1981
- IBM scientists invent the Scanning
Tunneling Microscope, giving ready access for the first time to the nanoscale
world of individual atoms and molecules on electrically conducting substrates.
1986
-The Atomic Force Microscope is invented
by IBM and Stanford University scientists, quickly becoming the workhorse of
nanoscience, providing general purpose imaging and manipulation in the
nanometer realm.
1986
- IBM scientists Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer win the Nobel Prize in Physics for the Scanning
Tunneling Microscope.
1988
- IBM scientists observe photon emission
from local nanometer-sizes areas stimulated by a scanning tunneling microscope,
allowing phenomena such as luminescence and fluorescence to be studied on the
nanometer scale.
1989
- IBM Fellow Don Eigler is the first to
controllably manipulate individual atoms on
a surface, using the STM to spell out "I-B-M" by positioning
35 xenon atoms, and in the process, perhaps creating the world’s smallest
corporate logo.
1991
-IBM scientists demonstrate an atomic
switch, a significant milestone on the road to the eventual design of
electronic devices of atomic dimensions.
1993
– Scientists at IBM and NEC
independently discover single-wall carbon nanotubes and the methods to
produce them using metal catalysts.
1996
- IBM scientists extend STM manipulation techniques to position individual molecules at room temperature for the first
time.
1996
- The world's smallest abacus is created
out of 10 atoms by scientists at IBM, another major milestone in engineering at
the nanoscale.
1998
- IBM scientists and partners discover a
molecular wheel, which shows promise for making nanoscale mechanical gears and
motors.
2000 - IBM and university researchers develop
nanomechanical sensors using tiny silicon fingers to detect minute quantities of
biochemical substances and to recognize specific patterns of DNA.
2001
- IBM's "constructive destruction" method overcomes major hurdle for
building computer chips beyond silicon with a
method to separate semiconducting and metallic nanotubes to form a working transistor on the
nanoscale
2001
- IBM scientists unveil the world's
first single-molecule computer circuit, carbon nanotube transistors transformed
into logic-performing integrated circuits, a major step toward molecular
computers.
2002
- IBM researchers build world's smallest operating computing circuits using
a molecule cascade, wherein molecules
move in a manner analogous to falling dominos.
2003
-- Scientists from IBM, Columbia University and the University of New Orleans
demonstrate the first three-dimensional
self assembly of magnetic and semiconducting nanoparticles, a modular assembly
method that enables scientists to bring almost any materials together.
2003
- IBM scientists demonstrate the world's
smallest solid-state light emitter, suggesting that carbon nanotubes may be
suitable for optoelectroinics.
2004
-- IBM scientists develop a new technique called “spin-flip spectroscopy” to
study the properties of atomic-scale magnetic structures. They use this
technique to measure a fundamental magnetic property of a single
atom -- the energy required to flip its magnetic orientation.
2004
– IBM scientists measure the tiny
magnetic force from a single electron spin using an ultra sensitive
magnetic resonance force microscope, showing the potential of vastly extending
the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
2004
-- IBM scientists manipulate and control
the charge state of individual atoms. This ability to add or remove an electron
charge to or from an individual atom can help expand the scope of atom-scale
research. Switching between different charge states of an individual atom could
enable unprecedented control in the study of chemical reactivity, optical
properties, or magnetic moment.
2004
-- IBM scientists make breakthrough in
nanoscale imaging -- the ability to detect the faint magnetic signal
from a single electron buried inside a solid sample is a major milestone toward
creating a microscope that can make three-dimensional images of molecules with
atomic resolution.
2005
-- Using nanoelectronic fabrication technologies, IBM researchers create a tiny
device that slows the speed of light,
representing a big advance toward the eventual use of light in place of
electricity in the connection of electronic components, potentially leading to
vast improvements in the performance of computers and other electronic systems.
2006
-- IBM researchers build the first
complete electronic integrated circuit around a
single “carbon nanotube” molecule, a new material that shows promise for
providing enhanced performance over today’s standard silicon semiconductors.
The achievement is significant because the circuit was built using standard
semiconductor processes and used a single molecule as the base for all
components in the circuit, rather than linking together
individually-constructed components. This can simplify manufacturing and
provide the consistency needed to more thoroughly test and adjust the material
for use in these applications.
2006
-- IBM scientists develop a powerful new technique for exploring and controlling atomic magnetism, an important tool in the
quest not only to understand the operation of future computer circuit and
data-storage elements as they shrink toward atomic dimensions, but also to lay
the foundation for new materials and computing devices that leverage atom-scale
magnetic phenomena.
2006
– In a study investigating the fundamentals of molecular electronics, the quantum
mechanical effects of attaching gold atoms to a molecule were
elucidated. The work demonstrated that it is not only possible to control the
atomic-scale geometry of a metal-molecule contact, but also its coupling
strength and the phase of the orbital wave function at the contact point.
2007
-- IBM demonstrates the first-ever manufacturing application of "self
assembly" used to create a vacuum -- the ultimate insulator -- around
nanowires for next-generation microprocessors for its airgap chip technique.
2007
- IBM researchers in collaboration with scientists from the ETH Zurich
demonstrate a new, efficient and precise technique to “print” at the nanoscale.
2007
- IBM unveils two nanotechnology
breakthroughs as building blocks for atomic structures and devices: Magnetic
atom milestone brings single-atom data storage closer to reality;
single-molecule switching could lead to molecular computers.
2007
- IBM researchers develop magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to
visualize nanoscale objects. This technique brings MRI capability to the nanoscale level for the first time.
2008
- IBM scientists, in collaboration with the University of Regensburg in
Germany, are the first ever to measure
the force it takes to move individual atoms on a surface.
2009
– IBM Research builds microscope with
100 million times finer resolution than current MRI, extending
three-dimensional MRI to the nanoscale.
2009 - IBM scientists reach a landmark in the
field of nanoelectronics: the development and demonstration of novel techniques
to measure the distribution of energy
and heat in powered carbon nanotube
devices. By employing these techniques, IBM researchers have determined how the
energy of electrical currents running through nanotubes is converted into heat
and dissipated into collective vibrations of the nanotube's atoms, as well as
surface vibrations of the substrate beneath it.
2009
- IBM scientists in collaboration with the University of Regensburg, Germany,
and Utrecht University, Netherlands, for the first time demonstrate the
ability to measure the charge state of individual atoms using non
contact atomic force microscopy.
2009
- In an effort to achieve energy-aware computing, the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology Zurich (ETH) and IBM plan to build a first-of-a-kind water-cooled supercomputer that will directly repurpose
excess heat for the university buildings. The system is expected to save up to
30 tons of CO2 per year, compared to a similar system using today's cooling
technologies.
2009
– IBM launches new research effort for
next generation electric energy storage, exploring battery technologies
to drive electric vehicle adoption and make energy grids more efficient.