Nanotechnology & Materials Engineering

Nanotechnology is the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures sized between 1 to 100 nanometer in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology has the potential to create new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics, biomaterials and energy production. Nanotechnology is a specialized branch of the larger field of materials science, which is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and more particularly the specialization of materials and materials properties to suit specific design, manufacturing, and performance criteria.

The attorneys in the Nanotechnology & Materials Science Practice Group at W|N have significant legal and technical experience in numerous materials-science-related technical fields, such as nanostructures, metallurgy, ceramics, concrete, polymer science, biodegradables, and semiconductor materials, processing and devices. Examples of nanotechnology with which W|N attorneys have been involved include supported nanoparticle catalysts having specified crystal face exposures, particle size ranges, and alloying of dissimilar metals, carbon nanospheres having high graphitic content, carbon nanotube-based devices, and processes for their manufacture.

Examples of material science technologies with which W|N attorneys have been involved include traditional metallurgical industries, ultra-hard and superabrasive materials for oil and gas drilling tools, superelastic and shape memory alloys for implantable medical devices, integrated circuit manufacturing, concrete optimized for strength, cost or workability, biodegradable food service disposables and other packaging materials.

The attorneys in the Nanotechnology & Materials Science Practice Group at W|N are also highly experienced at rendering noninfringement, invalidity, unenforceablility, and design-around opinions in these technical fields.