Posted on December 14, 2009 - by CDS, 3 Comments

Nano Snowman

Meet the tiniest snowman ever created, measuring an amazing 0.01mm across (1/5 the width of a human hair). Although not actually made of snow, it sure is cute. In reality the tiny snowman is made from two microscopic tin beads welded together with platinum. Normally these beads are used to calibrate electron microscopes. David Cox, a nanotech expert at the National Physical Lab, used a focused ion beam to etch the smile and eyes and to deposit a bit of platinum for the nose; demonstrating the astonishing accuracy of his work. The artificial blue light really adds to the ambiance of this micro-creation.