A devoted Silksong enthusiast employs electrons to craft a minuscule replica of the hornet, measuring roughly 1/5 the thickness of a silk thread, equivalent to two bacteria in length, and an astonishing 8,000 times smaller than the authentic insect.
In the world of microscopic art, one user named rous6 on the Silksong subreddit has made a remarkable creation that is 8000 times smaller than a true scale hornet. The artist, Harvey Randall, used Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) to draw the intricate image, which is approximately four microns wide (1,000 nanometers).
EBL is a technique used to draw tiny images on a microscopic scale by precisely controlling an electron beam to expose a resist material on a substrate. This process patterns nanoscale features, with the electron beam directed in a highly focused manner and scanning over the substrate according to a programmed pattern. The exposure changes the solubility of the resist in specific areas, allowing selective removal during development and transferring the desired tiny image or pattern onto the substrate.
Harvey Randall employed a high-energy electron beam (e.g., 100 keV acceleration voltage) to scan over a resist-coated wafer, often PMMA. The dose of electrons per unit area can be varied across the pattern to achieve various profile depths or gradients. The pattern was created by software that converted the image into precise electron beam scanning instructions, refining the features through multipass or dose-tuning exposure methods.
After exposure, the sample was developed in chemicals, such as methyl isobutyl ketone, to dissolve either the exposed or unexposed resist areas depending on the resist type, revealing the nanoscale pattern physically on the substrate. Subsequent steps like ion beam etching may transfer these resist structures into underlying substrates, creating durable nanostructures.
This fine control allows the creation of images and patterns at resolutions down to a few nanometers, far smaller than what optical lithography can achieve. Such capability makes EBL ideal for fabricating micro- and nanostructures, including artistic microscopic images as demonstrated by creative users like rous6.
Harvey Randall, with a history dating back to a World of Warcraft subscription at the age of 12, has experience writing for various gaming websites, including Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine, and PC Gamer. He plays a variety of TTRPGs in his free time and has a strong interest in RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and indie titles.
As for his favorite gaming system, Harvey Randall does not have one, as he has many. When it comes to hardware, the Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT is considered the best mini PC, while the HP Omen 35L is identified as the best gaming PC. For those seeking a handheld gaming PC, the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS ed. is the top choice. For virtual reality enthusiasts, the Meta Quest 3 is the best VR headset.
Meanwhile, the r/Silksong subreddit is also hounding after SteamDB changes and currently using a Deltarune "prophecy" generator. It's important to note that the subreddit has not sacrificed anyone yet.
In summary, Electron Beam Lithography "draws" images microscopically by scanning a finely focused electron beam over a resist, precisely defining the image pattern at the nanoscale through controlled exposure and development steps, enabling the production of highly detailed tiny images like the tiny hornet drawn by rous6 on the Silksong subreddit. The state-of-the-art material used in this process, ZEP520A, allows for extremely high resolution, making EBL an ideal tool for creating intricate microscopic art.
- The intricate microscopic art created by rous6 using Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) could be compared to the level of detail achieved in a highly strategic game, where every move requires precision and strategy.
- As Harvey Randall dabbles in data-and-cloud-computing technology, running multiple gaming websites and using software to convert his images into precise electron beam scanning instructions, one might imagine him winning at strategy games like Civilization or the latest global multiplayer online battle arena.
- In the realm of microscopic art, EBL technology rivals the cutting-edge technology in the gaming world, where virtual reality headsets like the Meta Quest 3 offer an immersive gaming experience akin to peering through a powerful microscope.
