Nanojoining — A New Frontier in Welding and Joining of Materials

This paper, adapted from the 2024 Comfort A. Adams Lecture presented at the American Welding Society’s annual convention on October 14, 2024, in Orlando, Fla., provides an overview of the emerging field of nanojoining, a technology poised to become a cornerstone in manufacturing nano-devices and systems. This review first surveys nanojoining processes developed over the past two decades and then focuses on femtosecond laser nanowelding, covering process physics and materials science issues. Finally, the review suggests future research directions, addressing engineering challenges and fundamental questions in nanojoining.