Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) gave the green light to three new national primary standard materials: two-dimensional chromium nanogrids, two-dimensional silicon nanogrids, and one-dimensional silicon nanowires. These materials are set to meet the pressing needs of the nanomanufacturing industry and length calibration, providing accurate measurements for sectors including next-generation information technology, advanced materials, biomanufacturing, and high-end equipment.
In the field of nanomanufacturing, precision in measurement is paramount. The creation of high-precision, nanometer-grade standard materials is vital for establishing a reliable measurement transfer chain that boosts the quality of domestically produced nanomanufacturing products. Experts from Tongji University, who played a key role in developing these standard materials, pointed out that the two-dimensional chromium nanogrid standard material employs an innovative step-deposition atom lithography technique, which presents significant production challenges. This material can be traced back to the quantized physical constants of nature, specifically the transition frequency of chromium atoms, achieving an angular absolute accuracy of about 0.001 degrees—imagine slicing a cake into 360,000 equal pieces. The typical size of a two-dimensional chromium nanogrid is 300μm × 300μm, and when kept in pristine condition, it can measure an area of 2μm × 2μm more than 20,000 times without any overlap.
This standard material is set to enhance calibration for wafer-level atomic force microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, and other micro-nano detection equipment used in integrated circuits. It also supports various parameter calibrations for ultra-precision displacement sensors utilizing grating interference methods.
The successful launch of these nanometer-grade angular standard materials marks a significant milestone in facilitating a streamlined approach to measurements in the nanomeasurement field. This innovation helps mitigate the cumulative errors typically associated with traditional tiered measurement transfer methods, allowing high-precision measurement data to be sent directly to enterprise measurement sites. This advancement is a crucial step toward supporting the high-quality development of China’s nanomanufacturing industry.
Looking forward, SAMR is committed to further advancing the development and application of standard materials in the nanomeasurement sector, tackling pressing issues such as measurement challenges, incomplete measurements, and inaccuracies. These initiatives aim to strengthen the technological foundation for both current and emerging industries.
