Nanofabrication for Metrology

Modern manufacturing requires a set of standards, agreed internationally, that cover all aspects of metrology. For example, it is not uncommon that a product may be designed in one country, its parts manufactured in a second, with its final assembly occurring in a third. For this to happen seamlessly all parties must agree to rules that determine all aspects of metrology, be they length, time, mass, or any other unit of measurement. As we move into the age of nanotechnology it is becoming more important that we have ever-greater levels of precision in existing standards, and often completely new standards are required. This project is involved with developing new methodologies and instruments for metrology on the nanoscale, as a collaborative project with the National Physical Laboratory, U.K.

A combination of focused ion beam and nanomanipulation is used to produce devices and structures that can be utilised in the National Physical Laboratory’s Quantum metrology program.  This program aims to develop standards and metrological methodologies applicable to new technologies. Presently we are looking at measurement methods for magnetic nanoparticles (shown in the figure), adhesion of nanoparticles, single-particle detection, force and mass measurement in the zepto Newton\gram range, and quantised current conduction.