Helping a micromachine to work
April 8, 2008 | Source: Nature News
A dilute gas may soon become the lubricant of choice for microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, devices.
(Sandia National Laboratories, SUMMiTTM Technologies)
By saturating devices with argon gas containing a small amount of 1-pentanol vapor, they can make microscopic machines run at least 100,000 times longer without failing.
The pentanol seems to adhere to silicon MEMS surfaces, creating a one-molecule-thick coating.