Nano-technology after the year 2000

Just as the transistor changed the face of electrical engineering and heralded the electronic and microprocessor era, a new technology, still in its infancy is likely to have an even larger impact on industry and society alike. This new technology which has already begun to make its impact on modern technology is called nano-technology. Nano-technology, derived from the Greek word, meaning - Dwarf, is related to the ability to manufacture, fabricate and measure in the nanometre precision range, which is 10$^{-9}$ parts of metre, a dimension which makes the diameter of a human hair appear huge by comparison.