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To create “optical” microchips, engineers need cheap ways to make “photonic
crystal” switches that reflect specific wavelengths. Now researchers at NEC of
Japan and Princeton University have found a way to do this. The team suspended a
sliver of silicon in a mixture of water and ethanol containing tiny silica
beads. As the liquid evaporated, the beads bound to the silicon wafer and formed
a densely packed layer. The researchers then filled the gaps between the beads
with silicon and etched the silica beads out (Nature, vol 414, p 289).
They found the resulting honeycomb structure only reflects only…