We are all familiar with batteries but not all of us are familiar with microbatteries. The nomenclature says it all -- a microbattery is a very small battery. It will still power things, but is made on a much smaller scale. In addition, the amount of power one can get out of a microbattery is usually significantly less than larger batteries.
This is because batteries still operate in the same general fashion as they did when they were first invented: that is, there's a chemical reaction that loosens up electrons that can be used to power things. Airplanes have gone from propellers to jet engines; computers from tapes, cards and vacuum tubes to microchips; communications from copper to fiber optics to wireless. But, although different chemistries have helped performance to some degree, batteries have stayed pretty much the same.
By some definitions, Enable IPC Corporation may be considered a "nanotechnology" company -- that is, we use nanoparticles and nanowires in our microbattery technology.
In our view, nanotechnology refers to research and manufacturing methods. The term comes from the size of the components one is dealing with: a nanometer is a billionth of a meter and tens of thousands of times thinner than a human hair.
We are also convinced that nanotechnology, as a manufacturing method, represents a new industrial revolution. There's a lot of hype surrounding it, and there will be some who will use the terminology for purposes that may not be legitimate (think "dot com"). But, in reality, it is affecting a variety of areas as diverse as tennis balls and medicine. We suspect that, one day, it will have something to do with just about everything people use or consume.
We're not alone in that assessment. Governments and industries all over the world (including the United States) seem to agree and are putting up enormous amounts of money for research.
So, specifically how does it work, where have we been and where are we going with nanotechnology? We have made an attempt to provide some information in our paper "Nanotechnology: The Next Industrial Revolution".
For your reading enjoyment . . .
We have given multiple presentations on these topics at conferences, universities and schools.
If you would like us to present at your school or function,
