Saturday, September 19, 2020
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Nanodatabase
Particles Conference sponsors yearly international conferences on particcle technology in various industrial sectors. Much of this effort deals with nanoparticles, their synthesis, characterization, and the synthesis of particle-based materials (such as nanocomposites). Our web site is an information resource for conferences, instrumentation, nanoparticle suppliers, and nanomaterials suppliers.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
12 Risk Group Edit
Risk Group is the first global organization in the world to address the multi-variables of risks and its impact across the industries. Risk Group has a mission and vision to be the organization of choice for risk management professionalism. Risk Group is an independent, non-partisan Risk Management Center
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
13 Korea Advanced Nano Fab Center ( Kanc ) Edit
The construction project of KANC forms a part of the construction project of the national core research carried out by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The project aims at constructing and operating equipment and facilities which will be able to support research & development of the source technology and advanced industrialization thereof.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
14 MANCEF : Micro And Nanotechnology Commercialization Education Foundation Edit
MANCEF globally enables the creation, exchange, and dissemination of knowledge vital to people, organizations, and governments interested in the commercialization of miniaturization technologies.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
15 nanoMat Edit
Within NanoMat three research centres and four major companies coordinate their research programmes. The theme of the research is “Synthesis and investigation of nanostructured metals and ceramics, and investigation of the materials and applications which result from their nanoscale nature.”
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
16 Nanotechnology and Nanoscience, study (The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Royal Society) Edit
In June 2003 the UK Government commissioned the Royal Society, the UK national academy of science, and the Royal Academy of Engineering, the UK national academy of engineering, to carry out an independent study of likely developments and whether nanotechnology raises or is likely to raise new ethical, health and safety or social issues which are not covered by current regulation.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
17 NaPa IP Emerging Nanopatterning Methods Edit
The Emerging Nanopatterning Methods (NaPa) consortium integrates the new patterning methods into one project, both anticipating and responding to the increasing need for technologies, standards and metrology required to harness the new application-relevant properties of engineered structures with nm-scale features.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
18 Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative (The ONI) Edit
The Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative (ONI) serves as a mechanism for creating statewide awareness of the emerging nanotechnology industry and its potential impact on the state of Oklahoma. The ONI works to promote Oklahoma and its resources as a valuable site for nanotechnology industry location and serves as a clearinghouse of information to the academic, financial, industrial and business communities.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
19 Texas Nanotechnology Initiative (Tni) Edit
The Texas Nanotechnology initiative is a consortium of industry, universities, government, and venture capitalists whose goal is to establish Texas as a world leader in the discoveries, development, and commercialization of nanotechnology. The Texas Nanotechnology Initiative is dedicated to establishing Texas as a world leader in the discovery, development, and commercialization of nanotechnology.They have organized a consortium of Texas-based universities, industry leaders, investors, and government officials in order to foster communication, collaboration, and the sharing of resources to accelerate the realization of our goal
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
20 Nanobionet Edit
NanoBioNet is a powerful network including as partners universities, research institutes, hospitals, private companies and experts from the areas of technology transfer and patents as well as from economics and finance. A combined horizontal and vertical strategy guarantees complete coverage of the value-added chain, ranging from R&D to the marketing and sales of new or improved products.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
12 Risk Group Edit
Risk Group is the first global organization in the world to address the multi-variables of risks and its impact across the industries. Risk Group has a mission and vision to be the organization of choice for risk management professionalism. Risk Group is an independent, non-partisan Risk Management Center
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
13 Korea Advanced Nano Fab Center ( Kanc ) Edit
The construction project of KANC forms a part of the construction project of the national core research carried out by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The project aims at constructing and operating equipment and facilities which will be able to support research & development of the source technology and advanced industrialization thereof.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
14 MANCEF : Micro And Nanotechnology Commercialization Education Foundation Edit
MANCEF globally enables the creation, exchange, and dissemination of knowledge vital to people, organizations, and governments interested in the commercialization of miniaturization technologies.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
15 nanoMat Edit
Within NanoMat three research centres and four major companies coordinate their research programmes. The theme of the research is “Synthesis and investigation of nanostructured metals and ceramics, and investigation of the materials and applications which result from their nanoscale nature.”
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
16 Nanotechnology and Nanoscience, study (The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Royal Society) Edit
In June 2003 the UK Government commissioned the Royal Society, the UK national academy of science, and the Royal Academy of Engineering, the UK national academy of engineering, to carry out an independent study of likely developments and whether nanotechnology raises or is likely to raise new ethical, health and safety or social issues which are not covered by current regulation.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
17 NaPa IP Emerging Nanopatterning Methods Edit
The Emerging Nanopatterning Methods (NaPa) consortium integrates the new patterning methods into one project, both anticipating and responding to the increasing need for technologies, standards and metrology required to harness the new application-relevant properties of engineered structures with nm-scale features.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
18 Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative (The ONI) Edit
The Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative (ONI) serves as a mechanism for creating statewide awareness of the emerging nanotechnology industry and its potential impact on the state of Oklahoma. The ONI works to promote Oklahoma and its resources as a valuable site for nanotechnology industry location and serves as a clearinghouse of information to the academic, financial, industrial and business communities.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
19 Texas Nanotechnology Initiative (Tni) Edit
The Texas Nanotechnology initiative is a consortium of industry, universities, government, and venture capitalists whose goal is to establish Texas as a world leader in the discoveries, development, and commercialization of nanotechnology. The Texas Nanotechnology Initiative is dedicated to establishing Texas as a world leader in the discovery, development, and commercialization of nanotechnology.They have organized a consortium of Texas-based universities, industry leaders, investors, and government officials in order to foster communication, collaboration, and the sharing of resources to accelerate the realization of our goal
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
20 Nanobionet Edit
NanoBioNet is a powerful network including as partners universities, research institutes, hospitals, private companies and experts from the areas of technology transfer and patents as well as from economics and finance. A combined horizontal and vertical strategy guarantees complete coverage of the value-added chain, ranging from R&D to the marketing and sales of new or improved products.
Free online Nanotechnology resource database
101 Arizona Nanotechnology Cluster (Az nano cluster) Edit
The Arizona Nanotechnology Cluster, an Arizona not-for-profit organization, was formed in January 2003 to share and promote technological advances in the fast-growing field of Nanotechnology. Our membership includes an active group of interested engineers (electrical, mechanical and chemical), scientists (medical and materials), and businesspeople from both industry and academia.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
102 NanoDynamics Inc. Edit
NanoDynamicsTM has established true commercial operations in a 40,000 square foot facility in Buffalo, NY, where scale-up and volume manufacturing of these new materials can be accomplished in a reliable and economical fashion. To ensure strong market-pull for its products and technologies, NanoDynamicsTM will establish strategic partnerships and collaborative development programs with end-users and market leaders in targeted segments.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
103 Obducat Edit
Obducat develops and supplies technologies and processes for production and analysis of micro and nano structures and provides solutions to companies working with information storage, semiconductors, printed circuit boards, and sensors.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
104 The UAlbany/SUNY Center for Advanced Thin Film Technology (CESTM) Edit
Albany NanoTech is a university-based global research, development, technology deployment and education resource supporting accelerated high technology commercialization. Co-located with the new College of NanoScale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany (SUNY), it seeks to leverage resources in partnership with business, government and academia to create jobs and economic growth for the nanoelectronics-related industries.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
105 SDL Queensgate Ltd. Edit
Queensgate Instruments Ltd provide nanopositioning and sensing solutions for high technology industries. Over 70% of sales are custom designs of performance critical components for multi-national corporations based in the USA, Europe and Japan. Applications include Lithographic Steppers and metrology instruments used in the manufacture of semi conductors, the International Space Station's Canadarm, Scanning Electron Microscopes and beam steering of antenna in space.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
106 Espin Edit
eSpin Technologies, Inc. is a high-tech manufacturing company based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company provides global leadership in polymeric nanofiber manufacturing technology applicable across the universe of emergent and traditional manufacturing sectors. eSpin's nanofibers are 20-200nm in diameter (about 1000 times smaller than a human hair), have a very high surface area to mass ratio, and can be formed into membranes with very high porosity.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
107 OD Software Incorporated (ODSI) Edit
OD Software Incorporated (ODSI) is the 1st company to develop computer aided design (CAD) software for digital devices made from special materials such as organic conductors. The company was founded in 2002. It began operation as a consulting company for its clients in Silicon Valley, California, United States.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
108 Australian Nanotechnology Network (Ann, Ausnao) Edit
ANN intends to bring together all the groups working in the field of Nanotechnology (physical sciences based) and related areas (e.g. microelectronics, microphotonics) in Australia. The ANN aims to substantially enhance Australia’s research outcomes in this important field by promoting effective collaboration and exposing researchers to alternative and complementary approaches from other fields.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
109 Austrian NANO Initiative Edit
The Austrian NANO Initiative is a multi-annual funding programme for Nanoscale Sciences and Nanotechnologies in Austria. The Austrian NANO Initiative is the multi-annual public funding programme for nanoscale sciences and nanotechnology. The annual public budget is EURO 15 m.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
110 Bay Area Nanotechnology Forum Edit
The Bay Area Nanotechnology Forum is holding a series of events where Bay Area business, academic, R&D, and political leaders are working together to develop the regional nanotechnology and nano-bio-IT convergence clusters.
[
The Arizona Nanotechnology Cluster, an Arizona not-for-profit organization, was formed in January 2003 to share and promote technological advances in the fast-growing field of Nanotechnology. Our membership includes an active group of interested engineers (electrical, mechanical and chemical), scientists (medical and materials), and businesspeople from both industry and academia.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
102 NanoDynamics Inc. Edit
NanoDynamicsTM has established true commercial operations in a 40,000 square foot facility in Buffalo, NY, where scale-up and volume manufacturing of these new materials can be accomplished in a reliable and economical fashion. To ensure strong market-pull for its products and technologies, NanoDynamicsTM will establish strategic partnerships and collaborative development programs with end-users and market leaders in targeted segments.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
103 Obducat Edit
Obducat develops and supplies technologies and processes for production and analysis of micro and nano structures and provides solutions to companies working with information storage, semiconductors, printed circuit boards, and sensors.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
104 The UAlbany/SUNY Center for Advanced Thin Film Technology (CESTM) Edit
Albany NanoTech is a university-based global research, development, technology deployment and education resource supporting accelerated high technology commercialization. Co-located with the new College of NanoScale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany (SUNY), it seeks to leverage resources in partnership with business, government and academia to create jobs and economic growth for the nanoelectronics-related industries.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
105 SDL Queensgate Ltd. Edit
Queensgate Instruments Ltd provide nanopositioning and sensing solutions for high technology industries. Over 70% of sales are custom designs of performance critical components for multi-national corporations based in the USA, Europe and Japan. Applications include Lithographic Steppers and metrology instruments used in the manufacture of semi conductors, the International Space Station's Canadarm, Scanning Electron Microscopes and beam steering of antenna in space.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
106 Espin Edit
eSpin Technologies, Inc. is a high-tech manufacturing company based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company provides global leadership in polymeric nanofiber manufacturing technology applicable across the universe of emergent and traditional manufacturing sectors. eSpin's nanofibers are 20-200nm in diameter (about 1000 times smaller than a human hair), have a very high surface area to mass ratio, and can be formed into membranes with very high porosity.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
107 OD Software Incorporated (ODSI) Edit
OD Software Incorporated (ODSI) is the 1st company to develop computer aided design (CAD) software for digital devices made from special materials such as organic conductors. The company was founded in 2002. It began operation as a consulting company for its clients in Silicon Valley, California, United States.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
108 Australian Nanotechnology Network (Ann, Ausnao) Edit
ANN intends to bring together all the groups working in the field of Nanotechnology (physical sciences based) and related areas (e.g. microelectronics, microphotonics) in Australia. The ANN aims to substantially enhance Australia’s research outcomes in this important field by promoting effective collaboration and exposing researchers to alternative and complementary approaches from other fields.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
109 Austrian NANO Initiative Edit
The Austrian NANO Initiative is a multi-annual funding programme for Nanoscale Sciences and Nanotechnologies in Austria. The Austrian NANO Initiative is the multi-annual public funding programme for nanoscale sciences and nanotechnology. The annual public budget is EURO 15 m.
[Category: Agencies] [Country: ]
110 Bay Area Nanotechnology Forum Edit
The Bay Area Nanotechnology Forum is holding a series of events where Bay Area business, academic, R&D, and political leaders are working together to develop the regional nanotechnology and nano-bio-IT convergence clusters.
[
Nano-technology Courses
Nano-technology Courses
Nano- technology courses offer knowledge and training on the development and modification of devices with atomic precision where the dimension of particles is less than 100 nanometers. It is an interdisciplinary subject that integrates the stud of Bio- informatics Bio- technology, Physics, Chemistry as well as other disciplines. There is a huge demand for students who have done Nano-Technology Courses in a good number of industries and laboratories in India and abroad. The scope and application of nanotechnology is wide ranging and therefore many institutes are now introducing degree courses in this field at the graduate and post graduate level.
Benefits: Being an interdisciplinary subject, students with a degree in nanotechnology can find employment opportunities in a number of fields. Some of the areas where a nano-technologist can seek employment include the following:
* Agriculture
* Food and Beverage
* Teaching
* Genetics
* Bio-technology
* Space Research
* Forensic Science
* Environment industry
* Medicine
Courses in Nano-technology
There are quite a number of institutes that offer Nano-Technology Courses in India and abroad. The M. Tech. in Nanotechnology is a post graduate degree courses that provides a thorough understanding on the core concepts of nanostructuring, characterization techniques and fabrication techniques for nano devices. Other courses include M. Tech. in Health Care Nanotechnology and Ph.D. in Nanotechnology.
Eligibility: For admissions to M. Tech. (Nanotechnology) course candidates must have a B. Tech. / B. E. degree in Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering or Pharmaceutical Technology with a at least of 65% marks.
The institutes in India offering nano- technology courses are:
* Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore
* Central Scientific Instruments Organization, Chandigarh
* Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
* National Physical Laboratory, Delhi
* National Chemical Laboratory, Pune
* Defence Materials Store Research & Development Organization, Kanpur
* The IITs at Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai, Guwahati and Delhi
* Amity Institute of Nano-technology, Noida
Scopes in India: There are very good career prospects for students who have successfully completed their M.Tech in Nanotechnology from a reputed institute in India. Some of the industries in India that employ candidates with a nanotechnology degree include Health Industry research and consulting- pharmaceutical; agriculture; environment industries; academic institutes; government and private research institutes and food and beverage industries among others.
Scopes Abroad: A range of opportunities await candidates who are willing to go outside India where they can work in the segments of nano -polymer and nano- medicine and as integration engineers also. Lot of research opportunities exist in the areas of nano-device, nano-packaging, nano-wires, nano-tools, nano- biotechnology and nano crystalline materials, nano photonics and nano porous materials to name a few. Nano Science and Technology Institute, with its centers at Switzerland, Cambridge and Massachusetts offer a lot of job opportunities. ASME nano- technology institute in New York also provides job opportunities to deserving candidates.
Top Pages
Study Abroad
Distance Learning
Online MBA
MBA in India
Education Consultants in India
Admissions
Education Loans
Nano- technology courses offer knowledge and training on the development and modification of devices with atomic precision where the dimension of particles is less than 100 nanometers. It is an interdisciplinary subject that integrates the stud of Bio- informatics Bio- technology, Physics, Chemistry as well as other disciplines. There is a huge demand for students who have done Nano-Technology Courses in a good number of industries and laboratories in India and abroad. The scope and application of nanotechnology is wide ranging and therefore many institutes are now introducing degree courses in this field at the graduate and post graduate level.
Benefits: Being an interdisciplinary subject, students with a degree in nanotechnology can find employment opportunities in a number of fields. Some of the areas where a nano-technologist can seek employment include the following:
* Agriculture
* Food and Beverage
* Teaching
* Genetics
* Bio-technology
* Space Research
* Forensic Science
* Environment industry
* Medicine
Courses in Nano-technology
There are quite a number of institutes that offer Nano-Technology Courses in India and abroad. The M. Tech. in Nanotechnology is a post graduate degree courses that provides a thorough understanding on the core concepts of nanostructuring, characterization techniques and fabrication techniques for nano devices. Other courses include M. Tech. in Health Care Nanotechnology and Ph.D. in Nanotechnology.
Eligibility: For admissions to M. Tech. (Nanotechnology) course candidates must have a B. Tech. / B. E. degree in Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering or Pharmaceutical Technology with a at least of 65% marks.
The institutes in India offering nano- technology courses are:
* Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore
* Central Scientific Instruments Organization, Chandigarh
* Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
* National Physical Laboratory, Delhi
* National Chemical Laboratory, Pune
* Defence Materials Store Research & Development Organization, Kanpur
* The IITs at Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai, Guwahati and Delhi
* Amity Institute of Nano-technology, Noida
Scopes in India: There are very good career prospects for students who have successfully completed their M.Tech in Nanotechnology from a reputed institute in India. Some of the industries in India that employ candidates with a nanotechnology degree include Health Industry research and consulting- pharmaceutical; agriculture; environment industries; academic institutes; government and private research institutes and food and beverage industries among others.
Scopes Abroad: A range of opportunities await candidates who are willing to go outside India where they can work in the segments of nano -polymer and nano- medicine and as integration engineers also. Lot of research opportunities exist in the areas of nano-device, nano-packaging, nano-wires, nano-tools, nano- biotechnology and nano crystalline materials, nano photonics and nano porous materials to name a few. Nano Science and Technology Institute, with its centers at Switzerland, Cambridge and Massachusetts offer a lot of job opportunities. ASME nano- technology institute in New York also provides job opportunities to deserving candidates.
Top Pages
Study Abroad
Distance Learning
Online MBA
MBA in India
Education Consultants in India
Admissions
Education Loans
FOREVISION NANOTECH LAB
FOREVISION NANOTECH LAB
FOREVISION NANOTECHNOLOGY LAB, Hyderabad, India is established and inaugurated on 1st September 2008 to provide advanced solutions for diverse and complex Technical challenges in various fields of Research and Manufacturing.
For more than a decade, FOREVISION INSTRUEMENTS have provided to their esteemed customers highly efficient, dependable and easy-to-use microscopy solutions for their specific scientific needs by supplying SEM/FE-SEM & TEM and AFM/STM from world renowned manufacturers, with timely service support by their expertise professionals.
FOREVISION INSTRUEMENTS represents the state of the art equipments for Nanotechnology and other related field, manufactured by Hitachi High Technologies, Japan and Parks Systems, Korea.
Nanotechnology is attracting an increased attention in the world today. Research and Development on nanotechnology has accelerated as a national strategy of many countries, what is meant by "Nano"? "Nano" is a prefix that means billionth of a thing. One nanometer is one billionth of a meter (10–9 m). The word "Nano" does not refer to a specific field. Which means everything in the cosmos can be scaled down to nanometrics technology, and can be defined with engineering, research and development by creating materials, devices, and systems at nanometric scale.
“Nano-materials were always in nature, but no nanotechnology". "Now R&D has provided techniques to produce nano-materials like carbon nanotubes (CNT: carbon tubes 1 nm in diameter and several micrometers in length) and nanofullerene (spherical carbon approximately 1 nm in diameter) with a production yield of approximately 90%, but we have no techniques to cut and assemble these nanomaterials".
Nanotechnology is now regarded as the core scientific technology. Accurate observation of nanoareas is infant stage in understanding nano materials, just as "seeing is believing". Hitachi's TEM & SEM and Park Systems AFM/STM Instruments can help researchers to observe and analyze nanostructures of materials. These instruments are used for structural characterization, spectroscopy and materials research at the microscale and nanoscale.
We use a ruler to measure the size or length of visible substances. If the substance is too small for a ruler, we cannot measure it with our eyes or using an optical microscope. The TEM, SEM, and SPM are powerful tools for measuring such small substances, which falls under the category of "Nanometrology" means Metrology and analysis of materials at the nanoscale.
FOREVISION INSTRUEMENTS offer the following programs & services through their “Nano Lab” in Hyderabad, India:
* TRAINING:
Man power training ON CHARGEABLE BASIS to the scientific fraternity to know the technology & handle the state of the art equipments which are used in Nanotechnology applications.
The training covers the basic theory, technology behind the equipment, operation and usage of the same in nanotechnology applications.
* ANAYTICAL SERVICES:
Effective January 2009, Sample Analysis using SEM/EDS and AFM will be provided to those who do not have access to these highly sophisticated equipments and also to Engineering, Medical, Research institutions and Industries for their evaluation of quality control.
An effort will be made to get Accreditation of this Laboratory in due course of time.
This Nanotech Laboratory is currently equipped with
o Hitachi Table Top Microscope Model TM-1000
o Hitachi High Resolution SEM Model SU-1500
o EDS onto SU-1500 will be added by Nov-Dec 2008
o Park Systems AFM will also be added by Nov-Dec 2008
o The Laboratory is supported by the highly trained and experienced personal of great repute in the field.
For more details on FOREVISION NANO LAB, send your mail to fipl@forevision.in
or
Contact on 040 – 24221112 / 2404 2353 / 2414 2373,
Fax: 040 – 2404 2383.
FOREVISION NANOTECHNOLOGY LAB, Hyderabad, India is established and inaugurated on 1st September 2008 to provide advanced solutions for diverse and complex Technical challenges in various fields of Research and Manufacturing.
For more than a decade, FOREVISION INSTRUEMENTS have provided to their esteemed customers highly efficient, dependable and easy-to-use microscopy solutions for their specific scientific needs by supplying SEM/FE-SEM & TEM and AFM/STM from world renowned manufacturers, with timely service support by their expertise professionals.
FOREVISION INSTRUEMENTS represents the state of the art equipments for Nanotechnology and other related field, manufactured by Hitachi High Technologies, Japan and Parks Systems, Korea.
Nanotechnology is attracting an increased attention in the world today. Research and Development on nanotechnology has accelerated as a national strategy of many countries, what is meant by "Nano"? "Nano" is a prefix that means billionth of a thing. One nanometer is one billionth of a meter (10–9 m). The word "Nano" does not refer to a specific field. Which means everything in the cosmos can be scaled down to nanometrics technology, and can be defined with engineering, research and development by creating materials, devices, and systems at nanometric scale.
“Nano-materials were always in nature, but no nanotechnology". "Now R&D has provided techniques to produce nano-materials like carbon nanotubes (CNT: carbon tubes 1 nm in diameter and several micrometers in length) and nanofullerene (spherical carbon approximately 1 nm in diameter) with a production yield of approximately 90%, but we have no techniques to cut and assemble these nanomaterials".
Nanotechnology is now regarded as the core scientific technology. Accurate observation of nanoareas is infant stage in understanding nano materials, just as "seeing is believing". Hitachi's TEM & SEM and Park Systems AFM/STM Instruments can help researchers to observe and analyze nanostructures of materials. These instruments are used for structural characterization, spectroscopy and materials research at the microscale and nanoscale.
We use a ruler to measure the size or length of visible substances. If the substance is too small for a ruler, we cannot measure it with our eyes or using an optical microscope. The TEM, SEM, and SPM are powerful tools for measuring such small substances, which falls under the category of "Nanometrology" means Metrology and analysis of materials at the nanoscale.
FOREVISION INSTRUEMENTS offer the following programs & services through their “Nano Lab” in Hyderabad, India:
* TRAINING:
Man power training ON CHARGEABLE BASIS to the scientific fraternity to know the technology & handle the state of the art equipments which are used in Nanotechnology applications.
The training covers the basic theory, technology behind the equipment, operation and usage of the same in nanotechnology applications.
* ANAYTICAL SERVICES:
Effective January 2009, Sample Analysis using SEM/EDS and AFM will be provided to those who do not have access to these highly sophisticated equipments and also to Engineering, Medical, Research institutions and Industries for their evaluation of quality control.
An effort will be made to get Accreditation of this Laboratory in due course of time.
This Nanotech Laboratory is currently equipped with
o Hitachi Table Top Microscope Model TM-1000
o Hitachi High Resolution SEM Model SU-1500
o EDS onto SU-1500 will be added by Nov-Dec 2008
o Park Systems AFM will also be added by Nov-Dec 2008
o The Laboratory is supported by the highly trained and experienced personal of great repute in the field.
For more details on FOREVISION NANO LAB, send your mail to fipl@forevision.in
or
Contact on 040 – 24221112 / 2404 2353 / 2414 2373,
Fax: 040 – 2404 2383.
Career Course ::: Nanotechnology
Career Course ::: Nanotechnology
Ever heard of a fabric chat does not get affected by stains? Have you heard of a tweezer which is capable of cutting open a single cell of the human body? Welcome to the fascinating and wonderful world of Nanotechology where all these and much more are possible. This is the field where amazing inventions and discoveries are made by working at the level far below than that can be observed by the naked human eye. Dubbed as the technology of the future, it is believed that Nanotechnology would provide answers to most of the problems of mankind. One should opt for a course in Nanotechnology, if one is interested in science and in research work. Considerable research work in Nanotechnology is being carried out in several premier institutes and universities across the country, and this science is growing at a tremendous pace. The field of Nanotechnology veritably offers a vast range of prospects and opportunities in terms of rewards and challenges.
Nanotechnology is the technology that is based on the scale of nanometers. One nanometer is equal to one-billionth 10-9 of a metre. It is 5,000 to 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Compared to a metre, one nanometer is roughly of the same proportion as a golf ball is to the Earth. Nanotechnology is a new interdisciplinary subject combining physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
The term `Nanotechnology` was coined in 1974 by Prof. Norio Taniguchi at the Tokyo Science University. He used the term to describe the precision manufacture of materials in the scale of a nanometer. Small materials, on the scale of molecules, are created by the manipulation of single atoms in Nanotechnology. The goal of Nanotechnology is the control of individual atoms and molecules in the creation of computer chips and other devices which are many a time smaller than those created by the usage of current technology.
Broadly, there are three main divisions in Nanotechnology-Nanomaterials, Nanoelectronics and Nano-Biotechnology. All major sectors, be it environment, aerospace, telecommunications, solar energy or computing, are impacted upon by Nanotechnology. This science can be used to change the properties of materials, make advances in Biotechnology or to design other products. Basically, Nanotechnology is used in computers, communication and medical-related devices.
Some mind bogging breakthroughs have been made by scientists in recent times. These include clothing which is able to block chemical or biological weapons from touching the skin; water, heat, stain and wrinkle-resistant fabric; material capable of detecting changes in the environment and the technique of delivering a drug, safely and effectively, to a single cell only. These amazing tricks have been made possible by the manipulation of atoms and molecules individually in order to produce the desired structure in the form of a stable nanomaterial. Nanotechnology has made all such breakthroughs possible.
One of the fields in which Nanotechnology finds extensive applications is Nanomedicine. In this field, devices and materials, which are designed at the molecular or nano level, are used in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and traumatic injury, relieving pain and in the overall preservation and improvement of human health. These devices, designed at the nano level, have size ranging from 1 nanometre (nm) to 100 nanometres and are known as nanodevices, Nanotechnology is fused with medicine, in the discipline of Nanomedicine is not exclusively a physician’s job but one in which experts from a number of fields, like medicine, engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, computer sciences and the material sciences work together.
In Nano-Pharmacology, biologically active compounds or molecules are linked with specially fabricated nanomaterials. These are then used as probes and drugs to identify and target various abnormal cells in diseased conditions. “Smart drugs”, which are new advanced nanosized therapeutic drugs, have been developed in recent times. These drugs increase the efficiency of delivering the drugs with minimal side effects.
Two of the most striking inventions on which research is being carried out nanorbots and medical nanotweezers, A medical nanorobot would be eighty blood cell) and when injected into the blood stream would travel freely throughout the body, Nanorobots would identify abnormal cells in the body and the supply of the drug carried by them, would be released selectively on coming in contact with the diseased or abnormal cells. Nanotweezers are also in the process of development. They are surgical tools, which are only a few nanometres in thickness. They are electrically controlled multicoated carbon nanotubes which would be used to grab any single biological molecule within the cell. Nanotweezers would help doctors to perform surgery on an individual human cell, in the future. The development of Nanomechanical Olfactory Sensors (NOSE) is another area in which research is going on, NOSE would be used to diagnose diseases, precisely and instantly.
The US is in the forefront in the world in Nanotechnology, Considerable progress in this field is also being made in Japan and Europe, In India, the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) has set up 38 laboratories, across the country, to carry out research and development work in this field. The CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organization) in Chandigarh is one of the 38 laboratories set up by the CSIO.
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for studying Nanotechnology at the Post graduation level is the successful completion of the Bachelor’s Degree with major or honors in Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences and with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) as subsidiary subjects. In order to pursue a PhD programme in Nanotechnology, one should have completed an M. Tech in Mechanical, Chemical, Electronic, Biotechnology, Computer Science etc. or an M. Sc in Physics, Chemistry, Material Science, Biotechnology, Computer Science etc.
Aptitude
One should have a scientific bent of mind and a natural propensity for research work, in order to study Nanotechnology, An open and enquiring mind with sound analytical and computer programming skills is a must in this field. One should have a keen interest in, and some amount of knowledge about diverse fields since Nanotechnology finds application in a wide number of areas. Moreover, one should be hand working and patient in order to spend `long hours in the laboratory and be engaged in research work.
Courses
Postgraduate studies in Nanotechnology are offered by IIT`s (Indian Institutes of Technology) in the country. Postgraduate programmes are also available at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. The Amity University in New Delhi offers a five-and-a-half-year integrated M. Tech, course in Nanotechnology, Courses are two years duration with a course fee of Rs.30,000 per semester, Ph. D. programmes in Nanotechnology are offered by several institutes across the country.
Presently, no course in Nanotechnology is offered at the Graduation level, in any reputed institute in India. However, the IIT`s are considering the option of starting a B. Tech programme in Nanotechnology.
Prospects
With a professional degree in Nanotechnology under one’s belt, one will get job opportunities in biotech companies among several other avenues. In a biotech company, one’s work profile may include the fabrication of miniature systems and devices to be used in Nanomedicine or working on a nanoparticle-based molecular system for detecting biological warfare agents. One will also find employment opportunities in large pharmaceutical companies where one will be working on the delivery process of drugs or on the development of a new therapeutic drug.
There are a lot of opportunities available in the field of research in Nanotechnology; various research programmes in Nanotechnology are funded by the Government and universities across the country.
Nanotechnology is one filed in which there are employment opportunities for engineers from all disciplines, The synthesis, functionalism characterizations, and optimization of materials are done by Chemical Engineers, which are a few among the variety of functions performed by them in the field of Nanotechnology, The development of non-material assembly processes, creation of test protocols and the preparation of reports are some of the other functions performed by Chemical Engineers. The design, production and testing of machines, instruments, controls, engines and mechanical, thermal or heat transfer systems is done by Mechanical Engineers. The designing of methods by virtue of which natural substances get changed into newer, stronger, and more resistant materials with unique properties is the work of Materials Engineers in the field of Nanotechnology.
Currently, there are around 500 companies in the market who offer nanotech products while another 150 odd institutions are involved in research work in Nanotechnology, The Government of India offers considerable support for the generation of awareness and promotion of Nanotechnology, Two schemes related to Nanotechnology-the Nanoscience and Technology Initiative launched by the Department of Science and Technology and the Science and Technology Initiatives in Nanotechnology-are being promoted by the Government of India.
Several other work opportunities are also available in Nanotechnology, apart from that of a scientist or an engineer, Business development and administration, legal areas, and sales and marketing are few other areas, where one can work in the field of Nanotechnology.
With a professional degree in Nanotechnology under one`s belt, one can work as a scientist, academician, biotechnologist, systems designer, research officer or product designer.
Nanotechnology impacts all major sectors like solar energy, aerospace, environment, telecommunications, computing, etc. Nanotechnology has been widely used in number of movies, television series and video games too. By the year 2015, Nanotechnology is estimated to have grown to a $1 trillion industry. It is expected to revolutionise a number of fields like medicine and military. It is the technology of the future.
Remuneration
Generally, the starting salary for one with an M. Tech or Ph. D Degree in Nanotechnology under one`s belt, is in between Rs.60, 000 and Rs.1, 00,000. Those who have passed out from the IIT`s or other premier institutes with a Master’s Degree earns a salary of Rs.4, 00,000 to Rs.6, 00,000. Fresh Ph. D holders from IIT`s are absorbed by multinational Nanotechnology companies with salaries ranging between Rs.9, 00,000 to Rs.12, 00,000 per annum. Nanotechnology is a booming industry which is expected to throw up a large number of job opportunities with handsome pay packages in the future.
Related Web Pages
Nanotechnology | Nanometers | Indian Institutes of Technology | Indian Institute of Science | Amity University | Nanomaterials Nanoelectronics and Nano-Biotechnology | Nano-Pharmacology | Central Scientific Instruments | Nanomechanical Olfactory Sensors
Ever heard of a fabric chat does not get affected by stains? Have you heard of a tweezer which is capable of cutting open a single cell of the human body? Welcome to the fascinating and wonderful world of Nanotechology where all these and much more are possible. This is the field where amazing inventions and discoveries are made by working at the level far below than that can be observed by the naked human eye. Dubbed as the technology of the future, it is believed that Nanotechnology would provide answers to most of the problems of mankind. One should opt for a course in Nanotechnology, if one is interested in science and in research work. Considerable research work in Nanotechnology is being carried out in several premier institutes and universities across the country, and this science is growing at a tremendous pace. The field of Nanotechnology veritably offers a vast range of prospects and opportunities in terms of rewards and challenges.
Nanotechnology is the technology that is based on the scale of nanometers. One nanometer is equal to one-billionth 10-9 of a metre. It is 5,000 to 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Compared to a metre, one nanometer is roughly of the same proportion as a golf ball is to the Earth. Nanotechnology is a new interdisciplinary subject combining physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
The term `Nanotechnology` was coined in 1974 by Prof. Norio Taniguchi at the Tokyo Science University. He used the term to describe the precision manufacture of materials in the scale of a nanometer. Small materials, on the scale of molecules, are created by the manipulation of single atoms in Nanotechnology. The goal of Nanotechnology is the control of individual atoms and molecules in the creation of computer chips and other devices which are many a time smaller than those created by the usage of current technology.
Broadly, there are three main divisions in Nanotechnology-Nanomaterials, Nanoelectronics and Nano-Biotechnology. All major sectors, be it environment, aerospace, telecommunications, solar energy or computing, are impacted upon by Nanotechnology. This science can be used to change the properties of materials, make advances in Biotechnology or to design other products. Basically, Nanotechnology is used in computers, communication and medical-related devices.
Some mind bogging breakthroughs have been made by scientists in recent times. These include clothing which is able to block chemical or biological weapons from touching the skin; water, heat, stain and wrinkle-resistant fabric; material capable of detecting changes in the environment and the technique of delivering a drug, safely and effectively, to a single cell only. These amazing tricks have been made possible by the manipulation of atoms and molecules individually in order to produce the desired structure in the form of a stable nanomaterial. Nanotechnology has made all such breakthroughs possible.
One of the fields in which Nanotechnology finds extensive applications is Nanomedicine. In this field, devices and materials, which are designed at the molecular or nano level, are used in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and traumatic injury, relieving pain and in the overall preservation and improvement of human health. These devices, designed at the nano level, have size ranging from 1 nanometre (nm) to 100 nanometres and are known as nanodevices, Nanotechnology is fused with medicine, in the discipline of Nanomedicine is not exclusively a physician’s job but one in which experts from a number of fields, like medicine, engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, computer sciences and the material sciences work together.
In Nano-Pharmacology, biologically active compounds or molecules are linked with specially fabricated nanomaterials. These are then used as probes and drugs to identify and target various abnormal cells in diseased conditions. “Smart drugs”, which are new advanced nanosized therapeutic drugs, have been developed in recent times. These drugs increase the efficiency of delivering the drugs with minimal side effects.
Two of the most striking inventions on which research is being carried out nanorbots and medical nanotweezers, A medical nanorobot would be eighty blood cell) and when injected into the blood stream would travel freely throughout the body, Nanorobots would identify abnormal cells in the body and the supply of the drug carried by them, would be released selectively on coming in contact with the diseased or abnormal cells. Nanotweezers are also in the process of development. They are surgical tools, which are only a few nanometres in thickness. They are electrically controlled multicoated carbon nanotubes which would be used to grab any single biological molecule within the cell. Nanotweezers would help doctors to perform surgery on an individual human cell, in the future. The development of Nanomechanical Olfactory Sensors (NOSE) is another area in which research is going on, NOSE would be used to diagnose diseases, precisely and instantly.
The US is in the forefront in the world in Nanotechnology, Considerable progress in this field is also being made in Japan and Europe, In India, the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) has set up 38 laboratories, across the country, to carry out research and development work in this field. The CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organization) in Chandigarh is one of the 38 laboratories set up by the CSIO.
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for studying Nanotechnology at the Post graduation level is the successful completion of the Bachelor’s Degree with major or honors in Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences and with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) as subsidiary subjects. In order to pursue a PhD programme in Nanotechnology, one should have completed an M. Tech in Mechanical, Chemical, Electronic, Biotechnology, Computer Science etc. or an M. Sc in Physics, Chemistry, Material Science, Biotechnology, Computer Science etc.
Aptitude
One should have a scientific bent of mind and a natural propensity for research work, in order to study Nanotechnology, An open and enquiring mind with sound analytical and computer programming skills is a must in this field. One should have a keen interest in, and some amount of knowledge about diverse fields since Nanotechnology finds application in a wide number of areas. Moreover, one should be hand working and patient in order to spend `long hours in the laboratory and be engaged in research work.
Courses
Postgraduate studies in Nanotechnology are offered by IIT`s (Indian Institutes of Technology) in the country. Postgraduate programmes are also available at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. The Amity University in New Delhi offers a five-and-a-half-year integrated M. Tech, course in Nanotechnology, Courses are two years duration with a course fee of Rs.30,000 per semester, Ph. D. programmes in Nanotechnology are offered by several institutes across the country.
Presently, no course in Nanotechnology is offered at the Graduation level, in any reputed institute in India. However, the IIT`s are considering the option of starting a B. Tech programme in Nanotechnology.
Prospects
With a professional degree in Nanotechnology under one’s belt, one will get job opportunities in biotech companies among several other avenues. In a biotech company, one’s work profile may include the fabrication of miniature systems and devices to be used in Nanomedicine or working on a nanoparticle-based molecular system for detecting biological warfare agents. One will also find employment opportunities in large pharmaceutical companies where one will be working on the delivery process of drugs or on the development of a new therapeutic drug.
There are a lot of opportunities available in the field of research in Nanotechnology; various research programmes in Nanotechnology are funded by the Government and universities across the country.
Nanotechnology is one filed in which there are employment opportunities for engineers from all disciplines, The synthesis, functionalism characterizations, and optimization of materials are done by Chemical Engineers, which are a few among the variety of functions performed by them in the field of Nanotechnology, The development of non-material assembly processes, creation of test protocols and the preparation of reports are some of the other functions performed by Chemical Engineers. The design, production and testing of machines, instruments, controls, engines and mechanical, thermal or heat transfer systems is done by Mechanical Engineers. The designing of methods by virtue of which natural substances get changed into newer, stronger, and more resistant materials with unique properties is the work of Materials Engineers in the field of Nanotechnology.
Currently, there are around 500 companies in the market who offer nanotech products while another 150 odd institutions are involved in research work in Nanotechnology, The Government of India offers considerable support for the generation of awareness and promotion of Nanotechnology, Two schemes related to Nanotechnology-the Nanoscience and Technology Initiative launched by the Department of Science and Technology and the Science and Technology Initiatives in Nanotechnology-are being promoted by the Government of India.
Several other work opportunities are also available in Nanotechnology, apart from that of a scientist or an engineer, Business development and administration, legal areas, and sales and marketing are few other areas, where one can work in the field of Nanotechnology.
With a professional degree in Nanotechnology under one`s belt, one can work as a scientist, academician, biotechnologist, systems designer, research officer or product designer.
Nanotechnology impacts all major sectors like solar energy, aerospace, environment, telecommunications, computing, etc. Nanotechnology has been widely used in number of movies, television series and video games too. By the year 2015, Nanotechnology is estimated to have grown to a $1 trillion industry. It is expected to revolutionise a number of fields like medicine and military. It is the technology of the future.
Remuneration
Generally, the starting salary for one with an M. Tech or Ph. D Degree in Nanotechnology under one`s belt, is in between Rs.60, 000 and Rs.1, 00,000. Those who have passed out from the IIT`s or other premier institutes with a Master’s Degree earns a salary of Rs.4, 00,000 to Rs.6, 00,000. Fresh Ph. D holders from IIT`s are absorbed by multinational Nanotechnology companies with salaries ranging between Rs.9, 00,000 to Rs.12, 00,000 per annum. Nanotechnology is a booming industry which is expected to throw up a large number of job opportunities with handsome pay packages in the future.
Related Web Pages
Nanotechnology | Nanometers | Indian Institutes of Technology | Indian Institute of Science | Amity University | Nanomaterials Nanoelectronics and Nano-Biotechnology | Nano-Pharmacology | Central Scientific Instruments | Nanomechanical Olfactory Sensors
GENERAL ARTICLES
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CURRENT SCIENCE, 1492 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
†The views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors, and
do not represent those of the Department of the Navy or any of its
components, or the Institute for Defense Analyses.
Ronald N. Kostoff and Raymond G. Koytcheff are in the Office of
Naval Research, 875 N. Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22217, USA
and Clifford G. Y. Lau is in the Institute for Defense Analyses, 4850
Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22311, USA.
*For correspondence. (e-mail: kostofr@onr.navy.mil)
Global nanotechnology research literature
overview†
Ronald N. Kostoff *, Raymond G. Koytcheff and Clifford G. Y. Lau
Text mining was used to extract technical intelligence from the open source global nanotechnology
and nanoscience research literature (SCI/SSCI databases). The following were identified: (i) the
nanotechnology/nanoscience research literature infrastructure (prolific authors, key journals/
institutions/countries, most cited authors/journals/documents); (ii) the technical structure (pervasive
technical thrusts and their inter-relationships); (iii) nanotechnology instruments and their relationships;
(iv) potential nanotechnology applications; (v) potential health impacts and applications,
and (vi) seminal nanotechnology literature. The results are summarized in this article.
Keywords: Bibliometrics, document clustering, nanoparticle, nanotechnology, nanotube, text mining.
NANOTECHNOLOGY is booming! In the global fundamental
nanotechnology research literature as represented by the
Science Citation Index/Social Science Citation Index (SCI/
SSCI)1, global nanotechnology publications have grown
dramatically in the last two decades.
Due to this exponential growth of the global nanotechnology
open literature, there is a need for gaining an
integrated quantitative perspective on the state of this literature.
In 2003–05, a comprehensive text-mining study
was performed to survey the technical structure and infrastructure
of the global nanotechnology research literature,
as well as the seminal nanotechnology literature2,3. Based
on the wide-scale interest generated by these reports, it
was decided to update and expand the study using more recent
data, a much more comprehensive query and more
sophisticated analytical tools.
In the updated study, text mining was used to extract
technical intelligence from the open source global nanotechnology
and nanoscience research literature (SCI/SSCI
databases). The following were identified: (i) the nanotechnology/
nanoscience research literature infrastructure
(prolific authors, key journals/institutions/countries, most
cited authors/journals/documents); (ii) the technical structure
(pervasive technical thrusts and their inter-relationships);
(iii) nanotechnology instruments and their relationships;
(iv) potential nanotechnology applications; (v)
potential health impacts and applications, and (vi) seminal
nanotechnology literature. The results are summarized in
this article. A more detailed report on the results and
methodologies of this updated study can be found in
Kostoff et al.4.
This article is an overview of the highlights of the total
study, including the production efficiency of seminal
nanotechnology documents. The results are divided into
four main sections: Infrastructure, Technical structure,
Instrumentation and Applications. The Applications section
is further divided into non-medical and medical. The
results will be presented in the order listed above. Next,
the seminal nanotechnology literature production efficiency
will be presented.
Infrastructure describes the performers of nanoscience/
nanotechnology research at different levels, ranging from
individual to national performers, and it includes archived
literature as well. Technical structure identifies the pervasive
technical thrusts (and their inter-relationships) of the
nanoscience/nanotechnology literature. Instrumentation
provides both infrastructure and technical structure of the
subset of the nanoscience/nanotechnology literature that
addresses specific instruments. Applications provides the
infrastructure and taxonomy of the subset of the nanoscience/
nanotechnology literature that addresses specific
non-medical and medical applications.
Approach
An extensive nanotechnology/nanoscience-focused query
(300 + terms) was applied to the SCI/SSCI database. The
nanotechnology/nanoscience research literature technical
structure (taxonomy) was obtained using computational
linguistics, especially document clustering. The nanotechnology/
nanoscience research literature infrastructure
(prolific authors, key journals/institutions/countries, most
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CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007 1493
cited authors/journals/documents) for each of the clusters
generated by the document clustering algorithm was obtained
using bibliometrics.
The instrumentation literature associated with nanoscience
and nanotechnology research was examined. About
65,000 nanotechnology records for 2005 were retrieved
from the SCI/SSCI, and ~27,000 of these were identified
as instrumentation-related. All the diverse instruments
were identified and their associated documents categorized
in a hierarchical taxonomy. Metrics associated with
research literature for specific instruments/instrument groups
were generated.
The applications literature associated with nanoscience
and nanotechnology research was examined. Through visual
inspection of 60,000 of the abstract phrases of the same
downloaded 2005 records, all the diverse non-medical
applications were identified and their associated documents
categorized in a hierarchical taxonomy. Metrics associated
with research literature for specific applications/applications
groups were generated.
For medical applications, a fuzzy clustering algorithm
(where a record could be assigned to multiple clusters) was
applied to the downloaded 2005 records. A sub-network
that encompassed all the medical applications was identified.
Again, metrics associated with research literature for
specific medical applications were generated.
Results
Infrastructure
Country publications:
· Global nanotechnology research article production
exhibited exponential growth for more than a decade
(Figure 1).
· The most rapid growth over that time period came
from East Asian nations, notably China and South Korea
(Figure 2).
Figure 1. SCI/SSCI articles vs time: total records retrieved.
· Some of this apparent rapid growth (in China, for
example) is partially due to (i) a country’s researchers
publishing a non-negligible fraction of total papers in
domestic low impact factor journals, and (ii) these
journals being accessed recently by the SCI/SSCI, rather
than due to growth based on increased sponsorship or
productivity.
· China’s representation in high impact factor journals
· From 1998 to 2002, China’s ratio of high impact nanotechnology
papers to total nanotechnology papers
doubled, placing the country at parity for this metric
with the advanced nations of Japan, Italy and Spain.
· The US remained the leader in aggregate nanotechnology
research article production.
· In some selected nanotechnology sub-areas, China had
achieved parity or taken the lead (see Figure 3 for the
nanocomposites example).
Figure 2. Country comparison time trend (number of articles vs time).
Figure 3. Number of papers containing ‘nanocomposite’*.
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CURRENT SCIENCE, 1494 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
· South Korea started even further behind China in both
total nanotechnology publications and highly cited
papers, but has advanced rapidly to become a secondtier
contender in total and highly cited papers.
Country citations:
· There was a clear distinction between the publication
practices of the three most prolific Western nations
(USA, Germany, UK) and the three most prolific East
Asian nations (China, Japan, South Korea). The Western
nations published in journals with almost twice the
weighted average impact factors of the East Asian nations.
Much of the difference stems from the East Asian
nations publishing a non-negligible amount in domestic
low impact factor journals, while the Western nations
publish in higher impact factor international journals.
· Two countries that led in production of the most cited
nanotechnology papers were the US (126) and Germany
(31). They accounted for 40% of the most cited
nanotechnology papers.
· The high paper volume production East Asian countries
of China and South Korea accounted for 2% of the
most cited nanotechnology papers.
· Despite the increased paper productivity from East
Asian countries, the US continued to generate the most
cited nanotechnology papers.
Technical structure
The total retrieved nanotechnology database for 2005 was
examined from four perspectives to identify pervasive
thematic thrusts: document clustering, autocorrelation mapping,
factor analysis and cross-correlation mapping. Each
perspective provided valuable insights on the fundamental
nanotechnology literature structure. Only document clustering
results are presented here.
Document clustering: The database was divided into
256 thematic clusters by the clustering algorithm. USA
produced most papers in 169 thrusts, China led in 70, Japan
led in 15, and India, South Korea and Spain each led in
one.
A hierarchical taxonomy was constructed from these
256 elemental clusters. Of the sixteen fourth-level categories
in taxonomy, China was the publication leader in six.
Specifically, China led in: Properties of thin films; Diamond
films; Applications of carbon nanotubes; Multiwalled
nanotubes; Nanomaterials and nanoparticles, and
Polymers, composites and metal complexes (Figure 4;
categories with solid shading denote publication lead by
China, and those with vertical lines and shading denote
publication lead by Japan. Light shading means category
leader has 100–125% of the USA publications; medium
shading 125–150%; dark shading >150%). Essentially,
China led in the materials and nanostructures component
of the database, whereas USA led in the physical science
phenomena and biomedical components.
Instrumentation
A wide variety of instruments are used in nanoscience
and nanotechnology research. Key among these are X-ray
diffraction (XRD), electron microscope variants, atomic
force microscopy, scanning tunnelling microscopy and
spectroscopy variants.
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4
Quantum phenomena Quantum dots (2028 records)
(3326 records) Quantum wells, Wires, and States (1298
records)
Optics and Electronics (16,432 records)
Quantum phenomena,
Optics, Electronics,
Magnetism, and Tribology
(26,077 records) Optics, Electronics, Magnetism, and
Tribology (22,751 records) Magnetism and Tribology (6319 records)
Thin films (4760 records) Properties of thin films (2251 records)
Applications of thin films (2509 records)
Deposition of thin films (1752 records)
Quantum phenomena,
Optics,
Electronics,
Magnetism,
Tribology, and
Films (32,983
records)
Films (6906 records)
Deposition of films (2146 records)
Diamond films (394 records)
Applications of carbon nanotubes (474
records)
Multi-walled nanotubes
(2350 records)
Multi-walled nanotubes (1876 records)
Single- and double-walled nanotubes (447
records)
Nanotubes (3211 records)
Single-walled nanotubes
(861 records)
Single-walled nanotubes (414 records)
Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles, Poly- Nanomaterials and Nanoparticles (14,263 records)
mers, Composites, and Metal complexes
(22,686 records)
Polymers, Composites, and Metal Complexes
(8423 records)
DNA (775 records)
Nanotubes, Nanomaterials,
Nanoparticles,
Polymers,
Composites, Metal
complexes, and
Bionanotechnology
(31,742 records) Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles,
Polymers, Composites,
Metal complexes, and Bionanotechnology
(28,531
records)
Bionanotechnology (5845 records)
Proteins and Cellular components (5070 records)
Figure 4. Four-level hierarchical taxonomy.
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CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007 1495
NMR, Complexes, Com- NMR, Spectroscopy (306)
pounds (1546) NMR, Complexes, Compounds (1240)
DSC (1138)
NMR, RS,
Calorimetry
(4684) RS, Calorimetry
(3138) Raman scattering, RS, AFM
(2000)
AFM, Films, Tip, Imaging AFM, Film, Tip, Imaging (1055)
(2003) AFM, Film, Substrate, Deposit (948)
AFM, Film, Deposit, Substrate, Growth (1511)
AFM,
NMR,
Calorimetry
(8423)
AFM (3739)
AFM, Films, Deposition,
Growth, Substrate (1736) AFM, Magnetic (226)
TEM (2545) HRTEM (296)
TEM (2249)
SEM, Film, Particle, Cell (1652)
EM (4492)
SEM, Films, Composites,
Particles, Cells (1947) SEM, IS (295)
SEM, XRD, Films, SEM, XRD (1451)
Coatings, Composites
(3634)
SEM, Film, Coating, Deposit, XRD (2183)
TEM, Film, Particle, Nanoparticle, STM (5986)
EM, XRD
(19,090)
XRD, Films
(14,598)
XRD, TEM, Thin films
(10,964) Film, XRD, XPS (4978)
Figure 5. Nanotechnology instrumentation taxonomy. AFM, Atomic Force Microscopy; NMR, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance;
EM, Electron Microscopy; XRD, X-Ray Diffraction; RS, Raman Spectroscopy; TEM, Transmission Electron
Microscopy; HRTEM, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy; SEM, Scanning Electron Microscopy; DSC,
Differential Scanning Calorimetry; IS, Infrared Spectroscopy, and STM, Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy.
Instrument taxonomy: Hierarchical taxonomy offered the
following insights:
· In this nanotechnology instrumentation study, China
produced about 25% more papers than the USA (Figure 5;
shading represents China’s publication leadership;
darker shading represents stronger publication leadership).
By contrast, in the full nanotechnology study,
USA produced about 25% more papers than China.
· Much of China’s over-production occurred in the XRDrelated
categories, but there was some over-production
in transmission electron microscopy and NMR and
calorimetry-related categories as well.
· The US dominance was in atomic force microscopy.
· Because of the large Chinese and South Korean contributions
to the nanotechnology instrumentation literature,
author-name analysis at aggregate levels was
not effective; Asian names are usually monosyllable,
many times with no middle names. Due to the relatively
high frequency of paper publications, there is good
possibility that the same last name represents multiple
authors. Potential name disambiguation is under study.
· Even though USA has a large presence overall, relatively
few US institutions were listed among the most
prolific in the nanotechnology instrumentation papers.
The Asian and European efforts appeared concentrated
in relatively few but large institutions.
Applications
The study also identified the main nanotechnology applications,
both medical and non-medical, as well as the related
science and infrastructure. These relationships will
allow the potential user-communities to become involved
with the applications-related science and performers at
the earliest stages, to help guide the science conversion
towards specific user needs most efficiently.
Non-medical applications: Applications thrust areas –
Factor analysis.
Factor analyses were performed to show the thematic
areas in non-medical applications. A six-factor analysis
showed the following themes:
· Factor 1: Optoelectronics
· Factor 2: Tribology
· Factor 3: Lithography
· Factor 4: Control systems
· Factor 5: Devices
· Factor 6: Microsystems.
Applications thrust areas – Factor analysis and visual inspection.
The main non-medical applications thrust areas identified
above were augmented by important but non-networked
thrusts, and the nine resulting themes were related to science
and infrastructure by co-occurrence matrices. Also,
the total non-medical applications was combined into one
unit, and related to science and infrastructure by cooccurrence
matrices. For non-medical applications:
· USA led in total non-medical applications publications
and in six out of nine themes in high-tech research
areas such as devices, sensors and lithography.
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CURRENT SCIENCE, 1496 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
China led in publications in three traditional areas: catalysis,
tribology and electrochemistry.
· In total non-medical applications, two of the top three
institutions were Chinese. However, USA was well
represented by the large State University systems of
the University of California and University of Illinois.
· The journal Applied Physics Letters appeared in the top
layer in seven of the nine themes and was by far the
leader in total non-medical applications publications.
Journal of Physical Chemistry B appeared in four of
the nine themes, as also Journal of Applied Physics.
Medical applications: Applications thrust areas –
Visual inspection/fuzzy clustering.
A medical applications categorization constructed from
visual inspection of the detailed fuzzy clustering categories
showed five broad thematic categories:
· Cancer treatment
· Sensing and detection
· Cells
· Proteins
· DNA.
Applications thrust areas – Fuzzy clustering.
For medical applications, analysis of nineteen thematic
categories obtained from fuzzy clustering of the total
2005 nanotechnology database revealed the following:
· USA was the publication leader in total health types,
and in all the thematic areas as well, mostly by a wide
margin. China was the second most prolific in seven
thematic areas, Japan in six, Germany in four and
England in two.
· The University of California system led in five clusters,
the Chinese Academy of Science led in four, and the
National University of Singapore led in three. The
University of California and the Chinese Academy of
Science were the most prolific in the non-medical applications
as well, but their orders were reversed. The
National University of Singapore was a prolific contributor,
especially in pharmaceuticals and biomaterials.
· The journal Langmuir contained the most nanotechnology
articles in total health, and was in the top layer of
ten of nineteen themes. The only journals in common
in the top layers of applications and health were Langmuir
and Journal of Physical Chemistry B.
Production efficiency of global nanotechnology
literature
The global nanotechnology research literature has two
main components: spatial and temporal. The spatial component
covers present-day nanotechnology research being
conducted globally. The temporal component reflects the
impact that vintage literature has had on modern-day
nanotechnology research.
Both the temporal and spatial components need to be
understood for full comprehension of global nanotechnology
research, and for the establishment of strategic
nanotechnology policy. Assessment tools and processes
have advanced sufficiently to allow an integrated picture
of nanotechnology to be obtained.
The summary material presented earlier concentrates
on the spatial component. The remainder of this article
will concentrate on one aspect of temporal component,
production efficiency of the seminal nanotechnology literature.
All the nanotechnology documents published between
1991 and 2005 were downloaded. Then, the subset with
the highest number of citations was extracted, and a text
mining analysis of that subset was performed to obtain
the characteristics of the most cited nanotechnology documents4.
Following this, the relationship between document
production and seminal paper production for
countries was identified.
Relation of seminal nanotechnology document production
to total nanotechnology document production: There is
a substantial value in understanding the efficiency of seminal
nanotechnology document production, i.e. the ratio of
seminal nanotechnology documents produced to over-all
nanotechnology documents produced. The present short
section addresses some methods for arriving at this ratio.
Citations (and publications) for nanotechnology documents
published in two specific years were examined.
The purpose was to obtain some time trend data as well
as better statistics than one year’s data could provide. All
nanotechnology documents for 1998 and 2002 were retrieved
and analysed. These years were selected to be as
close to the present as possible, in order to insure currency
of findings, yet sufficiently vintaged to insure accumulation
of adequate citations.
Normalized country production of seminal nanotechnology
papers: The main nanotechnology query in this
study4 was used to retrieve documents from the SCI/SSCI
for 1998 and 2002. Distribution of number of publications
among institutions and countries was generated using
the Analyze function of the SCI search engine. Then, the
publications for each year were ordered according to
Time cited. The most highly cited publications were extracted,
and the country and institution distributions for
those documents were generated. The country and institution
publication distributions were then compared to the
citation distributions. This allowed identification of countries
whose citation fractions were greater than their publication
fractions (and thus were producing highly cited
papers more efficiently than their publication statistics
would predict).
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CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007 1497
A central issue was how one defines most highly cited
papers. Are these seminal papers the top 10, top 100 or
top 1%? Because of the discrete choice imposed by the
Analyze function at present, results for the top 100, 250
and 500 documents were examined parametrically. While
some re-ordering occurred, countries producing seminal
documents were plainly evident at the top of the list.
Therefore, results using the 500 most cited documents
(about 1% of the total documents retrieved for 2002, and
about 1.5% of the total documents retrieved for 1998) are
presented.
Table 1 shows the country distributions for 1998. The
left column in Table 1 shows ranking according to a
country’s total nanotechnology publications in 1998. For
example, in 1998 USA produced 25.99% of the total
nanotechnology publications. The right column in Table
1 shows ranking according to a country’s representation
on most highly cited papers. For example, USA was represented
on 58.8% of the 500 most highly cited nanotechnology
papers published in 1998.
Table 1. Country distributions – Overall records/500 most cited
records (1998)
Country rank by most cited
Country rank by total publications records (121 cites min)
Country Percentage Country Percentage
USA 25.99 USA 58.80
Japan 15.72 Germany 12.20
Germany 13.72 Japan 9.60
France 7.73 France 8.00
England 6.93 England 7.80
P. R. China 6.10 Switzerland 4.20
Russia 4.87 The Netherlands 3.20
Italy 3.89 Canada 2.40
Spain 3.02 Israel 2.40
South Korea 2.96 Italy 2.20
Canada 2.81 Sweden 1.80
Switzerland 2.44 Spain 1.60
India 2.31 Australia 1.40
Sweden 2.13 P. R. China 1.40
The Netherlands 1.88 Austria 1.20
Poland 1.68 India 1.00
Taiwan 1.63 Russia 1.00
Australia 1.52 Denmark 0.80
Belgium 1.32 Ireland 0.80
Israel 1.27 Belgium 0.60
Brazil 1.20 Brazil 0.40
Denmark 0.94 Finland 0.40
Austria 0.89 Hong Kong 0.40
Ukraine 0.78 Hungary 0.40
Scotland 0.76 Scotland 0.40
Mexico 0.71 South Korea 0.40
Czech Republic 0.69 Croatia 0.20
Finland 0.67 Czech Republic 0.20
Hong Kong 0.66 North Ireland 0.20
Hungary 0.65 Norway 0.20
Singapore 0.65 Poland 0.20
Thus USA was both the most prolific nanotechnology
publishing country and most represented country on
highly cited nanotechnology papers for 1998. Its ratio of
per cent representation on most highly cited nanotechnology
papers to per cent of total nanotechnology publications
(ratio = 58.80/25.99) was 2.26. A ratio greater than one
indicates that a country has higher representation on most
cited papers than would be expected from its publications
alone. A ratio less than one indicates that a country has
lower representation. A ratio of 2.26 for USA indicates
that the country’s representation on most highly cited records
is 2.26 times what would be expected based on
nanotechnology publications alone.
None of the other producers has ratios approaching that
of USA (for 1998 publications), and only some of the
smaller hi-tech countries (Switzerland, the Netherlands,
Israel) had ratios that only remotely approach that of USA.
Table 2. Country distributions – Overall records/500 most cited
records (2002)
Country rank by most cited
Country rank by total publications (80 cites min)
Country Percentage Country Percentage
USA 24.02 USA 58.20
Japan 15.09 Germany 11.40
P. R. China 11.62 Japan 8.40
Germany 11.55 England 6.20
France 7.43 P. R. China 5.80
England 5.86 France 5.40
Russia 4.83 South Korea 3.80
South Korea 4.45 Switzerland 3.40
Italy 3.92 Canada 2.80
Spain 3.09 The Netherlands 2.20
India 2.89 Italy 2.00
Canada 2.40 Spain 2.00
Taiwan 2.18 Sweden 2.00
Sweden 2.05 Finland 1.40
Poland 1.92 Belgium 1.20
Brazil 1.91 Brazil 1.20
Switzerland 1.80 Denmark 1.20
The Netherlands 1.77 Russia 1.20
Australia 1.54 Australia 1.00
Belgium 1.26 Austria 1.00
Israel 1.25 Israel 1.00
Singapore 1.22 Scotland 0.80
Austria 1.02 Singapore 0.80
Ukraine 0.99 Taiwan 0.60
Mexico 0.81 India 0.40
Scotland 0.78 Ireland 0.40
Czech Republic 0.78 Portugal 0.40
Finland 0.73 Argentina 0.20
Denmark 0.69 Czech Republic 0.20
Portugal 0.62 Greece 0.20
Hungary 0.59 Hungary 0.20
Greece 0.56 Lithuania 0.20
Turkey 0.51 Mexico 0.20
Argentina 0.46 Poland 0.20
Romania 0.45 Slovenia 0.20
Bulgaria 0.31 Turkey 0.20
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CURRENT SCIENCE, 1498 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
Countries that have exhibited rapid growth in SCI/SSCI
nanotechnology paper production in recent years (e.g.
China, South Korea) have ratios an order of magnitude
less than that of USA (for 1998).
Table 2 shows the same type and structure of data as
Table 1, but for 2002. The USA remains dominant in nanotechnology
publications and representation on most
highly cited nanotechnology papers, with a ratio of 2.42.
A few of the smaller Central/Northern European countries
(Switzerland, Finland, Denmark) have ratios on the
order of two, and form the second ratio tier after the
USA. Norway, the third member of the small Scandanavian
countries, has about 1/3 the publications of Finland/
Denmark, and has no representation on the 500 most
cited papers list, in line with its relatively poor citation
performance shown in our Finland country assessment
study5.
A number of countries retain the same ratio as in 1998
(within 10%), including the USA, Germany, Japan, England,
Switzerland, Italy and Spain. China’s ratio doubled to
about 0.5, placing it on parity with Japan, Italy and Spain
for this metric. In a recent study by the first author6, it
was shown that China’s growth of papers in high impact
factor journals was faster than its rate of overall publication
growth, and that conclusion may be reflecting itself
in the present numbers. South Korea’s ratio jumped even
more dramatically from 1998. Russia’s, Taiwan’s and
Poland’s ratios remain low, and India’s ratio decreased
substantially to join this latter group for 2002.
1. SCI, 2006, Certain data included herein are derived from the Science
Citation Index/Social Science Citation Index prepared by the
THOMSON SCIENTIFIC® Inc. (Thomson®), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
USA; ©Copyright THOMSON SCIENTIFIC® 2006. All
rights reserved.
2. Kostoff, R. N., Stump, J. A., Johnson, D., Murday, J. S., Lau, C. G.
Y. and Tolles, W. M., The structure and infrastructure of the global
nanotechnology literature. J. Nanopart. Res., 2006, 8, 301–321.
3. Kostoff, R. N., Murday, J. S., Lau, C. G. Y. and Tolles, W. M., The
seminal literature of global nanotechnology research. J. Nanopart.
Res., 2006, 8, 193–213.
4. Kostoff, R. N., Koytcheff, R. G. and Lau, C. G. Y., Structure of the
global nanoscience and nanotechnology research literature. DTIC
Technical Report (http://www.dtic.mil/). Defense Technical Information
Center, Fort Belvoir, VA, USA, 2007.
5. Kostoff, R. N., Tshiteya, R., Bowles, C. A. and Tuunanen, T., The
structure and infrastructure of the finish research literature. Technol.
Anal. Strategic Manage., 2006, 18, 187–220.
6. Kostoff, R. N., Briggs, M. B., Rushenberg, R., Bowles, C. and
Pecht, M., The structure and infrastructure of Chinese science and
technology. DTIC Technical Report (http://www.dtic.mil/). Defense
Technical Information Center, Fort Belvoir, VA, USA, 2006.
Received 1 February 2007; revised accepted 16 February 2007
CURRENT SCIENCE, 1492 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
†The views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors, and
do not represent those of the Department of the Navy or any of its
components, or the Institute for Defense Analyses.
Ronald N. Kostoff and Raymond G. Koytcheff are in the Office of
Naval Research, 875 N. Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22217, USA
and Clifford G. Y. Lau is in the Institute for Defense Analyses, 4850
Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22311, USA.
*For correspondence. (e-mail: kostofr@onr.navy.mil)
Global nanotechnology research literature
overview†
Ronald N. Kostoff *, Raymond G. Koytcheff and Clifford G. Y. Lau
Text mining was used to extract technical intelligence from the open source global nanotechnology
and nanoscience research literature (SCI/SSCI databases). The following were identified: (i) the
nanotechnology/nanoscience research literature infrastructure (prolific authors, key journals/
institutions/countries, most cited authors/journals/documents); (ii) the technical structure (pervasive
technical thrusts and their inter-relationships); (iii) nanotechnology instruments and their relationships;
(iv) potential nanotechnology applications; (v) potential health impacts and applications,
and (vi) seminal nanotechnology literature. The results are summarized in this article.
Keywords: Bibliometrics, document clustering, nanoparticle, nanotechnology, nanotube, text mining.
NANOTECHNOLOGY is booming! In the global fundamental
nanotechnology research literature as represented by the
Science Citation Index/Social Science Citation Index (SCI/
SSCI)1, global nanotechnology publications have grown
dramatically in the last two decades.
Due to this exponential growth of the global nanotechnology
open literature, there is a need for gaining an
integrated quantitative perspective on the state of this literature.
In 2003–05, a comprehensive text-mining study
was performed to survey the technical structure and infrastructure
of the global nanotechnology research literature,
as well as the seminal nanotechnology literature2,3. Based
on the wide-scale interest generated by these reports, it
was decided to update and expand the study using more recent
data, a much more comprehensive query and more
sophisticated analytical tools.
In the updated study, text mining was used to extract
technical intelligence from the open source global nanotechnology
and nanoscience research literature (SCI/SSCI
databases). The following were identified: (i) the nanotechnology/
nanoscience research literature infrastructure
(prolific authors, key journals/institutions/countries, most
cited authors/journals/documents); (ii) the technical structure
(pervasive technical thrusts and their inter-relationships);
(iii) nanotechnology instruments and their relationships;
(iv) potential nanotechnology applications; (v)
potential health impacts and applications, and (vi) seminal
nanotechnology literature. The results are summarized in
this article. A more detailed report on the results and
methodologies of this updated study can be found in
Kostoff et al.4.
This article is an overview of the highlights of the total
study, including the production efficiency of seminal
nanotechnology documents. The results are divided into
four main sections: Infrastructure, Technical structure,
Instrumentation and Applications. The Applications section
is further divided into non-medical and medical. The
results will be presented in the order listed above. Next,
the seminal nanotechnology literature production efficiency
will be presented.
Infrastructure describes the performers of nanoscience/
nanotechnology research at different levels, ranging from
individual to national performers, and it includes archived
literature as well. Technical structure identifies the pervasive
technical thrusts (and their inter-relationships) of the
nanoscience/nanotechnology literature. Instrumentation
provides both infrastructure and technical structure of the
subset of the nanoscience/nanotechnology literature that
addresses specific instruments. Applications provides the
infrastructure and taxonomy of the subset of the nanoscience/
nanotechnology literature that addresses specific
non-medical and medical applications.
Approach
An extensive nanotechnology/nanoscience-focused query
(300 + terms) was applied to the SCI/SSCI database. The
nanotechnology/nanoscience research literature technical
structure (taxonomy) was obtained using computational
linguistics, especially document clustering. The nanotechnology/
nanoscience research literature infrastructure
(prolific authors, key journals/institutions/countries, most
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CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007 1493
cited authors/journals/documents) for each of the clusters
generated by the document clustering algorithm was obtained
using bibliometrics.
The instrumentation literature associated with nanoscience
and nanotechnology research was examined. About
65,000 nanotechnology records for 2005 were retrieved
from the SCI/SSCI, and ~27,000 of these were identified
as instrumentation-related. All the diverse instruments
were identified and their associated documents categorized
in a hierarchical taxonomy. Metrics associated with
research literature for specific instruments/instrument groups
were generated.
The applications literature associated with nanoscience
and nanotechnology research was examined. Through visual
inspection of 60,000 of the abstract phrases of the same
downloaded 2005 records, all the diverse non-medical
applications were identified and their associated documents
categorized in a hierarchical taxonomy. Metrics associated
with research literature for specific applications/applications
groups were generated.
For medical applications, a fuzzy clustering algorithm
(where a record could be assigned to multiple clusters) was
applied to the downloaded 2005 records. A sub-network
that encompassed all the medical applications was identified.
Again, metrics associated with research literature for
specific medical applications were generated.
Results
Infrastructure
Country publications:
· Global nanotechnology research article production
exhibited exponential growth for more than a decade
(Figure 1).
· The most rapid growth over that time period came
from East Asian nations, notably China and South Korea
(Figure 2).
Figure 1. SCI/SSCI articles vs time: total records retrieved.
· Some of this apparent rapid growth (in China, for
example) is partially due to (i) a country’s researchers
publishing a non-negligible fraction of total papers in
domestic low impact factor journals, and (ii) these
journals being accessed recently by the SCI/SSCI, rather
than due to growth based on increased sponsorship or
productivity.
· China’s representation in high impact factor journals
· From 1998 to 2002, China’s ratio of high impact nanotechnology
papers to total nanotechnology papers
doubled, placing the country at parity for this metric
with the advanced nations of Japan, Italy and Spain.
· The US remained the leader in aggregate nanotechnology
research article production.
· In some selected nanotechnology sub-areas, China had
achieved parity or taken the lead (see Figure 3 for the
nanocomposites example).
Figure 2. Country comparison time trend (number of articles vs time).
Figure 3. Number of papers containing ‘nanocomposite’*.
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CURRENT SCIENCE, 1494 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
· South Korea started even further behind China in both
total nanotechnology publications and highly cited
papers, but has advanced rapidly to become a secondtier
contender in total and highly cited papers.
Country citations:
· There was a clear distinction between the publication
practices of the three most prolific Western nations
(USA, Germany, UK) and the three most prolific East
Asian nations (China, Japan, South Korea). The Western
nations published in journals with almost twice the
weighted average impact factors of the East Asian nations.
Much of the difference stems from the East Asian
nations publishing a non-negligible amount in domestic
low impact factor journals, while the Western nations
publish in higher impact factor international journals.
· Two countries that led in production of the most cited
nanotechnology papers were the US (126) and Germany
(31). They accounted for 40% of the most cited
nanotechnology papers.
· The high paper volume production East Asian countries
of China and South Korea accounted for 2% of the
most cited nanotechnology papers.
· Despite the increased paper productivity from East
Asian countries, the US continued to generate the most
cited nanotechnology papers.
Technical structure
The total retrieved nanotechnology database for 2005 was
examined from four perspectives to identify pervasive
thematic thrusts: document clustering, autocorrelation mapping,
factor analysis and cross-correlation mapping. Each
perspective provided valuable insights on the fundamental
nanotechnology literature structure. Only document clustering
results are presented here.
Document clustering: The database was divided into
256 thematic clusters by the clustering algorithm. USA
produced most papers in 169 thrusts, China led in 70, Japan
led in 15, and India, South Korea and Spain each led in
one.
A hierarchical taxonomy was constructed from these
256 elemental clusters. Of the sixteen fourth-level categories
in taxonomy, China was the publication leader in six.
Specifically, China led in: Properties of thin films; Diamond
films; Applications of carbon nanotubes; Multiwalled
nanotubes; Nanomaterials and nanoparticles, and
Polymers, composites and metal complexes (Figure 4;
categories with solid shading denote publication lead by
China, and those with vertical lines and shading denote
publication lead by Japan. Light shading means category
leader has 100–125% of the USA publications; medium
shading 125–150%; dark shading >150%). Essentially,
China led in the materials and nanostructures component
of the database, whereas USA led in the physical science
phenomena and biomedical components.
Instrumentation
A wide variety of instruments are used in nanoscience
and nanotechnology research. Key among these are X-ray
diffraction (XRD), electron microscope variants, atomic
force microscopy, scanning tunnelling microscopy and
spectroscopy variants.
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4
Quantum phenomena Quantum dots (2028 records)
(3326 records) Quantum wells, Wires, and States (1298
records)
Optics and Electronics (16,432 records)
Quantum phenomena,
Optics, Electronics,
Magnetism, and Tribology
(26,077 records) Optics, Electronics, Magnetism, and
Tribology (22,751 records) Magnetism and Tribology (6319 records)
Thin films (4760 records) Properties of thin films (2251 records)
Applications of thin films (2509 records)
Deposition of thin films (1752 records)
Quantum phenomena,
Optics,
Electronics,
Magnetism,
Tribology, and
Films (32,983
records)
Films (6906 records)
Deposition of films (2146 records)
Diamond films (394 records)
Applications of carbon nanotubes (474
records)
Multi-walled nanotubes
(2350 records)
Multi-walled nanotubes (1876 records)
Single- and double-walled nanotubes (447
records)
Nanotubes (3211 records)
Single-walled nanotubes
(861 records)
Single-walled nanotubes (414 records)
Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles, Poly- Nanomaterials and Nanoparticles (14,263 records)
mers, Composites, and Metal complexes
(22,686 records)
Polymers, Composites, and Metal Complexes
(8423 records)
DNA (775 records)
Nanotubes, Nanomaterials,
Nanoparticles,
Polymers,
Composites, Metal
complexes, and
Bionanotechnology
(31,742 records) Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles,
Polymers, Composites,
Metal complexes, and Bionanotechnology
(28,531
records)
Bionanotechnology (5845 records)
Proteins and Cellular components (5070 records)
Figure 4. Four-level hierarchical taxonomy.
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CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007 1495
NMR, Complexes, Com- NMR, Spectroscopy (306)
pounds (1546) NMR, Complexes, Compounds (1240)
DSC (1138)
NMR, RS,
Calorimetry
(4684) RS, Calorimetry
(3138) Raman scattering, RS, AFM
(2000)
AFM, Films, Tip, Imaging AFM, Film, Tip, Imaging (1055)
(2003) AFM, Film, Substrate, Deposit (948)
AFM, Film, Deposit, Substrate, Growth (1511)
AFM,
NMR,
Calorimetry
(8423)
AFM (3739)
AFM, Films, Deposition,
Growth, Substrate (1736) AFM, Magnetic (226)
TEM (2545) HRTEM (296)
TEM (2249)
SEM, Film, Particle, Cell (1652)
EM (4492)
SEM, Films, Composites,
Particles, Cells (1947) SEM, IS (295)
SEM, XRD, Films, SEM, XRD (1451)
Coatings, Composites
(3634)
SEM, Film, Coating, Deposit, XRD (2183)
TEM, Film, Particle, Nanoparticle, STM (5986)
EM, XRD
(19,090)
XRD, Films
(14,598)
XRD, TEM, Thin films
(10,964) Film, XRD, XPS (4978)
Figure 5. Nanotechnology instrumentation taxonomy. AFM, Atomic Force Microscopy; NMR, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance;
EM, Electron Microscopy; XRD, X-Ray Diffraction; RS, Raman Spectroscopy; TEM, Transmission Electron
Microscopy; HRTEM, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy; SEM, Scanning Electron Microscopy; DSC,
Differential Scanning Calorimetry; IS, Infrared Spectroscopy, and STM, Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy.
Instrument taxonomy: Hierarchical taxonomy offered the
following insights:
· In this nanotechnology instrumentation study, China
produced about 25% more papers than the USA (Figure 5;
shading represents China’s publication leadership;
darker shading represents stronger publication leadership).
By contrast, in the full nanotechnology study,
USA produced about 25% more papers than China.
· Much of China’s over-production occurred in the XRDrelated
categories, but there was some over-production
in transmission electron microscopy and NMR and
calorimetry-related categories as well.
· The US dominance was in atomic force microscopy.
· Because of the large Chinese and South Korean contributions
to the nanotechnology instrumentation literature,
author-name analysis at aggregate levels was
not effective; Asian names are usually monosyllable,
many times with no middle names. Due to the relatively
high frequency of paper publications, there is good
possibility that the same last name represents multiple
authors. Potential name disambiguation is under study.
· Even though USA has a large presence overall, relatively
few US institutions were listed among the most
prolific in the nanotechnology instrumentation papers.
The Asian and European efforts appeared concentrated
in relatively few but large institutions.
Applications
The study also identified the main nanotechnology applications,
both medical and non-medical, as well as the related
science and infrastructure. These relationships will
allow the potential user-communities to become involved
with the applications-related science and performers at
the earliest stages, to help guide the science conversion
towards specific user needs most efficiently.
Non-medical applications: Applications thrust areas –
Factor analysis.
Factor analyses were performed to show the thematic
areas in non-medical applications. A six-factor analysis
showed the following themes:
· Factor 1: Optoelectronics
· Factor 2: Tribology
· Factor 3: Lithography
· Factor 4: Control systems
· Factor 5: Devices
· Factor 6: Microsystems.
Applications thrust areas – Factor analysis and visual inspection.
The main non-medical applications thrust areas identified
above were augmented by important but non-networked
thrusts, and the nine resulting themes were related to science
and infrastructure by co-occurrence matrices. Also,
the total non-medical applications was combined into one
unit, and related to science and infrastructure by cooccurrence
matrices. For non-medical applications:
· USA led in total non-medical applications publications
and in six out of nine themes in high-tech research
areas such as devices, sensors and lithography.
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CURRENT SCIENCE, 1496 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
China led in publications in three traditional areas: catalysis,
tribology and electrochemistry.
· In total non-medical applications, two of the top three
institutions were Chinese. However, USA was well
represented by the large State University systems of
the University of California and University of Illinois.
· The journal Applied Physics Letters appeared in the top
layer in seven of the nine themes and was by far the
leader in total non-medical applications publications.
Journal of Physical Chemistry B appeared in four of
the nine themes, as also Journal of Applied Physics.
Medical applications: Applications thrust areas –
Visual inspection/fuzzy clustering.
A medical applications categorization constructed from
visual inspection of the detailed fuzzy clustering categories
showed five broad thematic categories:
· Cancer treatment
· Sensing and detection
· Cells
· Proteins
· DNA.
Applications thrust areas – Fuzzy clustering.
For medical applications, analysis of nineteen thematic
categories obtained from fuzzy clustering of the total
2005 nanotechnology database revealed the following:
· USA was the publication leader in total health types,
and in all the thematic areas as well, mostly by a wide
margin. China was the second most prolific in seven
thematic areas, Japan in six, Germany in four and
England in two.
· The University of California system led in five clusters,
the Chinese Academy of Science led in four, and the
National University of Singapore led in three. The
University of California and the Chinese Academy of
Science were the most prolific in the non-medical applications
as well, but their orders were reversed. The
National University of Singapore was a prolific contributor,
especially in pharmaceuticals and biomaterials.
· The journal Langmuir contained the most nanotechnology
articles in total health, and was in the top layer of
ten of nineteen themes. The only journals in common
in the top layers of applications and health were Langmuir
and Journal of Physical Chemistry B.
Production efficiency of global nanotechnology
literature
The global nanotechnology research literature has two
main components: spatial and temporal. The spatial component
covers present-day nanotechnology research being
conducted globally. The temporal component reflects the
impact that vintage literature has had on modern-day
nanotechnology research.
Both the temporal and spatial components need to be
understood for full comprehension of global nanotechnology
research, and for the establishment of strategic
nanotechnology policy. Assessment tools and processes
have advanced sufficiently to allow an integrated picture
of nanotechnology to be obtained.
The summary material presented earlier concentrates
on the spatial component. The remainder of this article
will concentrate on one aspect of temporal component,
production efficiency of the seminal nanotechnology literature.
All the nanotechnology documents published between
1991 and 2005 were downloaded. Then, the subset with
the highest number of citations was extracted, and a text
mining analysis of that subset was performed to obtain
the characteristics of the most cited nanotechnology documents4.
Following this, the relationship between document
production and seminal paper production for
countries was identified.
Relation of seminal nanotechnology document production
to total nanotechnology document production: There is
a substantial value in understanding the efficiency of seminal
nanotechnology document production, i.e. the ratio of
seminal nanotechnology documents produced to over-all
nanotechnology documents produced. The present short
section addresses some methods for arriving at this ratio.
Citations (and publications) for nanotechnology documents
published in two specific years were examined.
The purpose was to obtain some time trend data as well
as better statistics than one year’s data could provide. All
nanotechnology documents for 1998 and 2002 were retrieved
and analysed. These years were selected to be as
close to the present as possible, in order to insure currency
of findings, yet sufficiently vintaged to insure accumulation
of adequate citations.
Normalized country production of seminal nanotechnology
papers: The main nanotechnology query in this
study4 was used to retrieve documents from the SCI/SSCI
for 1998 and 2002. Distribution of number of publications
among institutions and countries was generated using
the Analyze function of the SCI search engine. Then, the
publications for each year were ordered according to
Time cited. The most highly cited publications were extracted,
and the country and institution distributions for
those documents were generated. The country and institution
publication distributions were then compared to the
citation distributions. This allowed identification of countries
whose citation fractions were greater than their publication
fractions (and thus were producing highly cited
papers more efficiently than their publication statistics
would predict).
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CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007 1497
A central issue was how one defines most highly cited
papers. Are these seminal papers the top 10, top 100 or
top 1%? Because of the discrete choice imposed by the
Analyze function at present, results for the top 100, 250
and 500 documents were examined parametrically. While
some re-ordering occurred, countries producing seminal
documents were plainly evident at the top of the list.
Therefore, results using the 500 most cited documents
(about 1% of the total documents retrieved for 2002, and
about 1.5% of the total documents retrieved for 1998) are
presented.
Table 1 shows the country distributions for 1998. The
left column in Table 1 shows ranking according to a
country’s total nanotechnology publications in 1998. For
example, in 1998 USA produced 25.99% of the total
nanotechnology publications. The right column in Table
1 shows ranking according to a country’s representation
on most highly cited papers. For example, USA was represented
on 58.8% of the 500 most highly cited nanotechnology
papers published in 1998.
Table 1. Country distributions – Overall records/500 most cited
records (1998)
Country rank by most cited
Country rank by total publications records (121 cites min)
Country Percentage Country Percentage
USA 25.99 USA 58.80
Japan 15.72 Germany 12.20
Germany 13.72 Japan 9.60
France 7.73 France 8.00
England 6.93 England 7.80
P. R. China 6.10 Switzerland 4.20
Russia 4.87 The Netherlands 3.20
Italy 3.89 Canada 2.40
Spain 3.02 Israel 2.40
South Korea 2.96 Italy 2.20
Canada 2.81 Sweden 1.80
Switzerland 2.44 Spain 1.60
India 2.31 Australia 1.40
Sweden 2.13 P. R. China 1.40
The Netherlands 1.88 Austria 1.20
Poland 1.68 India 1.00
Taiwan 1.63 Russia 1.00
Australia 1.52 Denmark 0.80
Belgium 1.32 Ireland 0.80
Israel 1.27 Belgium 0.60
Brazil 1.20 Brazil 0.40
Denmark 0.94 Finland 0.40
Austria 0.89 Hong Kong 0.40
Ukraine 0.78 Hungary 0.40
Scotland 0.76 Scotland 0.40
Mexico 0.71 South Korea 0.40
Czech Republic 0.69 Croatia 0.20
Finland 0.67 Czech Republic 0.20
Hong Kong 0.66 North Ireland 0.20
Hungary 0.65 Norway 0.20
Singapore 0.65 Poland 0.20
Thus USA was both the most prolific nanotechnology
publishing country and most represented country on
highly cited nanotechnology papers for 1998. Its ratio of
per cent representation on most highly cited nanotechnology
papers to per cent of total nanotechnology publications
(ratio = 58.80/25.99) was 2.26. A ratio greater than one
indicates that a country has higher representation on most
cited papers than would be expected from its publications
alone. A ratio less than one indicates that a country has
lower representation. A ratio of 2.26 for USA indicates
that the country’s representation on most highly cited records
is 2.26 times what would be expected based on
nanotechnology publications alone.
None of the other producers has ratios approaching that
of USA (for 1998 publications), and only some of the
smaller hi-tech countries (Switzerland, the Netherlands,
Israel) had ratios that only remotely approach that of USA.
Table 2. Country distributions – Overall records/500 most cited
records (2002)
Country rank by most cited
Country rank by total publications (80 cites min)
Country Percentage Country Percentage
USA 24.02 USA 58.20
Japan 15.09 Germany 11.40
P. R. China 11.62 Japan 8.40
Germany 11.55 England 6.20
France 7.43 P. R. China 5.80
England 5.86 France 5.40
Russia 4.83 South Korea 3.80
South Korea 4.45 Switzerland 3.40
Italy 3.92 Canada 2.80
Spain 3.09 The Netherlands 2.20
India 2.89 Italy 2.00
Canada 2.40 Spain 2.00
Taiwan 2.18 Sweden 2.00
Sweden 2.05 Finland 1.40
Poland 1.92 Belgium 1.20
Brazil 1.91 Brazil 1.20
Switzerland 1.80 Denmark 1.20
The Netherlands 1.77 Russia 1.20
Australia 1.54 Australia 1.00
Belgium 1.26 Austria 1.00
Israel 1.25 Israel 1.00
Singapore 1.22 Scotland 0.80
Austria 1.02 Singapore 0.80
Ukraine 0.99 Taiwan 0.60
Mexico 0.81 India 0.40
Scotland 0.78 Ireland 0.40
Czech Republic 0.78 Portugal 0.40
Finland 0.73 Argentina 0.20
Denmark 0.69 Czech Republic 0.20
Portugal 0.62 Greece 0.20
Hungary 0.59 Hungary 0.20
Greece 0.56 Lithuania 0.20
Turkey 0.51 Mexico 0.20
Argentina 0.46 Poland 0.20
Romania 0.45 Slovenia 0.20
Bulgaria 0.31 Turkey 0.20
GENERAL ARTICLES
CURRENT SCIENCE, 1498 VOL. 92, NO. 11, 10 JUNE 2007
Countries that have exhibited rapid growth in SCI/SSCI
nanotechnology paper production in recent years (e.g.
China, South Korea) have ratios an order of magnitude
less than that of USA (for 1998).
Table 2 shows the same type and structure of data as
Table 1, but for 2002. The USA remains dominant in nanotechnology
publications and representation on most
highly cited nanotechnology papers, with a ratio of 2.42.
A few of the smaller Central/Northern European countries
(Switzerland, Finland, Denmark) have ratios on the
order of two, and form the second ratio tier after the
USA. Norway, the third member of the small Scandanavian
countries, has about 1/3 the publications of Finland/
Denmark, and has no representation on the 500 most
cited papers list, in line with its relatively poor citation
performance shown in our Finland country assessment
study5.
A number of countries retain the same ratio as in 1998
(within 10%), including the USA, Germany, Japan, England,
Switzerland, Italy and Spain. China’s ratio doubled to
about 0.5, placing it on parity with Japan, Italy and Spain
for this metric. In a recent study by the first author6, it
was shown that China’s growth of papers in high impact
factor journals was faster than its rate of overall publication
growth, and that conclusion may be reflecting itself
in the present numbers. South Korea’s ratio jumped even
more dramatically from 1998. Russia’s, Taiwan’s and
Poland’s ratios remain low, and India’s ratio decreased
substantially to join this latter group for 2002.
1. SCI, 2006, Certain data included herein are derived from the Science
Citation Index/Social Science Citation Index prepared by the
THOMSON SCIENTIFIC® Inc. (Thomson®), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
USA; ©Copyright THOMSON SCIENTIFIC® 2006. All
rights reserved.
2. Kostoff, R. N., Stump, J. A., Johnson, D., Murday, J. S., Lau, C. G.
Y. and Tolles, W. M., The structure and infrastructure of the global
nanotechnology literature. J. Nanopart. Res., 2006, 8, 301–321.
3. Kostoff, R. N., Murday, J. S., Lau, C. G. Y. and Tolles, W. M., The
seminal literature of global nanotechnology research. J. Nanopart.
Res., 2006, 8, 193–213.
4. Kostoff, R. N., Koytcheff, R. G. and Lau, C. G. Y., Structure of the
global nanoscience and nanotechnology research literature. DTIC
Technical Report (http://www.dtic.mil/). Defense Technical Information
Center, Fort Belvoir, VA, USA, 2007.
5. Kostoff, R. N., Tshiteya, R., Bowles, C. A. and Tuunanen, T., The
structure and infrastructure of the finish research literature. Technol.
Anal. Strategic Manage., 2006, 18, 187–220.
6. Kostoff, R. N., Briggs, M. B., Rushenberg, R., Bowles, C. and
Pecht, M., The structure and infrastructure of Chinese science and
technology. DTIC Technical Report (http://www.dtic.mil/). Defense
Technical Information Center, Fort Belvoir, VA, USA, 2006.
Received 1 February 2007; revised accepted 16 February 2007
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