Gruen Honored For Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Films
Multiple alert Nanodotters wrote in about the Chicago Tribune article describing Dieter Gruen's work at Argonne National Laboratory leading to ultrananocrystalline diamond film. Gruen was honored by the Materials Research Society with the MRS Medal Award. EddieWehri writes, " Preliminary tests show that ultrananodiamonds are 1,000 more wear-resistant than silicon, and 1 million times denser than conventional crystals. This makes them a practical base material for micromachines and other devices that had only been theoretically possible before. Maybe this will mark the real beginning of Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age."
September 21st, 2000 at 11:21 PM
Its not molecular nanoassembly
While it may be nice that people have figured out a way to produce better diamond films or coatings, it still is not molecular nanoassembly, nor is it likely to provide a path to that. Without detracting from the effort that went into this work, it doesn't provide anything towards the goals we really seek. If someone can see otherwise, I'm willing to be corrected.
September 22nd, 2000 at 7:12 AM
Re:Its not molecular nanoassembly
While it may be nice that people have figured out a way to produce better diamond films or coatings, it still is not molecular nanoassembly, nor is it likely to provide a path to that. Without detracting from the effort that went into this work, it doesn't provide anything towards the goals we really seek. If someone can see otherwise, I'm willing to be corrected. Films that don't degrade as quickly as silicon can be layered to form MEMS that are cheaper to fabricate, and longer lasting. Those MEMS seem to be on the road to molecular nanoassembly, non? Note: I am a relative novice, and so I could be mistaken. Yours truly, Mr. X
September 22nd, 2000 at 7:31 AM
Re:Its not molecular nanoassembly
But it may have potential as a building block which might be manipulated to atomic precision by a much simplified proto-assembler. Any top-down technique which makes bottom-up work easier is welcome in my view. Besides, it contributes more impetus to our goal since, in the public's mind, there is no difference between micro-machine based technology and molecular manufacturing yet and more money in one also brings money into the other.