It was Richard Feynman, a Noble Prize winner for physics that first introduced the concept of nanotechnology. He explained the potential of the field in a lecture that he gave in 1959 called Plenty of Room at the Bottom. He presented the address to the American Physical Society. Today, with advancements in the field that defy understanding, most of his theories have been brought to life in varying industries.
In this short write-up, we understand what microtechnology is. It is the process of reducing devices and mechanical procedures in size so as to achieve results that cannot be attained at a macro level. An example of microtechnology that even a layperson will understand is tiny robots that are used to deliver drugs inside a body or repair DNA or restore eyesight. Myriads of such explorations are being done in the field of microtechnology.
To give you reference scale of the size nanotechnology or microtechnology uses, consider this. One nanometre is same as:
• The width of six bonded carbon atoms
• 1/40,000 the width of a human hair
• 0.000000001 m or one billionth of a meter
When seen at such a tiny scale the essential qualities of even everyday materials like gold open up new avenues that can be exploited for our use.