back to article Grad student creates world's thinnest wires – just three atoms wide

A Vanderbilt University graduate student has created the world's thinnest wires using a beam of electrons, a technique that could usher in new ultra-slim form factors for electronics and possibly help the chip industry build smaller, faster processors. Ph.D candidate Junhao Lin used a scanning transmission electron …

COMMENTS

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  1. Don Jefe

    - 'Cut the red wire'

    : 'What red wire'?

    1. kain preacher

      it's the one in the nano tube.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Quick, get out the tape measure... what length is a red photon/wave of light?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @TechnicalBen

        Huge, actually, around 650nm. A silicon atom is about a quarter of a nm across, so it works out that a wavelength of red light is about 2800 silicon atoms wide.

        That's why this guy is using electron beams.

  2. JustWondering
    Happy

    Gosh!

    I'll bet he won the Science Fair with that one.

  3. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    I can't wait...

    ...for an even thinner iPhone.</sarc>

    Thumbs up for the science guy through.

    1. DropBear

      Re: I can't wait...

      Well, the next phone they'll call RAZR - you better hold it with chainmail gloves... ;)

  4. Tromos
    Joke

    Not easy

    I'll bet soldering these into a circuit is a bugger!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      Re: Not easy

      Soldering? That's welding for girls.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not easy

      Do you mean Sodering? Boody americans and their sient L's... Why?

      There are no silent L's in the English language that do not modify the pronunciation/sound in any way.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Not easy

        Now now, you shouldn't use such absolutes.

      2. scrubber

        Re: Not easy

        "There are no silent L's in the English language that do not modify the pronunciation/sound in any way."

        Calm down, you're half way to a heart attack. Take some soothing balm and maybe eat a bit of salmon.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Not easy

          Do you understand what "modify the sound" means?

          Stick your caming bam on your own samon

          bam ≠ balm

          cam != calm

          same-on, say-mon or sah-mon the l is key to pronunciation.

          1. scrubber

            Re: Not easy

            You're right, would that I could do that comment over again.

            Would. Found one.

            Wood = Would (wʊd)

          2. scrubber

            Re: Not easy

            It was in a scouse accent in my head.

            Scouse calm == regular folks' cam

      3. Piro Silver badge

        Re: Not easy

        There are silent Ls, but ultimately, "sodering" sounds absolutely horrific, and I see no reason why anyone would say it.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Boring

    jake was making wires two atoms wide back in 1983.

    1. qwertyuiop

      Re: Boring

      ...two atoms wide...

      I think it's his brain that's two atoms wide.

  6. Snapper
    Happy

    Kinda sexy

    ....wiggle there innit?

    Or is it just me?

  7. Faye B

    Currently challenged

    At three atoms thick, just how much current could it pass before destroying itself. Doesn't sound practical to me.

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon

      Re: Currently challenged

      I think it's a fair bet that this technology won't be used in step-down mains transformers.

      Smaller gates = smaller current required to overcome depletion zone

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    But being a bloke....

    ...he's bound to claim it was actually 7 atoms thick...

    1. Arachnoid
      Joke

      Re: But being a bloke....

      Well thats a tom and a Dick all we need now is Harry

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: But being a bloke....

        I look forward to buying more Chinese automotive accessories now with even thinner wires

  9. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    Moore's law

    Interesting how Moore's law stays alive every time we think it's reached its sell by date.

    1. Arachnoid

      Re: Moore's law

      Typical Scientist its not so much his work that hes remembered for but an off the cuff remark

  10. Valeyard

    yay!

    "If you let your imagination go, you can envision tablets and television displays that are as thin as a sheet of paper that you can roll up and stuff in your pocket or purse."

    just like my earphones! :D

    *keeps the left earpiece in anyway to not look odd even though it hasn't made a sound in a week*

  11. illiad

    and here is a reference!!

    http://scaleofuniverse.com/

    move slider to left, see the *smallest* thing in the universe :E

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