Metrology at the Nanoscale: What are the Grand Challenges?

摘要

Nanometrology provides the means to measure and characterize nanometer scale process and product performance and covers an expanse of topics including instrumentation, measurement methods (off-line and in-process applications), and standards. To meet the needs of the emerging integrated manufacturing community it is important that research on scale-up of nanotechnology for high-rate production, reliability, robustness, yield, efficiency and cost issues for manufactured products and services be pursued. To achieve this, new research directions must include a systems approach that encompasses the characterization of instrumentation, three dimensional metrology, and production-hardened metrology. To illustrate the value of metrology and the role of standards to facilitate product realization, a number of National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) sponsored workshops have been organized. This paper provides an overview of some key findings and recommendations identified at two nanomanufacturing workshops held in 2004 and 2006 that were focused on metrology, instrumentation, and standards.