Technology in Fast Forward

From a Georgia Tech press release:

New Device Revolutionizes Nano Imaging
Much faster technology allows AFM to capture nano movies, create material properties images

Georgia Tech researchers have created a highly sensitive atomic force microscopy (AFM) technology capable of high-speed imaging 100 times faster than current AFM. . .

Not only is FIRAT™ (Force sensing Integrated Readout and Active Tip) much faster than AFM (the current workhorse of nanotech), it can capture other measurements never before possible with AFM, including material property imaging and parallel molecular assays for drug screening and discovery. FIRAT could also speed up semiconductor metrology and even enable fabrication of smaller devices.

CLICK HERE for larger image

One hundred times faster -- that's two orders of magnitude. It is advances like this that will enable molecular manufacturing to be developed much sooner than many people expect.

Tags: nanotechnology nanotech nano science technology ethics weblog blog

Comments

[Monty]

Isn't this just another example of nanohype and press release punditry on the part of CRN?

The FIRAT looks to be a great new idea and it is very fast but it achieves this by sacrificing lateral resolution. You make it sound as if it can achieve the same resolution as existing AFMs and scan really fast.

Wouldn't it be more responsible to temper your enthusiasm to PR spin? After all, there's already a couple of video rate AFMs available commercially.

http://www.infinitesima.com/
http://www.leidenprobemicroscopy.com/