A new dimension: Applied nanotechnology at the FHBB

Nanotechnology is a new technology, a further development of the microsyste m technique to the nanometer scale. It already influences many areas of our daily life e.g. scratch-resistant glasses, non-polluting surface coatings. In particular in computer and medical science, great advances are expected . Nanotechnology allows the analysis and manipulation of materials with ato mic resolution. The central instrumentation of this technology is the scann ing tunneling microscope (Nobel prize in physics 1986: G, Binning and H, Ro hrer) and the atomic force microscope in particular, that allows the invest igation of surface structures down to the nanometer scale. The FHBB is in t he process of implementing a nanotechnology project. The development of the project is financially supported by the Stiftung zur Forderung der FHBB fo r the next four years which has enabled the purchase of an atomic force mic roscope. With this instrumentation the project will focus principally on su rface investigation and modification. The rapid implementation and developm ent of the project will be helped considerably by the intense contact with the group of Prof. Guentherodt (University of Basel), one of the most highl y acknowledged research groups in nanotechnology. interesting research coll aborations have already been started with polymer manufacturers and pharmac eutical industry. Besides applied research and development, nanotechnology should exert a great impact on the education of students at the FHBB.