Yes, but no need to confine to SPM tech for sorting and assembly.
Sorting may be via traditional chromatography, distillation, etc.
Positioning can also be done (currently to less than 10 nm) via optical
funneling ("The Optical Reactor") - a new method somewhat akin to my
"Optical Assembler".
Sorted (or unsorted, depending on the specificity of the receptor)
"blocks" might also be attached to chemical receptors incorporated in
larger, more easily handled structures.
A silicon micromachined version of my "Active Cell Aggregate" might be
able to provide versatile, 3D motion envelopes for final assembly.
>If so, I still don't understand how the STM can assemble
>these things. I can see how it might select a "block" of
>the proper type, orient it, and move it into proximity to
>the work in progress, but I don't see how to snap the
>block into place. Is this so grossly oversimplified
>as to be meaningless?
Maybe choose two blocks with complementary surfaces. Use van der Waal
or hydrogen bonding to keep them positioned. Maybe cause a single-site
reaction at the edge of the interface?
Maybe the blocks can become large enough to be complete parts, only
needing to be assembled.
Forrest Bishop
http://www.speakeasy.org/~forrestb