EUROMET Initiative on Nanometrology

Project Description

In the context of this project, the field of Nanometrology shall be restricted to Dimensional Metrology for the Service of Nanotechnology, the latter originating from areas such as Precision Engineering, Microelectronics or Biotechnology.

The project shall possibly involve not only European NMIs, but also other research insti-tutes, existing networks and industry. For this, EUSPEN will provide an excellent forum. In addition contacts to NIST are established.

The following steps are planned:

• Inventory of the activities and the plans in nanometrology at European NMIs, gathered by means of a questionnaire.
• Discussion of the results of the inventory at the EUROMET Length TC meeting on 15. October 2001 in Budapest.
• Contacts to industry and identification of the industrial needs.
• In spring 2002, a workshop will be hekd with the following topics:
• What are the actual and future industrial needs to be satisfied by NMIs?
• What can European NMIs offer today?
• What priorities have to be set?
• What forms of collaboration are most effective? Virtual institute?
   

More detailed information will be available on the EUROMET Length Web site at http://www.npl.co.uk/euromet/length/.

Final Report 2013-12-04

The purpose of the project was to co-ordinate European NMI’s efforts in the field of dimensional nanometrology to satisfy the industrial needs, to strengthen the collaboration and to act as a forum to support workshops and conferences.
In the early years of the project, an inventory of present and future activities, of the existing measurement capabilities and of the foreseen needs was established. The network of the project helped also to respond to and participate in a coordinated way in nanometrology projects funded by the European union.
This coordinative and incentive work turned out to be less and less necessary since nanometrology got an integral activity in many NMIs, other networks were formed within European projects or in the discussion group on nanometrology within CCL and nanometrology became part of the European Metrology Research Programme EMRP, to which members of the EUROMET project contributed in establishing the corresponding roadmap.
In the last few years, there was no particular activity within this project apart from the support of the Nanoscale conference by participation in the local organizing committee and in the scientific committee.
At the EURAMET TC-L meeting in October 2013 it was decided to stop the project since there was no longer need for this project, since nanometrology is meanwhile widely established in the European NMIs and there are other groups or fora which have taken over the goals of the initiative.

Progress Report 2008-10-06

The project was originally intended to form a group of NMIs and experts among EURAMET members in order to strengthen the collaboration in the field of nanometrology and to act as forum to support workshops and conferences.

In the last few years, there was no particular activity within this project apart the support of the Nanoscale conference by participation in the local organizing committee and in the scientific committee.

The project is kept active for any adequate future activity of EURAMET in the field of dimensional nanometrology.

Progress Report

A steering group with representatives from NPL, NMi/VSL, PTB, DFM and METAS has been formed. The following progress has been made since the last progress report dated 10 October 2002.

A project description as well as most of the other documents mentioned below are made available under restricted access on the EUROMET Length web site http://www.npl.co.uk/euromet/length/docs.html#nano
The submitted Network of Excellence (FP6) by Günter Wilkening, PTB entitled Nanomet was unfortunately not successful. It will probably be resubmitted when an appropriate new call comes out.
Although Nanomet was not successful it was decided to continue the Nanoscale series of seminars. The next one will be held from 25 –26 March 2004 at the PTB. More information can be found on www.nanoscale.de.
EUROMET length has supported the MEMSTAND project (formerly MICROSPEC) which is headed by NPL. Rob Bergmans has represented EUROMET-length in the steering committee of MEMSTAND. A successful 3-day seminar was organized in Barcelona by MEMSTAND with one day especially dedicated to metrology, which has given more information on the needs of industry in nanometrology. More information on the workshop, the MEMSTAND questionnaire as well as the MEMSTAND standardization roadmap can be found on www.memstand.org.
The inventory with the present and future activities, the measurement capabilities and the declared CMCs, as well as the foreseen needs reported by the above listed EUROMET NMIs has been presented at the MEMSTAND seminar in Barcelona (24-26 Feb 2003), as well as at the WGDM meeting in San Diego (3 August 2003).