Nanojets

from the really-tiny-scrubbing-bubbles dept.
GinaMiller (and others) wrote "Simulation shows that liquid jets a few nanometers in diameter might have the potential to produce ever-smaller electronic circuitry, inject genes into cells, or etch tiny features. Writing in the August 18 issue of Science, Georgia Tech researchers suggest that jets as small as six nanometers in diameter may be possible — though they will require special conditions to operate and be sensitive to effects not of concern to macroscopic jets. As a next step, the researchers would like to create nanojets experimentally and use them to apply patterns that could replace current lithographic processes in the manufacture of nanoscale miniaturized circuits. They could potentially also be used as "gene guns" to insert genetic materials into cells without causing damage. The researchers produced some nice graphics "