Thanks to SPMs, we are beginning to be able to observe the nano world on the scale of individual atoms.
However, this does not mean we have sufficiently powerful tools to carry out measurements in the way that nanomanufacturing
requires. When manufacturing nanomaterials and nanostructures, we need to be able to observe the phenomena
occurring at the nano level in real time in order to be able to monitor manufacturing processes and check finished
products.
For example, the area of nanotechnology causing greatest excitement these days is self-assembly-based nanomanufacturing
technology. However, understanding the mechanisms involved, and monitoring actual nanomanufacturing processes
that make use of self assembly, requires real-time observation of self-assembly phenomena as they are happening.
In the field of molecular beam epitaxy, research is currently being conducted into means of observing the growth
of nanomaterials while simultaneously creating, measuring and evaluating them. With the development of technology
for looking at the nano world, real-time observation will become a major theme of nanotechnology.
