![Top-down approaches have been developed for building structures at the scale of the micrometre …[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]](http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/86/79486-003-057761A8.gif)
Two very different paths are pursued. One is a top-down strategy of miniaturizing current technologies, while the other is a bottom-up strategy of building ever-more-complex molecular devices atom by atom. Top-down approaches are good for producing structures with long-range order and for making macroscopic connections, while bottom-up approaches are best suited for assembly and establishing short-range order at nanoscale dimensions. The integration of top-down and bottom-up techniques is expected to eventually provide the best combination of tools for nanofabrication. Nanotechnology requires new tools for fabrication and measurement.
Examples-from-biological-and-mechanical-realms-illustrate-various-orders-ofExamples from biological and mechanical realms illustrate various “orders of magnitude” …[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
The-structure-of-buckminsterfullereneThe structure of buckminsterfullerene (C60).[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Top-down-approaches-have-been-developed-for-building-structures-atTop-down approaches have been developed for building structures at the scale of the micrometre …[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Phospholipid-molecules-composed-of-fatty-acid-tails-and-a-phosphatePhospholipid molecules, composed of fatty acid “tails” and a phosphate …[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
Coherent-X-ray-diffraction-patterns-such-as-the-one-shownCoherent X-ray diffraction patterns, such as the one shown here of a nanosized metal cube, can be …[Credits : Reprinted by permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd.; Nature, July 6, 2006, vol. 442, …]
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