Japanese boffins invent diamond nano slicer

RESEARCHERS at Toyama University and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology have invented a way of cutting up materials at the nanometre level, said the Nikkei Business Daily.

The tool uses a pyramidal 30 nanometer diamond blade on an atomic microscope while being able to observe the precise cuts using an electron microscope, the report said.

Currently elecron beams are used for this fine level work, but using diamond will make for a nicer cut, said the report. The mechanism will cut at 100 nanometres or less, and will eventually allow for more precise engineering if the engineers can create an even smaller diamond blade. µ

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