NIRT: Nanometrology for Nanoscale Science and Engineering

未来纳米设备和系统的制造将需要精确的手段来设计、组装、成像和测量纳米结构。由于对环境的敏感性、高成本以及在移动平台上需要大量高质量的反射镜，目前的干涉测量不能满足这些任务。北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特-麻省理工学院的团队将研究新的计量技术，这种新的计量技术基于被称为纳米栅格的大面积栅格图案，这种图案具有远距离空间相位相干性和超高精度，比目前最好的栅格好10-100倍。纳米颗粒将被用来取代纳米制造工具中的干涉仪，并校准其他维度的尺度。将对麻省理工学院开发的两个独特工具--麻省理工学院开发的纳米尺度器和赔偿委员会-麻省理工学院开发的亚原子测量机(SAMM)进行修改，以满足这些新的精度目标。SAMM将被用来表征纳米颗粒中的错误。NIST和我们的工业伙伴也将使用纳米颗粒，并将研究纳米压印纳米颗粒的准确性。这项研究的结果将使许多新的纳米技术工具商业化，并培养新一代纳米精密工程学生。该计划还将补充我们的公共宣传，其中包括重要的K-12规划和参与。

Manufacturing of future nanodevices and systems will require accurate means to pattern, assemble, image and measure nanostructures. Current interferometry is inadequate for these tasks due to sensitivity to the environment, high cost, and the large masses of the high quality mirrors that are required on moving stages. The UNC Charlotte-MIT team will research new metrology technology based on large-area grating patterns called "Nanogrids" that have long-range spatial-phase coherence and ultra-high accuracy that is 10-100 times better than the best current gratings. Nanogrids will be used to replace interferometers in nanomanufacturing tools and calibrate other dimensional scales. Two unique tools, the MIT-developed Nanoruler, which is a grating patterning and reading tool, and the UNCC-MIT developed Sub-Atomic Measuring Machine (SAMM), which is a metrology and imaging tool, will be modified to meet these new accuracy targets. The SAMM will be used to characterize errors in the Nanogrids. Nanogrids will also be used by NIST and our industrial partners and the accuracy on nanoimprinted Nanogrids will be investigated.The results of this research will enable the commercialization of numerous new nanotechnology tools as well as educate a new generation of students in nano-precision engineering. The program will also supplement our public outreach which includes significant K-12 programming and participation.