New 3d printer capable of printing at 20 nanometer resolutions.

[bob345]

Source: http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/09/19/3d-nanoparticle-printer-unveiled-northeastern-university/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=3dpi%2Btwitter

 

 

According to the Boston Globe, the university’s patented Nanoscale Offset Printing System (NanoOps) is capable of 3D printing layers as thin as 20 nanometers, 4,000 x thinner than a human hair. Unlike traditional 3D printers, it doesn’t extrude a material or use UV light to harden resin.  Rather the researchers at Northeastern’s Center for High-​​rate Nanoman­u­fac­turing (CHN) have developed a technique called directed assembly, in which a mold is created, coated in a thin layer of nanowires, and introduced to electricity, attracting a layer of nanoparticles.  Director of CHN, Professor Ahmed Busnaina, compares the process to printing money, telling news @ Northeastern:

 

Depending on the voltage used, the machine can control the number of particles attracted to the nanowires and, as a result, how thick the printed object will be. Busnaina goes on to say that, not only can directed assembly construct small scale sensors, but large objects as well.  And, by constructing powerful microchips layer by layer at the micro-scale, instead of whittling down a chunk of silicon, electronics could be made smaller and more affordable:

 

 

Well, this is exciting. I was not expecting something like this for another couple years. The scale at which this thing can print at is already very close to what traditional silicon manufacturing can do which to me, is just simply amazing. I cant wait to see what kind of impact this may have on the semiconductor industry. 

[DigitalHermit]

This is cool... Hopefully there will be impacts on the pricing of consumer 3d printers...

[bob345]

This is cool... Hopefully there will be impacts on the pricing of consumer 3d printers...

I honestly cannot see it having much of an effect on normal fdm printers. They are totally different technologies compared to each other, so a breakthrough in one may not necessarily affect the other at all.

[DigitalHermit]

I honestly cannot see it having much of an effect on normal fdm printers. They are totally different technologies compared to each other, so a breakthrough in one may not necessarily affect the other at all.

 

I forgot to read the article in whole before posting... hahahaha....

 

There's still the precision that they achieved... I see this tech going into semiconductor manufacturing...

[Glenwing]

I believe IBM already came up with a 3D printer with an accuracy of 10nm laterally and 1nm-thick layers

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/145376-ibm-3d-printer-with-1nm-accuracy/

[Tonylu1595]

Yes, let me print my own Cpus and Gpus now.

[Guest]

Yes, let me print my own Cpus and Gpus now.

Care to share your designs?