100 nanometres

Comparison of sizes of semiconductor manufacturing process nodes with some microscopic objects and visible light wavelengths. At this scale, the width of a human hair is about 10 times that of the image.^[1]

To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10⁻⁷ and 10⁻⁶ m (100 nm and 1 µm).

Distances shorter than 100 nm

• 100 nm – greatest particle size that can fit through a surgical mask^[2]
• 100 nm – 90% of particles in wood smoke are smaller than this.
• 120 nm – greatest particle size that can fit through a ULPA filter
• 120 nm – diameter of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ^[3]
• 125 nm – standard depth of pits on compact discs (width: 500 nm, length: 850 nm to 3.5 µm)
• 180 nm – typical length of the rabies virus
• 200 nm – typical size of a Mycoplasma bacterium, among the smallest bacteria
• 300–400 nm – near ultraviolet wavelength
• 300 nm – greatest particle size that can fit through a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter (N100 removes up to 99.97% at 0.3 micrometres, N95 removes up to 95% at 0.3 micrometres)
• 400–420 nm – wavelength of violet light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 420–440 nm – wavelength of indigo light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 440–500 nm – wavelength of blue light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 500–520 nm – wavelength of cyan light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 520–565 nm – wavelength of green light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 565–590 nm – wavelength of yellow light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 590–625 nm – wavelength of orange light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 625–700 nm – wavelength of red light (see color and visible spectrum)
• 700–1400 nm – wavelength of near-infrared radiation

Distances longer than 1 µm

Notes

1. Graham T. Smith (2002). Industrial metrology. Springer. p. 253. ISBN 978-1-85233-507-6.
2. Electrospray versus Nebulization for Aerosolization and Filter Testing with Bacteriophage Particles. In-Depth Article. Retrieved September 15, 2010. Aerosol Science and Technology, Volume 43, Issue 4 April 2009, pages 298 - 304.
3. Textbook Of Pharmacology by SD Seth