Instead, Abelson, who is an expert in the growth of silicon film structures, layers three thin films of silicon over a surface so the materials generate heat at a low temperature. The layers, each about a tenth of a micron thick, are almost spray-painted on to the surface, Nuzzo said. These applications include sensor arrays, manufacturing parts of current technologies and more electronic functions in credit cards. Nuzzo said corporations such as Lucent and Motorola are looking at the technique. According to the Associated Press, the Defense Department, which helps to fund the University research, is interested in infrared imaging systems designed to see in the dark with the same capabilities as the eye.
Nature is good at designing things that work at elegant levels.
If microelectronics could be patterned on a spherical surface, then infrared imaging systems could acquire peripheral vision as well. Abelson and Nuzzo said it will take several years before simpler products will appear on the market or at local supermarkets. For now, they continue their research at the Materials Research Laboratory. There are natural synergies here that are interesting and fun to follow.