January 2024 Vacuum Deposition Blog
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January 19, 2024
Scientists Achieve Breakthroughs in 3D printing Nanostructures
Researchers from Graz University of Technology and Graz Center of Electron Microscopy achieved breakthroughs in 3D printing of optically active nanostructures. The team worked diligently for over a decade and thanks to them it is now possible to accurately replicate the given shapes and sizes of nanostructures in advance to attain the required optical properties, which can then be produced accurately. The second breakthrough achieved by the researchers managed to eradicate chemical impurities stemming from initial production without negatively affecting the 3D nanostructures. In the past 3D nanostructures were produced using an inefficient trial and error process that was carried out until the structures revealed the desired optical properties. This obstacle has been eliminated thanks to these discoveries. Leader of the study Harald Plank noted that “the consistency between simulations and real plasmonic resonances of a wide range of nanoarchitectures is very high” and that “This is a huge step forward. The hard work of the last few years has finally paid off”. Learn more about this topic here.
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January 31, 2024
​New Anti-viral Surfaces Kill Viruses by Piercing them With Microscopic Spikes
Researchers from the URV and the RMIT University (Australia) developed a surface that uses mechanical rather than chemical means to kill viruses. The silicon surface consists of microscopic spikes that damage viruses upon contact. The concept seems rather simple or unsophisticated, but it actually requires a great amount of technical expertise to achieve. The process of fabricating the surfaces starts by hitting a smooth metal plate with ions to remove material. The resulting surface is full of microscopic spikes that are about 2 nanometers thick and 290 nanometers tall, in fact the spikes are so small that 30,000 of them would fit in a single hair. According to researcher from the URV’s Physical and Inorganic Chemistry Department Vladimir Baulin the concept of controlling pathogenic microorganisms was inspired by similar concepts that exist in nature. He explains that "the wings of insects such as dragonflies or cicadas have a nanometric structure that can pierce bacteria and fungi." Findings from experiments carried out by researchers confirmed that the virucidal surfaces are extremely effective, having the capacity to kill 96% of viruses within 6 hours of coming into contact with them. Learn more here.