Posted: December 3, 2008 |
Special journal issue on nanotechnology in Greece |
(Nanowerk News) The latest issue of the International Journal of Nanotechnology (IJNT) introduces you to a collection of original papers representative of the research performed in Greece in the field of nanotechnology.
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Research in this field is carried
out in several Greek laboratories and covers the areas of Nanomaterials and
Nanofabrication technologies, Nanoelectronics, Sensors, Photonics, Phononics, as well as
inter-disciplinary combinations of all the above.
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Major Micro- and Nanofabrication
facilities exist in two different sites, at the Institute of Microelectronics (IMEL) at NCSR
Demokritos in Athens which is devoted to Si technology for Electronics, Sensors and
MEMs/NEMs and at the Institute of Electronic Structure and Lasers (IESL) in FORTH in
Crete, which includes the Microelectronics Group specialising in compound
semiconductors growth and devices. IMEL is one of the founding members of the
European Institute of Nanoelectronics ‘SINANO’ (established in 2008) and member of
the European Nanoelectronics platform ‘ENIAC-AENEAS’. Moreover, laser facilities for
micro- and nanofabrication and synthesis exist in Greece at IESL-FORTH.
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Thin films
and nanostructures are developed in both of the above research Institutes and in different
Materials and Chemistry Research Institutes (Institute of Materials Science and Institute
of Chemical Sciences at NCSR Demokritos, Institute of Theoretical and Physical,
Chemistry at NRC) as well as in different University laboratories in Athens,
Thessaloniki, Patras, Ioannina, Xanthi and Heraklion.
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Several laboratories are devoted to
the characterisation of complex materials, structures and devices and to the theoretical
background related to the above disciplines. The field of Photonics enhanced with the
aspect of nano-structuring and materials is also a favourable area where several
laboratories are actively involved.
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A Scientific Society named ‘Micro & Nano’ has been established since 2004
with the initiative of the Director of IMEL. The society today numbers several
members – Institutions and 120 independent scientists and its overall objectives are to
promote the field of Micro- and Nanotechnology in Greece (materials, technologies,
electronic devices, circuits and systems) and to act as a catalyst for the development of
the above fields in the country.
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Concerning industrial activities in Nanotechnology, they are oriented towards
the fields of Microelectronics, sensors, chemical products, and bio-technologies.
Microelectronics companies are in general fabless and in their majority are represented
by the Hellenic Semiconductor Industry Association (HSIA), established in 2005. Today
the Association numbers its members above 30.
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Recently, a similar structure of a national platform on Photonics, which is attached to
the Photonics21 European platform, promoting the Nano-aspect research and innovation
has initiated its activities, representing more than 25 individual research organisations,
universities and companies.
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International Conferences on Micro & Nano sciences and Technologies have been
also established in Greece in the last few years. The Micro&Nano Conference series is
held every three years at NCSR Demokritos in Athens-Greece, the last one having been
held in the year 2007. A second series of established Conferences is N&N (Nanosciences
& Nanotechnologies), held every year at the University of Thessaloniki. In addition,
several International Conferences are hosted occasionally in Greece (MNE 2008, IC4N
2008 etc.).
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It should be noted that the papers included in this volume represent only part of the research
carried out in Greece in the field of Nanotechnology.
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