Emerging micro/nanofabrication technologies as drivers of nanotechnological change: Paths of knowledge evolution and international patterns of specialization

The field of `nanoscience and nanotechnology´ (N&N) epitomize the archetype of an emerging technology; it is rapidly expanding, heavily science-driven, and potentially disruptive in terms of its effects on the global economy and society. Besides its alleged potentials, the true benefits of nanotechnology boil down to the capacity of N&N to deliver nano-based products to the market. Within this context, the building up of manufacturing capabilities at the nanoscale is a crucial aspect as micro/nanofabrication and micro/nanomanufacturing technologies have been regarded as enabling technologies, as a `bridge´ - between N&N research and innovation and commercialization. Despite its importance, up to now few social nano-related studies have approached N&N from a `manufacturing lens´. This paper takes initial steps into this stream of research. Building on a general taxonomy for micro/nanofabrication technologies, two main research questions are addressed in this paper: how has the knowledge structure underpinning the field of micro/nanofabrication technologies evolved over time? What patterns of specialization can be discerned for relevant countries and regions across the micro/nanofabrication spectrum? For that purpose, a series of bibliometric methods on scientific publications drawn from the ISI/SCI database were used: longitudinal bibliometric analysis, co-word analysis, and the estimation of revealed scientific advantage (RSA) indexes. Given the alleged `deindustrialization´ of advanced economies toward services, our study repositions the importance of manufacturing in general and micro/nanofabrication in particular in the efforts of countries toward the development and commercialization of nano-based products and the future generation of nano-based applications.