Pop-up silicon 3D structures mimic biological structures A way to make pop-up silicon structures which can mimic the shape of biological structures like the veins and brain cells has been found by researchers at Northwestern University, Illinois and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Complex three-dimensional (3D) structures in biology (e.g., cytoskeletal webs, neural circuits, and vasculature networks) form naturally to provide essential functions in even the most basic forms of life.

Compelling opportunities exist for analogous 3D architectures in human-made devices, but design options are constrained by existing capabilities in materials growth and assembly.

�We report routes to previously inaccessible classes of 3D constructs in advanced materials, including device-grade silicon,� say the researchers, �the schemes involve geometric transformation of 2D micro/nanostructures into extended 3D layouts by compressive buckling,� say the researchers.

Demonstrations include experimental and theoretical studies of more than 40 representative geometries, from single and multiple helices, toroids, and conical spirals to structures that resemble spherical baskets, cuboid cages, starbursts, flowers, scaffolds, fences, and frameworks, each with single- and/or multiple-level configurations.