Materials scientists have developed materials for next-generation electronics so tiny that they are indistinguishable when closely packed. They are so small that, even under the most powerful optical microscopes, they do not reflect enough light (visible light varies in wavelength from 400-700nm) to show fine details such as colours. For instance, carbon nanotubes merely appear grey under an optical microscope.
The inability to distinguish fine details and differences between individual pieces of nanomaterials makes it difficult for scientists to study their unique properties and discover ways to perfect them for practical applications.
The advance permitted by this new technique improves colour-imaging resolution to an unprecedented 6nm level, helping scientists view nanomaterials in enough detail to make more use of them in electronics and other applications.
Professor Ming Liu and Professor Ruoxue Yan, both from Riverside’s College of Engineering,...