Nanopowders, Thin Films, and Devices

Nanotechnology is the ability to create structures at the atomic scale. These structures are generally less than 100 nanometers in size that also have a change in properties due to the small size. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter and is about 10 atoms length, or approximately 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair (a nanometer is to a soccer ball as a soccer ball is comparable to the earth). By manipulating structures of different shapes and sizes at a nanoscale level, electrical, optical, and physical properties can be fundamentally different than the properties of the same materials at a larger size. We believe that nanotechnology is not an industry but that it will have major impacts on multiple industries. Just like adoption and advancement of computers improved information, speed, and efficiency, we believe that nanotechnology will significantly improve performance and cost of existing products and create a new generation of products. Development of nanotechnology is accelerating, but commercialization of nanotechnology will be dependent on the ability of companies to provide economically viable nanopowders and nano-coatings that meet customers' specifications and that are environmentally safe. Nanotechnology is projected by the National Science Foundation to yield exciting new product marketplaces over the next 11 years that could reach $1 trillion. Nanomaterials have already created multiple >$1B businesses, and the NanoBusiness Alliance estimates the current nanotechnology marketplace is greater then $45 billion. nGimat Home