Nanopatterning and nanomaterials: an integrated top down - bottom up approach to nanofabrication

大自然有能力制造出比人类所能达到的更精细的结构。例如，冬日里出现在一扇玻璃窗上的霜的复杂图案，是通过水分子和玻璃表面之间的微妙相互作用而自我组装起来的。同样，在我们的实验室里，我们引导自然界制造出比传统方法薄一百倍的金属线（纳米线）。我们的实验室，沿着与世界各地的许多其他实验室一起，已经开发出许多具有独特电子特性的纳米材料。问题是如何将这些材料构建成电路或设备，或者如何将电子世界与我们的宏观世界连接起来。

Nature has the ability to produce structures that are finer in detail than the reach of humankind. For example the elaborate pattern of frost that appears on a single pane window on a winter's day self-assembles through the subtle interactions between water molecules and the glass surface. Similarly, in our lab, we guide nature to make metallic wires (nanowires) that are a hundred times thinner than what is possible by conventional means. Our lab, along with many others world wide, have developed many of these nanomaterials that have unique electronic properties. The question is how to build these materials into circuits or devices, or how to electrically interface the nanoworld with our macro world.