As the records book explains, MEC scientists have developed machinery which can drill holes just 22 microns (0.022 millimeters) in width, less than half the width of a human hair. The new technique uses a process called electro-discharge machining and will eventually enable improvements in the miniaturization of electro-mechanical systems.
"Our ground-breaking research has appeared in publications all over the world, but Guinness World Records is a first for us," said MEC director professor Duc Truong Pham said. "We are delighted to feature in one of the best-read books on the planet."
The MEC scientists are now busy trying to beat their own record, using new nanotechnology equipment. These include a focused ion beam which can create holes of 100 nanometers (0.0001 millimeters), or about 1/800th the width of a human hair.
Guinness World Records, formerly the The Guinness Book of World Records, is the world’s best-selling copyright book. Published in more than 100 countries in 37 languages, its total sales exceed 100 million.
On the left is a picture of an electrode with a 6-micron diameter. And on the right you can see two holes drilled by using this technology, the top one having a diameter of 22 microns and the bottom one a diameter of 22 microns. (Credit: MEC,
