MIT Develops Nanoruler

Makarand writes "MIT Researchers have developed a device to make the most precise rulers - the Nanoruler, whose "ticks" are mere nanometers apart. The Nanoruler can pattern gratings of lines and spaces more accurately than other methods across large surfaces more than 12 inches in diameter, a capability important to a number of applications like preparing larger wafers for the production of computer chips and higher-resolution space telescopes. The Nanoruler works by using interference lithography where two laser beams interfere with each other to produce interference "fringes", or parallel planes of high and low light intensity. These fringes are then recorded onto the surface as lines and spaces using the same techniques used for tracing circuits onto silicon."

Comments

Hundreds of nm apart

[SiliconEntity]

While the precision of the grating is to within a few nanometers, the actual spacing is hundreds of nanometers, or equivalently, tenths of microns. That's not all that small compared to the .13 or .09 micron processes currently used in Pentium and other high end chips.

The key to the grating is not how fine it is, because it's not, but how accurate it is over such a large scale. It's not nanotech, but a very precise microtech.

Re:Patent pending?

[YetAnotherAnonymousC]

Generally the way it works with DARPA is that the inventing university can patent their invention. The university may exercise their patent rights however they like with one exception: the defense department has the right to use the invention however they like.