ABSTRACT
Key terms of natural sciences: physics, chemistry and biology are summarily revised. Beginning concepts in semiconductor electronics are presented. Basic notions of nanotechnology and nanomaterials are demystified. The transition from macrosensor to microsensor and the requirement of nanoscale measurements are highlighted. After defining nanosensors, classification of nanosensors into physical, chemical and biological categories is laid out, followed by a few examples of nanosensors. Analytical and characterization tools to view nanomaterials and nanosensors are described. These include the scanning and transmission electron microscopes, the scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope. A tutorial is undertaken in spectroscopic techniques for analyzing the chemical composition of nanomaterials and nanosensors. It consists of infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction, X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy or electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The operation of two cornerstone nanosensors, viz., the displacement nanosensor (STM) and the force nanosensor (AFM), is elucidated.
