Bigger memories, quicker-loading batteries, longer-lasting and lighter materials, self-cleaning surfaces, interesting optical effects… Nanotechnology is bringing numerous new properties to mobile equipment.

"Most of the technologies that are counted as nanotechnology are just coming to products," points out Tapani Ryhänen, Head of Multimedia Devices Research at Nokia's Research Center.

"The first solutions from the perspective of mobile devices are now to be found in semiconductor and battery technologies. Next will come different materials. After them interesting mass memory solutions can be expected," Ryhänen explains.

Big improvements in materials

From the consumers' point of view, Ryhänen says that nanotechnology will be seen most tangibly in the materials used in mobile devices. "Nanotechnology enables more durable and lighter materials than at present and surfaces that do not stain or scratch or which are self-cleaning. Interesting optical effects are achieved with nanomaterials such as varying colours in different light.

Thanks to the greater memory densities it is possible to store enormous amounts of digital information in the mass memory of small devices.

"New electronics integration solutions are making the production technologies easier and improving the performance of the devices. We've already been able to produce solutions that can charge batteries quicker than before," Ryhänen says.

Solutions for as many as possible

For Nokia the implementation of matters and charting future possibilities in mobile technology are important. The basis for this includes the principles of open innovation and cooperation with various specialists.

"The most important thing is networking. We are aiming to create targets and solutions that will benefit as many people as possible. At this moment we're focusing on the possibilities and examining their functionality and searching for solutions that are suited to mass production," Ryhänen stresses.

Nokia sold more than 200 million mobile devices worldwide last year. "When it is a matter of such big volumes, we pay particular attention to how new nanotechnology solutions can be combined with existing solutions. Another important point is how solutions can be produced in large amounts that are financially viable."

Basic research not ignored

Ryhänen points out that nanotechnology is not a new thing. Solutions based on it have been used for years in products ranging from sun creams to various explosives.

"A great deal of attention is now being focused on nanotechnologies. I hope that not too much hype will undermine responsible and necessary basic research."

From the electronics perspective nanotechnology is a matter of natural evolution in which the physical size of the product is being reduced with further development. On the other hand at the molecular level phenomena are being created that will bring completely new ways of handling and producing materials and electronics.

>> www.nokia.com

"Nanotechnology is bringing new and interesting properties to mobile devices," says Tapani Ryhänen.