This text provides an introduction, at the level of an advanced student in engineering or physics, to the field of nanomechanics and nanomechanical devices. It provides a unified discussion of solid mechanics, transducer applications, and sources of noise and nonlinearity in such devices. Demonstrated applications of these devices, as well as an introduction to fabrication techniques, are also discussed. The text concludes with an overview of future technologies, including the potential use of carbon nanotubes and other molecular assemblies.

In recent years, nanotechnology is the basis for the development of modern production. This determined the urgency of the intensive development of the new direction of mechanics and nanomechanics, for the scientific description of nanotechnological processes and the solution of several topical nanotechnology problems. Topics included in the book cover a wide range of research in the field of nanomechanics: thermomass theory of nanosystems; deformation of nanomaterials; interface mechanics of assembly carbon nanotube; nanomechanics on surface; molecular interactions and transformations; nanomechanical sensors, nanobeams, and micromembranes; nanostructural organic and inorganic materials; green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. The main goal of these works is the establishment of the nanosystem macroparameter dependence on its nanoparameters using nanomechanics. This book will be useful for engineers, technologists, and researchers interested in methods of nanomechanics and in advanced nanomaterials with complex behavior and their applications.

This book is derived from the proceedings of the International Workshop on Nanomechanics held at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California on July 14-17, 2004. Approximately 70 leading experts from academia, government and industrial sectors in semiconductors, computers, communication, information technology, defense, energy, transportation and aerospace attended the Workshop (see the workshop photo taken on July 16, 2004). The main objective was to convene leading researchers in the nanotechnology community to assess the current state-of-the-art and disseminate recent progress, critical issues, barriers to applications, and directions for future research in nanomechanics. Miniaturization of structural components and functional devices such as electronic, optical, mechanical and electric-magnetic parts has been a recent trend, and the pace has accelerated over the past few years. Advances in micromanufacturing, semiconductor processing (e.g., etching, lithography, grafting, etc.), sensors, actuators and microprocessors have opened up a revolutionary path to the development of new technologies such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS), micro-engines, smart structures, smart controllers, lab-- a-chip devices, and even bio-medical sensing devices which can detect, analyze, decide and activate appropriate functions in real time. The above-mentioned devices, structures, or systems, have one issue in common. In order to perform their assigned functions, they must maintain their structural integrity and be reliable and durable during their entire designed service life. Thus, strength, durability, and time-dependent mechanical property degradation are major concerns for design engineers and device manufacturers, even though the parts are designed for electronic, magnetic, optical or other functions.

The recent emergence and proliferation of proximal probes, e.g. SPM and AFM, and computational techniques for simulating tip-surface interactions has enabled the systematic investigation of interfacial problems on ever smaller scales, as well as created means for modifying and manipulating nanostructures. In short, they have led to the appearance of the new, interdisciplinary fields of micro/nanotribology and micro/nanomechanics. This volume serves as a timely, practical introduction to the principles of nanotribology and nanomechanics and applications to magnetic storage systems and MEMS/NEMS. Assuming some familiarity with macrotribology/mechanics, the book comprises chapters by internationally recognized experts, who integrate knowledge of the field from the mechanics and materials-science perspectives. They cover key measurement techniques, their applications, and theoretical modelling of interfaces, each beginning their contributions with macro- and progressing to microconcepts. After reviewing the fundamental experimental and theoretical aspects in the first part, Nanotribology and Nanomechanics then treats applications. Three groups of readers are likely to find this text valuable: graduate students, research workers, and practicing engineers. It can serve as the basis for a comprehensive, one- or two-semester course in scanning probe microscopy; applied scanning probe techniques; or nanotribology/nanomechanics/nanotechnology, in departments such as mechanical engineering, materials science, and applied physics. With a Foreword by Physics Nobel Laureate Gerd Binnig Dr. Bharat Bhushan is an Ohio Eminent Scholar and The Howard D. Winbigler Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate Research Faculty Advisor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Director of the Nanotribology Laboratory for Information Storage & MEMS/NEMS (NLIM) at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He is an internationally recognized expert of tribology and mechanics on the macro- to nanoscales, and is one of the most prolific authors. He is considered by some a pioneer of the tribology and mechanics of magnetic storage devices and a leading researcher in the fields of nanotribology and nanomechanics using scanning probe microscopy and applications to micro/nanotechnology. He is the recipient of various international fellowships including the Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize for Senior Scientists, Max Planck Foundation Research Award for Outstanding Foreign Scientists, and the Fulbright Senior Scholar Award.

This volume serves as a timely, practical introduction to the principles of nanotribology and nanomechanics and applications to magnetic storage systems and MEMS/NEMS. Assuming some familiarity with macrotribology/mechanics, the book comprises chapters by internationally recognized experts, who integrate knowledge of the field from the mechanics and materials-science perspectives. Graduate students, research workers, and practicing engineers will find the book of value.

Nanotechnology is a progressive research and development topic with large amounts of venture capital and government funding being invested worldwide. Nano mechanics, in particular, is the study and characterization of the mechanical behaviour of individual atoms, systems and structures in response to various types of forces and loading conditions. This text, written by respected researchers in the field, informs researchers and practitioners about the fundamental concepts in nano mechanics and materials, focusing on their modelling via multiple scale methods and techniques. The book systematically covers the theory behind multi-particle and nanoscale systems, introduces multiple scale methods, and finally looks at contemporary applications in nano-structured and bio-inspired materials.

Small structures of the micro/nanometer scale, such as electronic/optic devices and MEMS/NEMS have been developed, and the size of their elements now approaches the nano/atomic scale. This book discuses the fracture behavior of nano/atomic elements (nanofilms, nanowires, and so on) and focuses on the initiation and propagation of interface crack and mechanical instability criterion of atomic structures. This covers the fundamentals and the applicability of the top-down (conventional fracture mechanics to nanoscale) and bottom-up (atomic mechanics including ab initio simulation) concepts. New areas, such as multiphysics characteristics of nanoelements, are introduced as well.