Extensive efforts are underway to develop the scientific and technological foundations of nanometer scale devices and systems. Current thrusts are aimed at both top-down and bottom up assembly techniques, such as optical lithography techniques to address manufacturing needs at a scale below 30nm, self assembled semiconductor nanostructures including quantum dots and quantum dashes. Nanoheteroepitaxy, developed at CHTM, allows the integration of mismatched semiconductor systems. Biological films and sensors are also being studied.