Deep-sub-wavelength Lithography

The "diffraction limit" used to be thought of as a fundamental barrier: you couldn't do anything with light that involved distances smaller than half a wavelength. Imagine that you're jumping rope while dancing around and using the rope's impact on the ground to sweep patterns in the dust. (Ignore your footprints; the rope is what's important here.) By just spinning the rope around yourself, you can't make patterns that are much narrower than you are.

But if you can shake the rope in intricate, carefully controlled patterns instead of just swinging it around, you can make it touch the ground in smaller and more controlled areas. Similarly, if you send the light through very carefully calculated masks, you can make the energy -- over a very short distance -- take on patterns that are quite a lot more intricate than a simple wave of light.

A bit over a year ago, we posted about deep-sub-wavelength imaging. Now, an article in CCNews describes deep-sub-wavelength lithography. Features as small as 26 nanometers have been generated.

Another rule has been broken by this work -- this one not a "rule" of physics, but a human prediction. As the article explains, evanescent wave lithography wasn't expected to be developed for another five years. Technology seems to have a habit of doing that, these days.

So how long until we see the first positionally controlled, atomically precise diamond fabrication? Anyone want to start a betting pool?

Chris Phoenix

Tags: nanotechnology nanotech nano science technology ethics weblog blog

Comments

[Mike Deering]

"So how long until we see the first positionally controlled, atomically precise diamond fabrication? Anyone want to start a betting pool?"

Yes! Send me your dollar and your guess and I'll disburse the proceeds to the winner when the time comes.

[Tom Mazanec]

2012

[Brian Gyss]

2010 - I'm doing the Price is Right trick. :)

[Racerex]

2013