CSEM Scientific and Technical Report 2008

NANOTECHNOLOGY & LIFE SCIENCES
Harry Heinzelmann
Micro- and Nano- technology (MNT) play an important role in
the development of modern products. Both these technologies
are vertical in nature, and thus find applications in a wide
variety of markets.
Many components developed from nanotechnology
components need a microtechnological interface to the real
world. On the other hand, the micron scale extends logically to
even smaller dimensions in the form of nanotechnology. Both
technologies, micro- and nanotechnology are thus
complimentary in a natural way.
But there is more to it than mere complementarity and the
extension of miniaturization: on the nanometer scale, new
effects become visible and it is one of the central motivations
of nanotechnology to understand and control these effects,
and ultimately to make them useful.
In the R&D activities presented in this chapter, numerous
examples are given where exactly this is done: control and
valorization of new effects with the help of micro- and
nanotechnology. An interdisciplinary approach has been
chosen in many projects, in order to fully exploit the potential
of nanotechnology.
Microsystems with optical functions (MOEMS) allow for new
solutions for IR lasers or portable IR spectroscopy systems.
On the nanometer scale, metallic structures that support
plasmons can be used to filter, collect or switch light in novel
ways.
Molecular self-assembly is a typical example of a nanoscale
phenomenon with a large potential for applications. It permits
the control of surface properties (similar to e.g. the Lotus
effect), the design of new porous materials that can be
functionalized for biological sensing, and is the basis of novel
methods for the precise machining of nanostructures by
silicon technology.
The study of complete biological systems such as cells
becomes increasingly important in life science. MNT allow the
development of unique tools that support this type of research,
e.g. to understand the adhesion of cells to their substrates, to
manipulate cells in a controlled manner and to generate
environments that promote tissue regeneration.
Nanotechnology gives us a molecular level control of
biological and chemical sensing processes, and
microtechnology allows nano-scale sensor elements to be
complemented with transducers and other components in
order to develop a complete sensing device. Applications are
numerous, and range from food quality monitoring to drug
detection and to real time monitoring of physiological
parameters of professionals in high risk environments.
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