Nanocomposite materials from theory to application

Abstract

The idea of the limiting size scale of a miniaturized technology is fundamentally interesting, appealing for several reasons. As sizes are limited to the atomic scale, the relevant physical laws change from the classical to the quantummechanical laws of nanophysics. A clear distinction between nanostructures and microstructures is given here arbitrarily using length measurements. Nanostructures are defined according to their geometrical dimensions. This definition addresses technical dimensions, induced by external shaping processes; with the key feature of shaping process, the orientation and the positioning are known in accordance to an external reference system, such as the geometry of a substrate. A narrow definition of nanostructures is that they include structures with at least two dimensions below 100 nm. An extended definition also suggests structures with one dimension below 100 nm and a second dimension below 1 μm. Following this definition, ultrathin layers with lateral submicrometer structure sizes are also considered as nanostructures.