Images: IBM's vaccuum techique

Pictured here is a microprocessor made with Airgap. With Airgap, a material that contains molecules that repel each other is coated onto a chip. The natural forces of repulsion then create an intricate pattern that serves as a blueprint for IBM to create vacuums between wires in a chip. The self-assembly technique is similar to how snowflakes are created. (The bubblewrap on the bottom of the photo, however, was not created through self-assembly.)

Photo by IBM