- Saturday, 21 November 2009
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The thing with high tech is that you always end up using scissors - David Hockney
DNA scaffolding might be used for chips
BOFFINS at the California Institute of Technology and IBM have discovered a way to overcome the size limitations of current chip fabrication methods by using DNA molecules as ‘scaffolding' to reach resolutions of 6nm.
Currently, chip-makers are bumping up against the challenge of fabricating semiconductor features smaller than 22nm. But the approach suggested by Paul Rothemund of Caltech could enable sub-22nm lithography.
The method calls for DNA molecules to be arranged in the shape of the desired circuit on the semiconductor substrate. Attached to the DNA molecules would be millions of circuit components, such as carbon nanotubes, nanowires and nanoparticles.
The technique for laying down the DNA scaffolding is known as DNA origami, in which a long single strand of viral DNA is folded into a shape using shorter 'staple strands'. The short staples can be modified to provide attachment sites for the nanoscale components.
The team at Caltech that pioneered DNA origami reckons it can be scaled down to define features as small as 6nm.
However DNA origami structures are usually synthesised in a solution, which can't be deposited with any accuracy. So Caltech and IBM have come up with a way to use electron-beam lithography and dry oxidative etching, as per conventional chip fabrication, to create DNA origami-shaped binding sites on the substrate.
Key to the process were the discoveries of the right template material and deposition conditions to afford high selectivity so that the origami binds only to the patterns of "sticky patches" and nowhere else.
If you're not sufficiently boggled by this and want more details, you can read the research paper penned by Caltech and IBM. µ
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You just jumped right on that as news. A press release. From IBM no less. BIG news there. Top news source. Inquirer off the RSS feed as of today as there is nothing left here except stupid regurgitated shit someone else actually reported in depth hours or days before.
These chips and devices that contain them should not be sold to evolution deniers :-))
Why is that? I guess the Amoebas messed up when they decided to evolve and not include this technology in their evolution. I am sure there was an abundance of suitable minerals that could have been incorporated into the new evolved form. Guess the supposedly zillions of random chance incedents that led to the point the Amoebas were there in the first place didn't make them smart enough to go grab some metal and use that in their evolution. And then 2 billion years later the Apes dropped the ball and didn't fix what their ancient cousins didn't do. They could have surely found metal and incorporated that into their evolution. Guess the absurdly better than Vegas ODD's that is required for such an infinate amount of random incendents to occur all the way up the apes in the evolution fairy tale failed for a second time. Sheesh talking about bad luck. 2 out of an infinity of random possibilities that just didn't land perfectly. Bad luck I guess.
Harry, could you check the stance of all major religions on the origin of man? Not an expert, but I have a slight feeling that they not only do not agree with evolution but also actively oppose it - far more than most christian groups. Although the connection between this news and evolution is a bit thin.
On topic, weird stuff, BUT "good news everyone" :P
religion is the only one I know that actively denies science that most people categorize as common sense. Intelligent Design(you can watch evolution happen in a $19.95 toy microscope if so you please) is bad enough but they really took the cake when they proposed Intelligent Falling(There is no gravity, God makes you fall).
Frankly, these people are dangerous. Going all out to remove critical pieces of knowledge from schools is an active attempt at making a more docile workforce.
Since god is omniscient and omnipresent (a most convenient state), the Christians ought to set their creative minds to the task of harnessing this wonderful, natural power and produce The God Chip.
Then, instead of AMD versus Intel, we could see DNA chips versus GOD chips. I cannot wait :-)