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Atomic Stop-motion

Short answer: IBM Research released 'A Boy and His Atom' on April 30, 2013, and Guinness World Records certified it as the world's smallest stop-motion film.

Scientists at IBM's Almaden lab in San Jose used a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to drag carbon monoxide molecules across a copper surface, one frame at a time. The microscope ran at about -268 °C (5 K), cold enough to hold the molecules in place, and magnified the surface more than 100 million times. Each CO molecule shows up as a dot. The team made 242 frames, each 45 by 25 nanometers, and Guinness says they did it between January 29 and February 6, 2013. Four researchers worked 18-hour days for about two weeks, using a few dozen molecules. Guinness describes the animation as 60 seconds long; the YouTube upload runs 1 minute 33 seconds with titles and credits. The film was outreach for IBM's atomic-scale data storage research, which in 2012 stored one bit of data in 12 atoms.

VideoWrite-up4 sources

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What should you know about Atomic Stop-motion?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. Guinness certified 'A Boy and His Atom' as the smallest stop-motion film.

    DD-663-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit A (The record)

  2. The film has 242 frames, each 45 by 25 nanometers.

    DD-663-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit A (The record)

Video transcript: Atomic Stop-motion: A Cartoon Drawn in Molecules

DID YOU KNOW? A Boy & His Atom is a fascinating nano stop-motion film made by IBM Research in 2013 that holds the Guinness World Record for the smallest stop-motion movie ever created. The 1 minute and 33 second film uses carbon monoxide molecules, which are two-atom molecules, that are moved frame by frame on a copper surface using a scanning tunneling microscope, or STM. NOW YOU KNOW!

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 21.4s Reel ·

Video coming soonAtomic Stop-motion · Instagram Reel
Atomic Stop-motion: A Cartoon Drawn in Molecules Instagram Reel · · 21.4s

The write-up

A cartoon drawn in molecules. IBM moved carbon monoxide on copper, one frame at a time.

  1. Exhibit A

    The record

    Guinness certified 'A Boy and His Atom' as the smallest stop-motion film in 2013. Each frame is 45 by 25 nanometers.

  2. Exhibit B

    The tool

    A scanning tunneling microscope moved carbon monoxide molecules on copper and imaged them, magnifying the surface more than 100 million times.

  3. Exhibit C

    The cold

    The microscope ran at about -268 °C, which keeps the molecules where they're placed.

  4. Exhibit D

    The frames

    The team made 242 frames between January 29 and February 6, 2013, and IBM released the film on April 30.

  5. Exhibit E

    Why IBM did it

    It was outreach for atomic-scale storage research. In 2012, IBM stored one bit in just 12 atoms.

Questions people ask about Atomic Stop-motion

Which molecules were moved to make the film?

Carbon monoxide, on copper.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The record) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; Guinness World Records: Smallest stop-motion film

What tool moved the molecules?

A scanning tunneling microscope (STM).

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The tool) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; Wikipedia: A Boy and His Atom (citing BBC, AP and IBM)

About how cold was the microscope?

About 5 K.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The cold) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; Wikipedia: A Boy and His Atom (citing BBC, AP and IBM)

How many frames does the film have?

242 frames.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The frames) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; IBM Research (YouTube, Apr 30, 2013): A Boy and His Atom, the world's smallest movie

What research was the film promoting?

Storing data in a handful of atoms.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Why IBM did it) · Wikipedia: A Boy and His Atom (citing BBC, AP and IBM)

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. Which molecules were moved to make the film?

    1. Carbon monoxide
    2. Water
    3. Carbon dioxide
    4. Helium
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide, on copper. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The record) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; Guinness World Records: Smallest stop-motion film

  2. What tool moved the molecules?

    1. Scanning tunneling microscope
    2. Optical tweezers
    3. Electron beam welder
    4. Laser cutter
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Scanning tunneling microscope A scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The tool) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; Wikipedia: A Boy and His Atom (citing BBC, AP and IBM)

  3. About how cold was the microscope?

    1. About -268 °C
    2. About 0 °C
    3. About -40 °C
    4. About -100 °C
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. About -268 °C About 5 K. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The cold) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; Wikipedia: A Boy and His Atom (citing BBC, AP and IBM)

  4. How many frames does the film have?

    1. 242
    2. 24
    3. 2,420
    4. 24,200
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. 242 242 frames. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The frames) · Guinness World Records (May 3, 2013): IBM goes atomic for smallest stop-motion film; IBM Research (YouTube, Apr 30, 2013): A Boy and His Atom, the world's smallest movie

  5. What research was the film promoting?

    1. Atomic-scale data storage
    2. Nuclear power
    3. Solar cells
    4. 3D printing
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Atomic-scale data storage Storing data in a handful of atoms. Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Why IBM did it) · Wikipedia: A Boy and His Atom (citing BBC, AP and IBM)

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Atomic Stop-motion." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-663, last updated Oct 18, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/atomic-stop-motion/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/atomic-stop-motion/ · Last updated

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