How nanotechnology is different from other technology?

Answer 1

Nanotechnology refers to the size scale of the items worked with. In the semiconductor industry, the devices fabricated have feature sizes in the nanometer regime. The gate length of a MOS transistor, for example, can be on the order of 10-20nm.

In nanotechnology for the semiconductor industry, quantum physics starts to play a huge role in the devices. This must be taken into account when shrinking down size scales, but can also be exploited for some really neat devices and engineering techniques.

Answer 2

The main difference bettween nano-technology from other technology is that, while other forms of tech has to do with macro elements or matter we can see, feel or touch, nano technology is technology on an entirely different scale. This is atomic level technology which I believe is one of the greatest human achievements. Imagine all the things around you that you can interact with right now. Maybe your phone, shirt, car, shoes, etc. You can use them but after some time they get old and become unusable. These things are all made up of invisible properties called atoms. Billions of atoms are arrange together to form a physical matter or thing. But what if we are able to bring technology to a much more smaller or atomic scale where we are able to manipulate these atoms? The ability to manipulate or control atomic properties is what differentiate nano-technology from other forms of technologies. The world "nano" denotes something invisible to the naked eys. The opposite of course is "macro" technology, which is the other technology we know. So, imagine beinging able to manipulate atoms. That means we will be able to arrange millions of atoms in a way that we can create things that can interact with our atomic environment. For example, nano technology can be used to treat cancer. It is also used for solar panels and the possibilities are endless.