Tiny nanotubes are big news in science. Now a research group headed by Dr. Ernesto Joselevich of the Weizmann Institute of Science has developed a new approach to create patterns of carbon nanotubes by having them form along atomic steps on sapphire surfaces. "The orientation and form of the atomic steps on a crystal surface can be controlled by the cutting process, and defects can be created artificially," says Joselevich. "It should thus be possible to produce different nanowire arrangements in a controlled fashion."