GE Claims Ten-Atom Wide Nanotube

Richthofen80 writes "GE is touting a development in nanotechnology; specifically they say they've developed a nanotube ten atoms wide. While the article is a little sparse on the applications for such tubes, they do seem to mention how this should help delay the impending Moore's law crisis with transistor size. According to the article, 'Unlike earlier designs, GE's nanotube can both emit and detect light, GE said. That means it has potential to perform tasks like shining small amounts of light on molecules, a possible application in medicine or security.'"

Holy Patent Application!

[Dr. Smeegee]

This is the first cool thing I have seen out of actual GE research for a long time. I was a GE employee for 4 years. It seemed from the inside that they would rather have GE Capital aquire the interesting technology- then figure out a way to Six-Sigma and Shigijutsu it to the point where they lose a shit-load of money on it. Medical notwithstanding, the old GE ain't what it used to be.

May be you are correct

[vijaya_chandra]

Went through the GE research site to see what all is being done.

This one is under the area 'Advanced Computing Technologies' : ColorXpress/VisualFX [ge.com]
This definitely doesn't seem to be complex. Am damn sure it could have been a 1 semester undergrad project

Re:Holy Patent Application!

[digime]

...then figure out a way to Six-Sigma and Shigijutsu it to the point where they lose a shit-load of money on it.

Amen. I'm working for GE right now. They took a great company, Six-Sigma'ed it and changed the culture so much the customers didn't like it, started losing money, now they're unloading it with an IPO.

Off topic I know but it never ceases to amaze me how management intentionally changes something that works to justify themselves existing. Take McDonalds for instance. Every couple of years for t

Re:Holy Patent Application!

[bcattwoo]

one day, you'll order a cheeseburger and get a pickle wrapped in newspaper

Or you could just order their Atkins-friendly, low-fat, high-fiber burger now.

Re:Holy Patent Application!

[Dr. Smeegee]

Heh. Yeah. Six Sigma (as applied, read "Cult of Statistical Analysis") is a stack of really effective tools blunted by inexperienced users. Shoving these fairly complicated methodologies down the throats of unwilling workers and customers. It works like gangbusters on the factory floor - it don't work for coding.

Too thin?

[kev0153]

Kramer: "I've cut slices so thin, I couldn't even see them."

Elaine: "How'd you know you cut it?"

Kramer: "Well, I guess I just assumed."

How to manipulate nanotubes?

[Dr. Spork]

The article mentioned it would be hard to build anything out of these... I can just imagine! Also, there was no mention of how long these thing are. We are a long time from being able to assemble anything useful from these things.

Re:How to manipulate nanotubes?

[jabberjaw]

IBM [ibm.com] has a rather neat page detailing the use of an AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) to manipulate nanotubes.

Re:How to manipulate nanotubes?

[Alsee]

Suddenly I'm picturing one of those Jumbo size potato chip bags, except this one is labeled Nanotubes. In small print at the bottom it says "Contents: 6 nanotubes" and "Contents may have settled during shipping".

-

The article refers to a 'device'

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

Yet clearly what they have is a tube. It's a bit of stretch of the imagination to call it a 'device'. But in these days of nanotechnology funding I guess they can't really make a press release saying they've made just a tube.

Re:The article refers to a 'device'

[p3tersen]

No. The abstract to their publication (Appl Phys Lett 85 145) begins:

We demonstrate a single-walled carbon nanotube p-n junction diode device. The p-n junction is formed along a single nanotube by electrostatic doping using a pair of split gate electrodes. By biasing the two gates accordingly, the device can function either as a diode or as an ambipolar field-effect transistor.

It's a device.

Thank you

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

The pop-science version didn't make sense at all but nobody seemed bothered.

how wide is it?

[pizza_milkshake]

/me presses fingers together
it's *this* wide

what???

[croddy]

what?! no pictures!?

Perhaps this is relavent

[erichill]

PHYSICS NEWS UPDATE
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Physics News
Number 691 July 7, 2004 by Phillip F. Schewe, Ben Stein

SWITCHABLE NANOTUBE DIODES made by scientists at the research arm of General Electric combine the practical electrical properties ofcarbon nanotubes (ability to carry high currents; ability to emit light) with the flexibility of being changed over from a p-n type of diode (allowing current to flow in one direction only) to an n-p diode type (allowing current only in the