As an outcome of their research at the University of Halle, Germany, nanotechnology specialists have developed MarcColor, a laser-based technology that enables the creation of coloured bar codes, data matrix codes and alphanumeric characters inside glass material. The coloured marking consists of extremely small metal particles called nanoellipsoids. By attaching a donor medium to the glass, nanoellipsoids are created within the glass using laser irradiation. The company, Boraglas GmbH (www.boraglas.de) has been formed in order to spread the word about MarcColor. Practical applications are many and varied - essentially any marking that requires high durability and permanence, i.e. automotive glass, electrical goods, architectural glass structures, biotechnology, sensor technology, medicine - in fact almost any glass product.
