In January 2011 NPL's nanometrology experts published a review paper on nanometrology, written with European collaborators.

Measurement techniques and their typical dynamic ranges in the
lateral (wavelength) and vertical (amplitude) directions

The review paper 'The European nanometrology landscape' is published in the peer-review journal Nanotechnology, and was written by experts based at:

• NPL
• euspen
• Germany's national measurement institute PTB and their Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
• Denmark's national measurement institute Danish Fundamental Metrology
• France's Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais
• QinetiQ

The paper summarises the European nanometrology landscape from a technical perspective. Dimensional and chemical nanometrology are discussed first as they underpin many of the developments in other areas of nanometrology. Applications for the measurement of thin film parameters are followed by two of the most widely relevant families of functional properties: measurement of mechanical and electrical properties at the nanoscale.

Nanostructured materials and surfaces, which are seen as key materials areas having specific metrology challenges, are covered next. The final section describes biological nanometrology, which is perhaps the most interdisciplinary applications area, and presents unique challenges.

Within each area, a review is provided of current status, the capabilities and limitations of current techniques and instruments, and future directions being driven by emerging industrial measurement requirements.

Issues of traceability, standardisation, national and international programmes, regulation and skills development will be discussed in a future paper.

This paper was published as an output of the EC-funded Co-Nanomet project. Co-Nanomet is a programme of activities to address the need within Europe to develop the required measurement frame to successfully support the development and economic exploitation of nanotechnology.

The final output of Co-Nanomet will be a European Strategy for Nanometrology, which will be published in early 2011.

For more information, please contact Richard Leach

Read review paper 'The European nanometrology landscape' Nanotechnology, volume 22, number 6. Published 7 January 2011.

Find out more about NPL's work in nanometrology, nano-dimensional, nano-materials, and surface nano-analysis.