Manufacture of nanostructured devices
Introduction to nanomaterials and nanotechnologies

The miniaturization of electronic devices can be achieved by evolving the techniques used up to now (lithography, etching, etc.) to produce ever-smaller patterns from a single crystal of silicon (or another semiconductor). The procedure, which corresponds to a modification of these techniques with a reduction in scale, is known as top-down. Below a certain size, the procedure can no longer be pursued, and a different path must be followed, known as bottom-up, where objects are built by deposition and organized assembly of atoms or aggregates.