Glossary
8fcmnt

1e5 - 1 times 10 to the fifth power, ie 1x10^5.
um - micrometer, one-millionth, 1e-6 meter.
nm - nanomater, one-billionth, 1e-9 meter.



Devices:

FET, field-effect transistor -

LED, light-emitting diode - 

MEMS, micro electromechanical systems - microscale moving devices built on silicon wafers using the same STL techniques used for microchips. Has not met its early promise due to the large influence of friction at that scale.

SPM, scanning probe microscope - any of a class of related devices capable of non-optically sensing the texture of surfaces with molecular resolution. Suspended from a cantilever is a pyramidal tip; it narrows to an apex only a few atoms wide, and hangs a few atomic diameters above the target surface. The assembly can scan horizontally in X and Y, and the cantilever moves vertically in Z, either controlled by the operator or in response to the contours of the surface.

Materials:

Buckminsterfullerenes, fullerenes - a class of carbon structures (allotropes) resembling chicken-wire tubes or the geodesic domes of Buckminster Fuller.

Buckyball - any spherical or ellipsoidal fullerene molecule; in particular C60, a truncated icosahedron.

CMOS, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor - the chemical technology used in today's microchips.

Graphite, graphene - a class of carbon formed into sheets of hexagons. Today they can be reliably synthesized to lengths of 5-10um.

MWNT and SWNT, multi- and single-walled nanotube - during synthesis, carbon nanotubes may become nested, like a telescoping spyglass.

Nanotube - usually refers to carbon nanotubes, ie cylindrical fullerenes; topologically identical to rolled graphite (graphene) sheets. Typically capped at the ends by hemispheres. Each tier of hexagons may be perpendicular to the axis, or angled; the latter produces a helical surface resembling a barbershop pole. Multiple tubes may be nested.

n- and p-type - refers to the electronic properties of a material. N-type are negative; they contain a surplus of electrons. P-type are positive, with a surplus of holes (ie a deficit of electrons).  A P-N junction comprises a diode, and N-P-N (or P-N-P) a transistor.

SAM, self-assembled monolayer

Semiconductor - metals conduct electrons and insulators do not. Semiconductors are materials in-between; their behavior can be altered by adulteration (doping) of appropriate chemicals (dopants), or by the imposition of external electric fields. Silicon is the most commonly-used semiconductor, and is often doped with phosphorus, germanium, indium.

Si(111), {100}, <110> - a set of three digits (however delimited) after a material's name indicates the orientation of the crystal lattice.

Techniques:

Bias

CVD, chemical vapor deposition

MBE, molecular beam epitaxy

STL, stereolithography - the photographic resist and acid-etching process used to fabricate microchips and MEMS.

Effects:

Ballistic transpor - have so-called ballistic transport of electrons, ie low interaction with phonos, so little energy loss ie heat dissipation. This is a good property for I/O. Phonon ie a quantum of vibration in a crystal.

Bistability

Stiction - sticky-friction, refers to the surface effects in MEMS. Unlike the familiar macroscale, surface forces are nearly as strong as the mechanical output of the devices, leading to rapid wear and dysfunction. Insects are much larger, but live in a similar world where gravity is largely irrelevant and surface tension can be used to your advantage.

Tribology - the study of friction and lubricants.

Tunneling - because a 

Van der Waals

Volatile, nonvolatile - a memory element is nonvolatile if its state remains unchanged for a long period. Today's silicon DRAM is not; the charges dissipate, and must be continually refreshed, using power; the "D" stands for "dynamic."