Filotov, however, belongs to an elite group of Soviet scientists who are riding high on a new wave of applied research. His future prosperity is linked closely to efforts in the Soviet Union to realign the country's massive research enterprise along the lines of a market economy. This effort could lead to greater opportunities for collaboration with Western scientists, as well as cooperative ventures with Western companies.
Alexander Golubok has the right idea at the right time. But the Soviet researcher is in the wrong place to develop his technology. Golubok's lab at the Science and Technology Corporation has developed a scanning tunneling microscope with analytical software and other features that Golubok claims are superior to Western products. However, the microscope will not function unless it is hooked up to a wardrobe-sized rack of electronics and cables. Since the corporation lacks the capability to fabricate the integrated circuits needed to ...
