Sharpest microscope tip lands researchers in Guinness Book of World Records

A very tiny, very sharp object has put Canadian researchers at the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and University of Alberta into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Only one atom at its end point, the tip used in electron microscopes is the sharpest man-made object. It is made of Tungsten and fabricated using a patented controlled etching method. It is currently being evaluated for its commercial potential.

"We did not start out to set a world record; we were trying to make a better tool for our research." Team leader Robert Wolkow said in reaction to the record "Having a world record is a fun achievement, but we are really interested in commercializing this product."

The team who created this tip includes: Dr. Robert Wolkow, NINT Principal Investigator and University of Alberta Physics Professor, Dr. Jason Pitters, Research Council Officer at NINT and Dr. Mohamed Rezeq, formerly of NINT and currently at Institute of Materials Research & Engineering in Singapore.

The fabrication method for the sharpest object was patented in 2008.