Atomic-Scale Manufacturing

Atomic-scale manufacturing is emerging as a transformative interdisciplinary frontier, enabling atomic-level manipulation of matter that until recently remained largely theoretical. As conventional manufacturing approaches approach fundamental resolution and precision limits, the need for atomic and near-atomic additive, subtractive, and equiaxial processes is accelerating driven by performance demands in next-generation functional technologies.

Despite rapid progress, advances remain fragmented across theory, process development, and characterization, and industrial translation has lagged. This fragmentation limits the creation of robust, end-to-end manufacturing workflows. This Research Topic responds to that gap by providing a unified platform to consolidate leading progress and cross-disciplinary insight within a digital manufacturing context.

Rationale

Atomic-scale manufacturing has the potential to reshape fabrication pathways for nanoelectronics, quantum devices, and other high-performance functional systems, yet several bottlenecks persist:

o The absence of a unified framework that integrates atomic/near-atomic additive, subtractive, and equiaxial manufacturing into coherent process chains
o Limited coupling between atomic-scale theories/modeling and high-resolution measurement and characterization, which slows validation and process optimization
o Slow translation of laboratory breakthroughs into repeatable, scalable, and industry-relevant manufacturing strategies

To address these challenges, this Research Topic highlights advances that connect atomic-scale modeling, Manufacturing Paradigm III process strategies, and high-precision metrology with an emphasis on digital methods that enable integration, control, and manufacturability.

Scope and Focus

This Research Topic spotlights cutting-edge advances in atomic-scale manufacturing across the digital manufacturing pipeline, including:
o Fundamental atomic-scale theoretical exploration and modeling that informs manufacturing strategy
o Full-spectrum processing aligned with Manufacturing Paradigm III, including atomic and close-to-atomic additive, subtractive, and equiaxial manufacturing
o High-resolution measurement and characterization approaches that enable validation, feedback, and process control
o Practical translation of atomic-scale manufacturing into functional devices and systems (e.g., nanoelectronics, quantum devices, high-performance catalysts), with attention to reproducibility, scalability, and industrial deployment

By bridging atomic-level precision research with manufacturing workflow design and translation, this Research Topic aims to delineate key innovation frontiers and foster cross-disciplinary dialogue that accelerates the deployment of atomic-scale engineered technologies in real-world production environments.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Atomic-scale manufacturing

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.