A group of local scientists has developed a technology that freely controls cracks in materials, paving the way for efforts to commercialize nanodevices.

The team led by Professor Nam Koo-hyun of Ewha Womans University and Professor Ko Seung-hwan of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said it succeeded in forming cracks in specific spots by applying a thin film of silicon nitride to a silicon substrate.

By effectively controlling crack formations, the team said it formed nano-sized channels that are thinner than hair. The team added that it developed a technology to use those channels to write letters.

The team is hoping that the new technology will be used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, electronic devices and computer memory.

The recent study was published as the cover story of the prestigeous science journal Nature, on Thursday.