The Smallest Piece of Art Ever Printed Could Be Harbinger of Ultra-Tiny Nanowires, Biosensors and Optics for Future Chips
IBM today announced a new technique for "printing" on the nanoscale, which, in 3-5 years could be widely used as a method to fabricate atomic-scale nanowires, ultra tiny lenses for optical chips and biosensors at a size current fabrication techniques do not allow.
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 11 Sep 2007 | IBM Researchers Bring Printing to the Nanoscale with New Fabrication Technique |
Photos
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IBM’s Nano Sun Could Give Rise to Future Chips
Date added: 11 Sep 2007
This image created by IBM scientists demonstrates a new nano "printing" technique they believe will lead to breakthroughs in ultra-tiny chips, optics, and biosensors. The recreation of Robert Fludd's 17th century drawing of the Sun – the alchemists’ symbol for gold -- was created by precisely placing 20,000 gold particles, each about 60 nanometers in diameter. This method could be used for mass production to place particles as small as 2 nanometers in diameter to fabricate atomic scale nanowires, ultra tiny lenses for optics and biosensors for healthcare.
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IBM’s Nano Sun Could Give Rise to Future Chips
Date added: 11 Sep 2007
This image created by IBM scientists demonstrates a new nano "printing" technique they believe will lead to breakthroughs in ultra-tiny chips, optics, and biosensors. The recreation of Robert Fludd's 17th century drawing of the Sun – the alchemists’ symbol for gold -- was created by precisely placing 20,000 gold particles, each about 60 nanometers in diameter. This method could be used for mass production to place particles as small as 2 nanometers in diameter to fabricate atomic scale nanowires, ultra tiny lenses for optics and biosensors for healthcare.
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From Traditional Printing to High Resolution Nano Printing
Date added: 11 Sep 2007
TOP: The traditional printing method known as "gravure printing", where an image is etched on the surface of a metal plate, the etched area is filled with ink, then the plate is rotated on a cylinder that transfers the image to paper or other material. This method allows for features as small as 10,000 nanometers, far too big for use in electronics. BOTTOM: IBM's novel new nano printing method, which uses a self-assembly process to control the arrangement of tiny nanoparticles, in this case 20,000 gold particles, each about 60 nanometers in diameter. The gold nanoparticles are swept across a surface and convective forces in the liquid push the particles into grooves in the surface, forming nanostructures with a well-defined geometry. The IBM scientists believe this method could be used for mass production -- more efficiently and at a lower cost -- to place particles as small as 2 nanometers in diameter to fabricate atomic scale nanowires, ultra tiny lenses for optics and biosensors for healthcare.
Contact(s) for the Press kit
Jenny Hunter
IBM Media Relations (Americas)
510-919-5320
jennyh@us.ibm.com
Nicole Herfurth
IBM Media Relations (Europe and Middle East)
41-44 724 84 45
NIH@zurich.ibm.com
Harriet Ip
IBM Media Relations (Asia)
65-6418-1521
65-9821-2994 (mobile)
harrieti@sg.ibm.com
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Video
IBM’s NANO-SUN COULD GIVE RISE TO FUTURE CHIPS: This animation, a sped up version of a new technique created by IBM scientists to place individual particles using a novel new nano- "print" technique they believe will lead to breakthroughs in ultra-tiny chips, optics, and biosensors. The recreation of Robert Fludd's 17th century drawing of the Sun – the alchemists’ symbol for gold -- is shown being created by precisely placing 20,000 gold particles, each about 60 nanometers in diameter. This method could be used for mass production to place particles as small as 2 nanometers in diameter to fabricate atomic scale nanowires, ultra tiny lenses for optics and biosensors for healthcare.
