Preview: Small 11/2005

The cover picture shows an artificially colored transmission electron microscopy image of a 39-nm-diameter silicon nanowire, where the word "small" has been sculpted on the nanowire by a high-intensity electron beam.We demonstrate that an intense electron beam can be applied to create holes, gaps, and other patterns of atomic and nanometer dimensions on a single nanowire.The electron beam can also be used to weld individual nanowires, forming metal-metal or metalsemiconductor junctions.For more information, please read the Full Paper "Nanometer-Scale Modification and Welding of Silicon and Metallic Nanowires with a High-Intensity Electron Beam" by S. Y. Xu and co-workers in Issue 12 of Small.