A Decade of Commitment from the NIST Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory to Nanomanufacturing and Nanometrology

摘要

Advanced research in nanomanufacturing technologies and processes has continued at an accelerating rate over the past decade. Profitable niche applications such as the use of carbon nanotubes for improving battery performance and nanoparticle-enhanced chemical-mechanical polishing slurries, and the anticipation of the overall impact that nanotechnologies will provide for society, have continued to fuel interest and funding for nanomanufacturing. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) recognized the importance of nanotechnologies for U.S. industries and participated in a number of nanomanufacturing-relevant activities as early as 1999. This included numerous leadership roles regarding nanotechnologies, nanomanufacturing and nanometrology. Work at NIST in collaboration with other agencies influenced the direction of U.S. nanomanufacturing research and development. In October 2000, NIST MEL created the first Nanomanufacturing Program in order to draw interest in this growing field. Since then, the NIST MEL work in nanomanufacturing has included measurement projects that spanned nano- to micro-scale dimensions with key device or product functionality resulting from the nanometer scale features. This paper provides an overview of activities that have propelled NIST MEL to its current leadership position. The paper describes key research conducted by the MEL over the past decade as well as on-going research in nanomanufacturing and nanometrology.