To see more pictures, click: Honorable Runner-ups Pictures Gallery
2026, September
Now accepting submissions for September contest. Deadline for submission is Monday, October 12, 2026, at midnight. Rules for submission.
2026, August
A Nanoscale Cappadocia
Mustafa Yücel, LEAP
In Cappadocia, each fairy chimney owes its shape to a hard cap that shields the soft tuff below from erosion. Same principle here: a 30 nm Cr cap protected the AMS200 etch, sparing the Si pillar while everything around it was carved away. Seen at a 53° tilt, the field looks like a troglodyte town, except these spires were etched and aligned rather than eroded. The whole valley is narrower than a strand of hair.
2026, July
A Celestial Shower Descending to Earth
Pauline Pradal, PROUD SA
The image shows an array of HSQ pillars fabricated by electron-beam lithography. The pillars, with diameters ranging from a few tens to several hundreds of nanometers, are arranged in concentric circles. While most of them stand perfectly upright, a few appear to be a little more stubborn and have decided to lean instead. The image was acquired using a Crossbeam 550 at CMi.
2026, June
Crystalline Coast
Michael Smith, Sy&Se SA
A re-crystallized film of titanium displays a gradient of oxide thickness after a thermal treatment. This true-color image was taken using a Leica optical microscope at CMi. The oxidation highlights the grain boundaries and creates a brilliant azure color, reminiscent of the ocean or an alpine lake. Fancy a swim, anyone?
2026, May
Itsy-bitsy spider
Melania Coronese, ANEMS
The itsy-bitsy spider climbed the silicon spout, Down came the etch and washed the residue out, Out came the strip and cleared the surface again, And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed the chip once more.
2026, April
Two-photon dragon
Qingchuan Song, ALCHEMY
The images show a miniature articulated dragon — a hydrogel structure with hinge-connected joints — fabricated using the Upnano Green two-photon printer at CMi. The material is a custom PEG-based photopolymer resin developed in our group, which yields a transparent, mechanically responsive elastomer. The hinge design allows passive joint articulation, and the structure can also undergo swelling-driven actuation in aqueous environments. The image was acquired using the Keyence digital microscope at CMi.
2026, March
The Swiss Micro-Mosaic
Pierre Demolon, Richemont
This SEM image is a topographic representation of Switzerland, obtained using the Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT+. The colored parts represent micro-printed blocks assembled to form the picture. Due to imperfect stitching, the image looks like a puzzle, which is aligned with the idea of Switzerland: harmonious unity despite its multiple differences.
2026, February
The GaN-Horn
Stefano Marinoni, LMSC
Forget the Matterhorn, the Eiger, and the Dents du Midi: the next great climbing challenge is found at CMi. This 30 μm-tall Gallium Nitride pinnacle was sculpted by wet etching a pyramidal structure in TMAH, revealing crystalline terraces and hidden couloirs. The summit is protected by a silicon dioxide dome. Image captured using the Zeiss Merlin.
2026, January
Eyes looking through the dark
Shulang Shen, LMIS1
This image comes from a failed attempt at nanoimprint lithography, where trapped bubbles formed this special totem looking owl. Two large round eyes looking through the darkness, may us all constantly strive to see beyond illusion and obscurity, to uncover the fundamental laws underlying the world.
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