NANOSTRUCTURES FORMED BY MANIPULATION OF INDIVIDUAL ATOMS, MOLECULES, OR LIMITED COLLECTIONS OF ATOMS OR MOLECULES AS DISCRETE UNITS; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT THEREOF

Description

B82B encompasses techniques for constructing nanostructures through direct manipulation of individual atoms, molecules, or small atomic/molecular clusters as distinct functional units. This includes methods such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)-based atom positioning, molecular assembly, and bottom-up nanofabrication approaches that build structures from discrete components. The classification covers manufacturing processes, chemical or physical treatment, and characterization methods specific to atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule assembly strategies. It excludes bulk nanomaterial synthesis, self-assembly without external manipulation, and nanostructures formed primarily through conventional chemical or physical processes not involving deliberate positioning of individual entities.