Researchers Create Glass Just 3 Atoms Thick 160
sciencehabit writes "Researchers have created the world's thinnest pane of glass. The glass, made of silicon and oxygen, formed accidentally when the scientists were making graphene, an atom-thick sheet of carbon, on copper-covered quartz. They believe an air leak caused the copper to react with the quartz, which is also made of silicon and oxygen, producing a glass layer with the graphene. The glass is a mere three atoms thick — the minimum thickness of silica glass—which makes it two-dimensional. The team notes that the structure 'strikingly resembles' a diagram drawn by a glass theorist attempting to unravel its structure back in 1932. Such ultra-thin glass could be used in semiconductor or graphene transistors." See Nano Letters for an abstract (and another picture) to the paywalled article.
Just wait until Apple hear about this (Score:5, Funny)
And in related news, iPad 4 rumored to be just 2mm thick.
Re:Two-dimensional? (Score:5, Funny)
Perhaps it just had a bland personality?
I hate to break it to them... (Score:5, Funny)
...but I think an old landlord of mine managed to do this, many years ago.
Re:OH yay (Score:5, Funny)
More glass cellphones with easy to break screens and backs!
Easy?!? I've pounded on these things with my finger when they don't .. do .. what .. I .. effing .. want I assume you are wearing metal gauntlets, Sir Lumpy of Oatmealshire.
Sucker. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Two-dimensional? (Score:5, Funny)
It's two dimensional, in that the graph of the atomic bonds is a flat, 2 dimensional graph. That's not "a different definition ... than the rest of us", that's called context. It's the definition a chemist would normally use. If you're trying to prove your brilliance by pointing out that the whole universe has nothing physical that is infinitely thin, sorry, but we stopped giving away Nobel prizes for that. At least four people basically modded you insightful for pointing out that atoms are not infinitely small - that makes Slashdot clearly three dimensional, because we have something infinitely thick around here.
Re:Serious question: (Score:5, Funny)
Girl Scout cookies are made out of gorillas?
Re:Two-dimensional? (Score:2, Funny)
The glass could be described as "wooden".