Funding for nanotech to aid industry

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) capped his latest jaunt into the high-tech world by approving an NT$19.2 billion (US$548.7 million) plan to develop Taiwan's fledgling nanotechnology sector.

The funds are earmarked for a Center for Applied Nanotechnology at the Industrial Technology Research Institute, which will open on Jan. 16 in Hsinchu. The funds can be tapped over a five year period ending in 2007.

"Nanotechnology is the new century's rising star and will bring about a massive shift in the development of new materials, information-technology products and biomedicine," Chen said during an inspection tour of the institute in Hsinchu yesterday.

The science focuses on building and manipulating matter at the level of four atoms. Nanotech researchers in Taiwan are focused on building machines of microscopic dimensions, re-inventing raw materials through molecular manipulation and building a future basis for nanotechnology in all local industries.

One focus area is on CDs and DVDs. Once materials are perfected at the nano-level, manufacturers will be able to produce a high-density DVD capable of holding the same amount of data as 35 CDs.

The technology is being used to create new materials.

"Taiwan's two largest plastic products, ABS and PET plastics, is another area where nanotechnology is being applied," said Bob Yang (楊日昌), executive vice president at the institute.

The institute's plan aims at producing new nanotech-based products in four areas -- raw materials, electronics, machinery and biomedicine. The goal is to then quickly transfer the technology to the industrial sector.

"Taiwan is quickly becoming focused on the applications of nanotechnology," said Ted Ho (何宗哲), deputy managing director of the advanced packaging technology center at the institute.

His group is working on the development of a conductive polymer that could replace resistors and capacitors.

Up to now, polymers could not replace these parts because they do not conduct electricity.

Ho's team aims to use nano technology to create a polymer that can conduct electricity. The result could be a polymer that conducts electricity as well as copper, but is cheaper, lighter and more environmentally friendly.

There is much competition in the field. The US, Japan and Europe are all nearly decade ahead of Taiwan.

In addition, China plans to spend NT$105.7 billion (US$3 billion) by 2005 on nanotechnology research, according to institute officials.