Method Shrinks Objects to the Nanoscale
- Magazine Article
- TBMG-34408
Sector:
Language:
- English
Topic:
Existing techniques for creating nano-structures are limited in what they can accomplish. Etching patterns onto a surface with light can produce 2D nano-structures but doesn’t work for 3D structures. It is possible to make 3D nano-structures by gradually adding layers on top of each other, but this process is slow and challenging. And while methods exist that can directly 3D-print nanoscale objects, they are restricted to specialized materials like polymers and plastics that lack the functional properties necessary for many applications. Also, they can only generate self-supporting structures; for example, the technique can yield a solid pyramid, but not a linked chain or a hollow sphere.