NANOMANUFACTURING CONSULTING & DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Manufacturing at the nanoscale is known as nanomanufacturing, and involves scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials, structures, devices, and systems. It also includes design, development, and integration of top-down processes and increasingly complex bottom-up or self-assembly processes. Nanomanufacturing leads to the production of improved materials and new products. There are two basic approaches to nanomanufacturing, either top-down or bottom-up. Top-down fabrication reduces large pieces of materials all the way down to the nanoscale. This approach requires larger amounts of materials and can lead to waste if excess material is discarded. The bottom-up approach to nanomanufacturing on the other hand creates products by building them up from atomic and molecular scale components. Research is ongoing on the concept of placing certain molecular-scale components together that will spontaneously self-assemble from the bottom up into ordered structures.

 

Some of the processes that enable nanomanufacturing are:

• CVD: Chemical Vapor Deposition is a process in which chemicals react to produce very pure, high-performance films.

• MBE: Molecular Beam Epitaxy is one method for depositing highly controlled thin films.

• ALE: Atomic Layer Epitaxy is a process for depositing one-atom-thick layers on a surface

• Nanoimprint lithography is a process for creating nanoscale features by stamping or printing them onto a surface.

• DPL: Dip Pen Lithography is a process in which the tip of an atomic force microscope is "dipped" into a chemical fluid and then used to "write" on a surface, similar to an ink pen.

• Roll-to-roll processing is a process to produce nanoscale devices on a roll of ultrathin plastic or metal

 

Structures and properties of materials can be improved through nanomanufacturing processes. Such nanomaterials can be stronger, lighter, more durable, scratch-resistant, hydrophobic (water-repellent), hydrophilic (water-liking, easily weting), AR (anti-reflective), self-cleaning, ultraviolet- or infrared-resistant, antifog, electrically conductive, antimicrobial among others. Nanotechnology-enabled products range from baseball bats and tennis rackets to ultrasensitive detection and identification of biological and chemical toxins. 

 

Many other applications of nanotechnology could be reality soon. Nanotechnology holds the potential to exponentially increase information storage capacity; a computer’s entire memory could potentially be able to be stored on a single tiny chip. Nanotechnology will likely enable high-efficiency, low-cost batteries and solar cells.

 

Research and development in nanotechnology, and the eventual nanomanufacturing of products, requires advanced and very expensive equipment and facilities as well as highly trained staff. AGS-Engineering is well positioned to assist you in this new and potentially promising arena. We do have some heavyweight nanotechnology scientists and engineers holding Ph.D’s from some of the best institutions such as University of Stanford, MIT, UC Berkley, UCSD. A short list of technical services we can offer you in the field of nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing are:

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• Nanotechnology tool design & development. Complete nanotechnology capital equipment engineering, design & development, prototype fabrication services. Process tools, modules, chambers, sub-assemblies and materials handling equipment, research and development (R&D tools), product development, manufacturing tools, test equipment.

• Design and development of nanoscale features, nanopowders, nanofibers, nanowires, nanotubes, nanorings, MEMS and NEMS applications, nanoscale lithography.

• Helping clients in designing and modeling in nanotechnology using advanced software tools such as Atomistix Virtual NanoLab. CAD modeling services utilizing SolidWorks and Pro/ENGINEER

• Consulting services on nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing: Nanomaterials preparation, characterization, processing, and assembly, membrane formation, coating formulation of nanowires, nanotechnology evaluation for Angel and Venture Capital Investors

• Custom synthesis of nanomaterials such as nanowire membranes, Li-ion battery cathode materials, carbon and ceramic nanotubes, conductive pastes and inks, metallic nanowires, semiconductor nanowires, ceramic nanowires.

• Contract research

 

MICROMANUFACTURING CONSULTING & DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Micromanufacturing is a step below Nanomanufacturing and involves processes suitable for making tiny devices and products in the micron or microns of dimensions. So we are now in a dimensional realm that is roughly 1000 times larger than nanomanufacturing. Sometimes the overall dimensions of a micromanufactured product may be larger, but we still use this term to refer to the principles and processes that are involved. Micromanufacturing is widely used today to make electronic devices on a chip, MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems), sensors, probes, nonconducting polymer structures, microfluidic devices, micro-optical devices and systems, micro assemblies.…etc. In fact micromanufacturing uses the same and similar technology that is being used today in making microelectronic devices, with the difference that in micromanufacturing our dimensions are much larger as compared to the nanometric features inside microchips. Other techniques such as soft lithography are also used in micromanufacturing. As compared to nanomanufacturing, this is a much more mature field. A variety of manufacturing techniques are being used in micromanufacturing, details of which you can find on our manufacturing site:

http://www.agstech.net/html/micromanufacturing--micromachining-e4.html

 

http://www.agstech.net/html/nano-micromanufacturing-e.html

 

We have senior engineers with background in semiconductor microelectronics, MEMS and microfluidics to provide you services in this field. Once the problem is defined, we can offer unique solutions drawn from many years of micromanufacturing experience of our subject experts.  We can help you:

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• Evaluate ideas for manufacturability

• Select materials and processes

• Design and generate drawings, simulations and design files using software such as Coventor, COMSOL Multiphysics

• Determine tolerances

• Brainstorm solutions, offer consulting services

• Liaise with fabs and produce prototypes & rapid prototypes according to clients timeframe

• Facilitate the transfer from prototyping to production

• Contract micromanufacturing

• Micromanufacturing tools and systems design & development. Complete micromanufacturing capital equipment engineering, design & development, prototype fabrication services. Process tools, modules, chambers, sub-assemblies and materials handling equipment, research and development (R&D tools), product development, manufacturing tools, test equipment installation and service.

• Contract research

• On-site and off-site training

• Expert witness and litigation services in micromanufacturing

 

Rather than designing something that cannot be built, we design for manufacturability from the ground up. We can offer you alternative options and evaluate each path from a technical, manufacturing and economic perspective.

 

MESO-SCALE MANUFACTURING CONSULTING & DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Yet one higher level from micromanufacturing is the realm of Meso-Scale manufacturing. With conventional production techniques we produce macroscale structures that are relatively large and visible to the naked eye. Meso-scale manufacturing however is used to produce components for miniature devices. Meso-scale manufacturing is also referred to as Mesomanufacturing or briefly Meso-Machining. Meso-scale manufacturing is in between and overlaps both macro and micromanufacturing. The definition of mesoscale may vary but generally it is for length scales for processes and materials that are > 100 microns. Examples of meso-scale manufacturing are hearing aids, miniature microphones, stents, very small motors, sensors and detectors…etc. In your meso-scale manufacturing projects we can help you:

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• Evaluate meso-scale ideas for manufacturability

• Select materials and processes suitable for mesomanufacturing

• Design and generate drawings, simulations and design files using software such as Coventor, COMSOL Multiphysics

• Determine tolerances

• Brainstorm solutions, offer consulting services

• Liaise with meso-scale manufacturing facilities we collaborate with and produce prototypes & rapid prototypes according to client’s timeframe

• Facilitate the transfer from prototyping to production

• Contract meso-scale manufacturing

• Meso-scale manufacturing tools and systems design & development. Complete mesomanufacturing capital equipment engineering, design & development, prototype fabrication services. Process tools, modules, chambers, sub-assemblies and materials handling equipment, research and development (R&D tools), product development, manufacturing tools, test equipment installation and service. Our engineers work in Integrated design and simulation software environment for meso-scale machine tool applications with expert system based machine tool design optimization, systematic candidate design generation, and performance evaluation.

• Contract research

• On-site and off-site training

• Expert witness and litigation services in meso-scale manufacturing

 

For our manufacturing capabilities for nano-scale, micro-scale and meso-scale components and products please visit our site http://www.agstech.net