The Thinnest Paper in the World

Post by kragen » Thu, May 07, 2020, 6:35 PM UTC

downerending wrote: post #20

kragen wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many thinner materials : 10-micron aluminum foil is commonplace in households, and disposable plastic shopping bags are usually about the same thickness, while this paper is 20 microns. Any of these could fit Yueh's 1800-page book into the thickness of Paul's thumb, 18-36 mm. But typical gold leaf is 0.1 nanometers thick, a hundred times thinner. What's notable about this paper is that it's paper that thin.

I'd like a wafer that thin.

Post by N1H1L » Thu, May 07, 2020, 8:08 PM UTC

kragen wrote: post #14

pampa wrote: post #4

Doctor Yueh put an object on the table between them - black, oblong, no larger than the end of Paul's thumb. "It is a very old Orange Catholic Bible made for space travelers. Not a filmbook, but actually printed on filament paper. It has its own magnifier and electrostatic charge system." He picked it up, demonstrated. "The book is held closed by the charge, which forces against spring-locked covers. You press the ed…

There are many thinner materials : 10-micron aluminum foil is commonplace in households, and disposable plastic shopping bags are usually about the same thickness, while this paper is 20 microns. Any of these could fit Yueh's 1800-page book into the thickness of Paul's thumb, 18-36 mm. But typical gold leaf is 0.1 nanometers thick, a hundred times thinner. What's notable about this paper is that it's paper that thin.

Post by kragen » Thu, May 07, 2020, 8:28 PM UTC

N1H1L wrote: post #23

kragen wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many thinner materials : 10-micron aluminum foil is commonplace in households, and disposable plastic shopping bags are usually about the same thickness, while this paper is 20 microns. Any of these could fit Yueh's 1800-page book into the thickness of Paul's thumb, 18-36 mm. But typical gold leaf is 0.1 nanometers thick, a hundred times thinner. What's notable about this paper is that it's paper that thin.

The number for gold leaf cannot be right. The unit cell spacing for gold is around 0.4 nm. At 0.1nm you will have monolayer gold. By the way, the first monolayer metals were synthesized just last year, and published this March in Nature Materials.

Post by downerending » Thu, May 07, 2020, 8:32 PM UTC

kragen wrote: post #21

downerending wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like a wafer that thin.

Have you thought about trying thin-film amorphous semiconductors?

Post by agumonkey » Thu, May 07, 2020, 9:17 PM UTC

JadeNB wrote: post #19

agumonkey wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like that too. I naturally dislike marketing tricks, and enjoy seemingly old or bland but technically worthy things.

Have I got the channel for you! Technology Connections: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy0tKL1T7wFoYcxCe0xjN6Q . My introduction was his rice-cooker video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSTNhvDGbYI .