Science story

When a wafer of silicon is slowly heated under high vacuum conditions, the structure of the silicon changes and tiny nanowhiskers are formed. The tips of these nanowhiskers are sharp, and can be made to emit electrons - potentially very useful for devices like computer displays and widescreen televisions. Scientists at GNS Science are creating these nanowhiskers, and Ruth Beran meets with Andreas Markwitz, Damian Carder, Vivian Fang, and John Kennedy to find out more.