Laser Set To Carve A Nano Niche In 3D
US researchers have developed a laser capable of carving materials in 3D on a nanometre scale never achieved before.
Source: E4Engineering.comThe breakthrough will make nanomachining with extraordinary precision as easy as cutting a shape out with scissors, claim the researchers from the University of Michigan.
The laser can carve sharp-edged features down to 20nm in materials, such as quartz, sapphire and silicon, said Alan Hunt, assistant professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and an associate director at the Centre for Ultrafast Optical Science.
'We have a very powerful way to really control the structure on the nanoscale, in a much more direct way than is currently possible. It's a microscopic milling machine,' said Hunt.
The potential applications are broad, and will benefit all nanomaterial manufacturing from microelectronics to MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), said Hunt. The US-based researchers hope to apply the technology to microfluidics, or 'lab-on-a-chip' technology and intracellular nanosurgery.
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