This article provides a review of the nascent field of manufacturing at the nanoscale, tracing its roots to the promise of nanotechnology for serving the society through valuable products and services. A comprehensive representative set of nanoscale technologies in processes, materials, pharmaceuticals, electronics, instruments, etc., that have reached or are currently introduced to mass production is presented and the key technological advances that led to their development are identified. This points to promising new research directions and the requisite infrastructure needs in nanomanufacturing, oriented towards enabling scalable technology transfer to industry and emphasizing producibility, predictability, and productivity aspects. International efforts in this arena are overviewed, with further insight into the related recent activities of the National Science Foundation in the United States.
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