AS MILA BONCHEVA opens a drawer in a sideboard in her office, you might mistake her for a jeweller showing off her prized wares. She proudly pulls out perfectly intertwined spirals of pearly white beads, spine-like metallic necklaces, and hexagonal, red and green patterned copper twists, each precious object nestled in a felt-lined box.
But these delicate, decorative pieces are not jewellery, and Boncheva wouldn’t dream of wearing them for fear of causing damage. They are the results of the many experiments she has run to develop methods for manufacturing three-dimensional microchips.
Boncheva is one of many researchers worldwide who…
