Proceedings Article | 10 September 2007
KEYWORDS: Metrology, Nanotechnology, Manufacturing, Standards development, Semiconductors, Safety, Nanomaterials, Nanostructures, Principal component analysis, Bridges
Nanomanufacturing is the essential bridge between the discoveries of nanoscience and real world nanotech products and
is the vehicle by which the Nation and the World will realize the promise of major technological innovation across a
spectrum of products that will affect virtually every industrial sector. For nanotech products to achieve the broad impacts
envisioned, they must be manufactured in market-appropriate quantities in a reliable, repeatable, economical and
commercially viable manner. In addition, they must be manufactured so that environmental and human health concerns
are met, worker safety issues are appropriately assessed and handled, and liability issues are addressed. Critical to this
realization of robust nanomanufacturing is the development of the necessary instrumentation, metrology, and standards.
Integration of the instruments, their interoperability, and appropriate information management are also critical elements
that must be considered for viable nanomanufacturing. Advanced instrumentation, metrology and standards will allow
the physical dimensions, properties, functionality, and purity of the materials, processes, tools, systems, products, and
emissions that will constitute nanomanufacturing to be measured and characterized. This will in turn enable production
to be scaleable, controllable, predictable, and repeatable to meet market needs. If a nano-product cannot be measured it
cannot be manufactured; additionally if that product cannot be made safely it should not be manufactured. This
presentation introduces the Instrumentation, Metrology, and Standards for Nanomanufacturing Conference at the
2007 SPIE Optics and Photonics. This conference will become the leading forum for the exchange of foundational
information and discussion of instrumentation, metrology and standards which are key elements for the success of
nanomanufacturing.
