DARPA program seeks ability to assemble atom-sized pieces into practical products (Nanowerk News) DARPA recently launched its Atoms to Product (A2P) program, with the goal of developing technologies and processes to assemble nanometer-scale pieceswhose dimensions are near the size of atomsinto systems, components, or materials that are at least millimeter-scale in size. At the heart of that goal was a frustrating reality: Many common materials, when fabricated at nanometer-scale, exhibit unique and attractive atomic-scale behaviors including quantized current-voltage behavior, dramatically lower melting points and significantly higher specific heatsbut they tend to lose these potentially beneficial traits when they are manufactured at larger product-scale dimensions, typically on the order of a few centimeters, for integration into devices and systems.

Microscopic tools such as this nanoscale atom writer can be used to fabricate minuscule light-manipulating structures on surfaces. DARPA has selected 10 performers for its Atoms to Product (A2P) program whose goal is to develop technologies and processes to assemble nanometer-scale pieceswhose dimensions are near the size of atomsinto systems, components, or materials that are at least millimeter-scale in size. (Image: Boston University)

DARPA recently selected 10 performers to tackle this challenge: Zyvex Labs, Richardson, Texas; SRI, Menlo Park, California; Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts; University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana; HRL Laboratories, Malibu, California; PARC, Palo Alto, California; Embody, Norfolk, Virginia; Voxtel, Beaverton, Oregon; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The ability to assemble atomic-scale pieces into practical components and products is the key to unlocking the full potential of micromachines, said John Main, DARPA program manager. The DARPA Atoms to Product Program aims to bring the benefits of microelectronic-style miniaturization to systems and products that combine mechanical, electrical, and chemical processes.