Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

35 atoms that changed the nanoworld

  • Thesis
  • Published:

From Nature Nanotechnology

View current issue Submit your manuscript

It is 20 years since researchers at IBM spelt out the name of their company with atoms. Chris Toumey looks at the story behind a landmark in nanotechnology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: A sequence of STM images showing individual xenon atoms on a nickel surface being manipulated with a STM to spell out IBM.
Figure 2: Don Eigler's lab book for 14 February 1990 — the day on which he first succeeded in using an STM to pick up atoms from a metal surface and then place them back on the surface with atomic precision, as opposed to using an STM to slide the atoms across the surface (Fig. 1 and ref. 1).

References

  1. Eigler, D. M. & Schweizer, E. K. Nature 344, 524–526 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Müller, E. W. J. Appl. Phys. 27, 474–476 (1956).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Melmed, A. Appl. Surf. Sci. 94/95, 17–25 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Young, R. Physics Today 42–49 (November, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Young, R., Ward, J. & Scire, F. Rev. Sci. Instr. 43, 999–1011 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Gerber, C. & Lang, H. P. Nature Nanotech. 1, 3–5 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Binnig, G. & Rohrer, H. Scientific American 50–56 (August, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Schneiker, C. & Hameroff, S. in Molecular Electronic Devices (eds Carter, F. et al.) 69–90 (North-Holland, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Toumey, C. Nature Nanotech. 2, 9–10 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Feynman, R. Engineering & Science 22–36 (February, 1960).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Binnig, G. & Rohrer, H. Rev. Mod. Phys. 59, 615–625 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Becker, R., Golovchenko, J. & Swarzentruber, B. Nature 325, 419–421 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Foster, J., Frommer, J. & Arnett, P. Nature 331, 324–326 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. http://www.almaden.ibm.com/vis/stm/gallery.html

  15. Don Eigler and his Dog Argon: Moving Atoms Talking Nano Disc 2 (Museum of Science, 2008); available at <www.talkingnano.net>.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chris Toumey is at the University of South Carolina NanoCenter. Toumey@mailbox.sc.edu,

    Chris Toumey

Authors
  1. Chris Toumey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Toumey, C. 35 atoms that changed the nanoworld. Nature Nanotech 5, 239–241 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2010.61

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2010.61

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation