Self Assembly for Building Nanoscale Patterns

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08/15/2008

Aug. 15, 2008

Self Assembly for Building Nanoscale Patterns

Researchers have found a way to create high-quality repeating patterns with features just ten nanometers across. The work, reported this week in two papers in the journal Science, could provide a means for producing nanoscale materials for applications such as computer data storage and solar cell technology.

The researchers used a technique known as self assembly, in which carefully designed physical and chemical forces are used to coax components into arranging themselves onto a surface. By adding certain features to the surface as a 'template' to guide the self assembly process, the teams found that they could create nanoscale patterns over a large area with a higher degree of perfection than previously possible. We'll talk about why that matters.

Produced by Charles Bergquist, Director and Contributing Producer

Guests

Rachel Segalman
Charles Wilke Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

Faculty Research Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories Materials Science Division

Berkeley, California

Discussion

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