Sandia Researchers Find Way To Self Assemble Nanocrystals In Silica Casing - New Technology

Nanotechnologists at The National Nuclear Security Administration's Sandia Laboratories have been trying to find a simple and inexpensive way to self assemble nanocrystals into controlled and orderly arrangements with a silica insulating layer.

Such a casing could be linked to semiconductors and the encased nanocrystals could function as a laser, a catalyst or tuneable computer memory. The Sandia researchers and a team from the University of New Mexico have now found a commercially viable way to construct such casings.

The self-assembly allows nanocrystal arrays to be integrated into devices using standard microelectronic processing techniques.

Posted 26^th April 2004