This is an interesting direction for 3D printing: printing at the micron scale with sub-micron resolution. This accesses an area unavailable by other means. This machine will be commercially available later this year. Just the thing to go with your desktop SEM.

http://singularityhub.com/2013/03/17/a-3d-printed-spaceship-on-the-scale-of-a-human-hair-hello-nanoscribe-3d-printer/

morrie said:

This is an interesting direction for 3D printing: printing at the micron scale with sub-micron resolution. This accesses an area unavailable by other means. This machine will be commercially available later this year. Just the thing to go with your desktop SEM.

http://singularityhub.com/2013/03/17/a-3d-printed-spaceship-on-the-scale-of-a-human-hair-hello-nanoscribe-3d-printer/

you could build machines to patrol the human body killing disease at it tries to take hold, cancer etc. the thing could have a tiny laser to kill cancerous cells

this thing could travel into the brain and remove plaque

I don’t know about any desktop SEMs, but it is possible to build a desktop AFM.

Michael V said:

I don’t know about any desktop SEMs, but it is possible to build a desktop AFM.

.

And there’s plenty of info out there since I first read about making one maybe 10 years ago.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_q=build+AFM+at+home&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=&safe=images&as_filetype=&as_rights=not+filtered+by+licence

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

I don’t know about any desktop SEMs, but it is possible to build a desktop AFM.

.

And there’s plenty of info out there since I first read about making one maybe 10 years ago.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&as_q=build+AFM+at+home&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=&safe=images&as_filetype=&as_rights=not+filtered+by+licence

Interesting Michael. I don’t think you can build a desktop SEM, but there are at least a dozen in the marketplace, for about the cost of a luxury car.

> I don’t know about any desktop SEMs, but it is possible to build a desktop AFM.

Slight change of topic. I would dearly like to see someone using AFM or similar to identify large organic molecules. Has this been done?