8256 Union Centre Blvd., AP-414, West Chester, OH 45069, USA
Abstract:
Cubosomes are nanoparticles but instead of the usual solid particles encountered, cubosomes are self-assembled liquid crystalline particles with a solid-like rheology that provides unique properties of practical interest. The discovery of cubosomes is a unique story and spans the fields of food science, differential geometry, biological membranes, and digestive processes. Despite the early realization of their potential, the manufacture of cubosomes on a large scale embodied difficulty because of their complex phase behaviour and viscous properties. This talk reviews the development of several processes for practical manufacture and use of cubosomes in the consumer product industry, the intellectual property that resulted, and the eventual use of the patented technology.

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For 05/03/07

Title: Nanotechnology in Drug Discovery and Drug Delivery
Speaker: Dr. Paul Burke
(Director, Sustained Release Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Technology)
Company: Amgen, Inc.
One Amgen Center Drive, MS 8-2-D, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
Abstract:
The application of nanoscale technologies in the pharmaceutical industry spans the entire scope of drug development, from discovery of new drugs to enhancement of existing ones. Quantum dots offer new capabilities in imaging, especially when coupled with tissue-specific targeting ligands. Nanomagnets and nanocantilevers offer new possibilities in diagnostics and the detection of cancer biomarkers. Nanosuspensions enhance drug dissolution rates and bioavailability. Passively targeted lipid-based systems illustrate the oldest commercialized nanotechnologies, while nanovector-enabled active targeting represents the forefront of current nanomedical research.

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For 11/14/07

Title: Synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles to investigate and extend scaling of microelectronics technologies
Speaker: Delia J. Milliron
Company: IBM
Abstract:
Solution-phase synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles can produce a wide range of materials with controlled dimensions down to a few nanometers. As such, these materials offer an opportunity to fast-forward the technology road map to investigate the properties of functional materials as they approach ultimate scaling limits. As an example, I will introduce phase change memory technology – a leading candidate for future solid state memory. I will discuss our recent progress in synthesizing nanoparticles of the phase change material GeTe in order to investigate the ultimate scaling limits of this technology. In other technology arenas, the monodispersity and chemical tunability possible in nanoparticle synthesis may actually extend scaling. For example, immersion lithography – wherein the space between the final optical lens and the wafer surface is filled with water – is the accepted technology for patterning the next generation of microelectronics. Intensive effort is currently underway to extend immersion lithography beyond the first, water-based generation in order to enable patterning at smaller sizes. This extension demands higher refractive index materials from the final lens element through the photoresist. One possibility is to include high index nanoparticles in the immersion fluid that sits between the lens and the wafer or in the photoresist to extend this technology to a third generation. I will show the results of our recent efforts to synthesize nanoparticles for this application.

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For 11/28/07

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For 11/24/08

Title: Aerosol production and applications – an alternate perspective on nanotechnology

Speaker: Brian Prevo
Company: Cabot Corporation, 157 Concord Rd, Billerica, MA 01821
Abstract:
This lecture will provide an overview of gas-to-particle flame synthesis techniques as well as a brief overview of some of the commercial applications for these particles. Due to the size of the individual particles in these powders (d ~ 200nm) these materials can be classified as nanoparticles. Developing these materials requires a combination of chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and materials science expertise. Furthermore, constructing useful products such as dispersions, coatings, nanocomposites, or other assemblies from nanoparticles requires additional experience with polymer physics, colloidal science, and physical chemistry. The combination of skill sets required for these applications can be viewed as a subset of nanotechnology.

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For 12/08/08

Title: Dynamic electron microscopy of nanoscale semiconductor growth
Speaker: Frances M. Ross
Company: IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA
Abstract:
For the fabrication of nanoscale structures, such as quantum dots or nanowires, self-assembly provides an important route that avoids the limitations of lithography. However, self-assembly has its own challenges: an entire functional structure might depend on a single nucleation event or the outcome of a spontaneous crystal growth process. It is only by understanding the details that we can control the resulting structures well enough for manufacturability. In this presentation I will use dynamic electron microscopy to visualize the physical processes that control nanostructure growth. I will focus on Si and Ge nanowires, with their exciting possibilities for a range of devices. Growth movies were made in an environmental transmission electron microscope, which has capabilities for depositing catalysts and introducing chemical vapour deposition gases to a sample under observation. This allows us to measure nucleation, catalyst stability, surface structure, and growth kinetics, in some cases confirming existing models and in other cases producing unexpected results. We find that nanowire formation provides a unique window into the fundamentals of crystal growth, as well as an opportunity to fabricate precisely controlled structures for novel applications.

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For 12/10/08

Title: The National Nanotechnology Initiative - What's your government doing for you?
Speaker: Heather M. Evans, PhD AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow
Company: National Nanotechnology Coordination Office
Abstract:
In 2009, the federal budget for nanotechnology will top $1.5 billion. Where does all of this money go, and what kinds of new research can we expect to see in the coming years? The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) brings together the expertise of 25 federal agencies, who work together to tackle the critical issues and research needs in nanotechnology. In this talk, I will highlight some of the fascinating new nanotechnology developments that address diverse areas including advancements in nanomedicine, clean water, and energy. At the same time, we will explore some of the important societal and safety issues surrounding nanotechnology, and what the federal government is doing about them. I will also describe my current role in the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow. This position began in September and follows my postdoc at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, Germany, which I completed after earning my doctorate in Materials Science from the University of California Santa Barbara.