A new low-cost, high-resolution tool is primed to
revolutionize how nanotechnology is produced from the desktop, according to a
new study by Northwestern University researchers.
Currently, most nanofabrication is done in
multibillion-dollar centralized facilities called foundries. This is similar to
printing documents in centralized printing shops. Consider, however, how the
desktop printer revolutionized the transfer of information by allowing
individuals to inexpensively print documents as needed. This paradigm shift is
why there has been community-wide ambition in the field of nanoscience to
create a desktop nanofabrication tool.