Insider Blog Sea-Creature Sensors
Posted March 15th, 2007 by adminNASA Tech Briefs INSIDER 03/15/2007
Silicon is normally produced from silica at temperatures well above the silicon melting point (1,414 degrees Celsius), so that solid silicon replicas cannot be directly produced from silica structures with such conventional processing. The researchers used a reaction based on magnesium gas that converted the silica into a composite containing silicon (Si) and magnesium oxide (MgO). The conversion took place at only 650 degrees Celsius, which allowed preservation of the complex channels and hollow cylindrical shape of the diatom.
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