Scientists on the project intend to examine every stage of the current LED fabrication process.

BBC: University of Dundee to lead project to improve LEDs

Now fully funded, Yang and his team are already in the fabrication process and working to improve the original design.

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This fingerprint (aka Physically Unclonable Function, or PUF) is a byproduct of tiny errors in the fabrication process -- something chip makers usually try to minimize.

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The Exynos 4 chip found in Samsung's flagship Galaxy S3 handset and Apple's A5X used in the iPad 3 both use transistors using a 32 nanometre fabrication process.

BBC: Samsung upgrades Texas mobile device chip factory

This inevitably leads to speculation that Apple has shifted to a 28nm fabrication process, possibly snubbing Samsung's 32nm foundries, but we'd need a proper silicon-level analysis to be certain.

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"Today we're making small numbers of these things in a boutique fabrication process, but while that's reliable and we can repeat it we need to be able to make large numbers of these things over large areas, " said Prof King.

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One technology highlighted by NASA is solid freeform fabrication, a process that could be used to support fabrication and repair of large space structures, spacecraft primary structure and replacement components.

MSN: Future astronauts may rely on made-in-space parts

Again, the beauty of the design and the ingenuity of the manufacturing process take our attention away from the human element that goes into their fabrication.

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This process is inherently subject to both confirmation bias and cherry picking of input data, if not outright fabrication.

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