4. Decide whether the following statements are true or false according to text a.

1. Vacuum engineering use vacuum to achieve better results.

2. The purpose of vacuum engineering is to perfect manufacturing processes.

3. Vacuum deposition is a process used to create a thick layer of a substance.

4. Vacuum deposition is commonly used in the production of optics.

5. Common vacuum deposition techniques include sputtering.

6. The electro-spray method is used to deposit particles on single surfaces.

7. Plasma spraying is a technique for producing coatings using a plasma torch.

8. Such materials as brass, copra, bronze are popular in decorative coatings.

9. Spin coating is a common procedure.

10. There are few firms around the world, which supply vacuum equipment.

5. Answer the questions to text a.

1. What is the aim of vacuum engineering?

2. How does vacuum deposition process work and where is it used?

3. Does common vacuum deposition technique include sputtering?

4. What does stand for the abbreviation ESI?

5. What is the advantage of plasma spraying technique?

6. Can spin coating be used for creating thick or thin films?

7. What is the peculiarity of vacuum impregnation sealing?

8. Are vacuum supply equipment firms popular now?

6. Read text b. Pay attention to the words in bold type.

B. Myth or Reality?

The next big things are really small: how Nanotechnology will change the future? Vacuum technology is an important part of nanofabrication.

Probably the most daunting task is to build devices that would allow us to see things that are on the atomic size. The term, “Nano-” itself means a billionth of a meter. This is 100,000 times smaller than a human hair.

This certainly raises some questions about how our economic system might change in the near future. One interesting discovery on maneuvering carbon atoms around was in 1985. Scientist Richard Smalley and fellow researchers were able to construct a cage of 60 carbon atoms. It certainly appears that Dalton’s basic theory has opened a door for us to fabricate endless things with basic raw elements.

Nanotechnology, from a business perspective, will create better and entirely new materials, devices, and systems. What does this mean? It is amazing that the science of small will have a huge impact in society. Nanotechnology applications can be summarized into several basic areas: Smart Materials, Sensors, Nanoscale Biostructures, Energy Capture and Storage, Fabrication, Electronics, Modeling, etc.

A “smart material” is any material made at the nanoscale level, which performs a specific task. Sensors is one of the most exciting areas of nanotechnology, which involves the understanding of molecular recognition. What this entails is being able to capture and recognize a certain molecule. Now a molecular sensor is designed with the ability to capture what is called an “analyte”, which means the molecule we want to analyze. The sensor itself has a gap that only the analyte can fill. This idea is very similar to the idea represented in Cinderella in that only she could wear the shoe. Once the sensor has absorbed the analyte it might change colour to indicate the presence. These sensors have been also called “Bioarrays”. Since these sensors operate at the nanoscale you could literally have billions of little detectors available for any type of materials you want to detect. This could be temperature, water, light, sound, and even biological and chemical agents.

Nanoscale Biostructures are designed to “mimic” some type of biological process. They can also interact with a biological mechanism. One of the main focuses of this research is in the area of human repair and idea of self-assembly. For example, when we cut ourselves our body is able to heal and repair the cut. But sometimes, in the case of broken bones, our body has a hard time repairing it perfectly. The biostructures will be inserted into the body and form a template (образец, лекало) to assist the body. Using the bone example again, the biostructure will form an outer shell around the area that needs to be repaired. The natural bone can then grow around the structure like a rose grows over a trellis. So now we don’t have to replace the bone we can simply, repair the damage easily.

One particular nanomaterial that interests us is titanium dioxide. This material, when combined with a special dye, will absorb solar energy and convert it to electrical energy. The hopes are that these photovoltaic cells produced from nanomaterials will be more efficient, cost less to produce, and have significantly less affect on the environment than typical solar cells used today.

The field of nanoelectronics is very exciting as it is the combination of biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and computer science. Imagine creating smaller and faster computer chips. Nanomaterials can absorb heat and conduct electricity as well. This makes them ideal for computer parts. Nanomotors can be fabricated and operate by nanochips. One interesting idea is the combination of organic matter with nanoelectronics. Current research involves attaching nanoelectronics to the body’s nervous system. Both can generate an electric current, thus they can be used together in a system. Diseases such as multiple sclerosis could be bodily problems of the past.

Modeling is the backbone of nanotechnology research. As scientists begin to discover the properties of nanoparticles, they need to be able to predict the size and shape of the material needed to do the job. Modeling helps the scientist to predict what characteristics a particular experiment might exhibit.

They say that all materials made with nanotubes, will be stronger and lighter. Nanostructured coatings consisting of mixed carbide phases provide potential means to developing super-hard coatings.