Project: Traceability of sub-nm length measurements

Although an error of less than one nanometre (or one billionth of a metre) may seem small enough to be inconsequential, there are already many important applications in metrology and industry that require uncertainties at this level. Such high accuracy measurements are usually made with a device called an optical interferometer, which uses the relationship between the wavelength, frequency and speed of light to calculate a length. Capacitive sensors, in which the distance between two electrodes is calculated from the permittivity of the medium between them and the capacitance, or ability to hold charge, can also be used. Although these devices rely heavily on calibration to remain accurate over time. This project aims to improve the traceability of high accuracy measurement devices used in National Metrology Institutes, nanomedicine, high-tech industries such as the semiconductor and nanopositioning industries, and the space industry, where calibrations need to be valid for the lifetime of the instrument.

Acronym	SIB08 subnano (Reference Number: SIB08)
Duration	01/07/2012 - 30/06/2015
Project Topic	Metrology
Project Results (after finalisation)	See Website
Website	visit project website
Network	EMRP
Call	EMRP Call 2011 - Health, SI Broader Scope and New Technologies

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt	Coordinator	Germany
2	Cesky Metrologicky Institut	Partner	Czech Republic
3	Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy	Partner	Finland
4	NPL Management Limited	Partner	United Kingdom
5	Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu	Partner	Türkiye
6	VSL B.V.	Partner	Netherlands
7	Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica	Observer	Italy
8	Technische Universiteit Delft		Netherlands
9	Università degli Studi di Torino		Italy