A lab mistake led to self-forming spiral patterns on metal surfaces, revealing chemical-mechanical interactions.

Curiosity about a mistake that left tiny dots on a germanium wafer with evaporated metal films led to the discovery of beautiful spiral patterns etched on the surface of the semiconductor by a ...

On a whim, she looked at the dots under a microscope and couldn't believe her eyes. Beautiful spiral patterns had been etched into the germanium surface by a chemical reaction. Wong's curiosity ...