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Material Measurement Laboratory /Materials Measurement Science Division

Nanomechanical Properties Group

Our group develops and provides measurement science, measurement standards, and measurement technology for various characterization techniques needed by U.S. industry to better apply materials and components in a wide range of applications.

Our group works to advance metrology and instrumentation for measuring mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, and thermodynamic behavior of bulk materials, thin films, and interfaces.  We determine and disseminate key data to establish the relationship between structure, property, and performance of materials and devices to address current and future needs primarily in semiconductor microelectronics.  We develop standards, reference materials, micro- and nanofabricated test devices, and analysis techniques for improving the metrological foundation of characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, spectroscopy- and diffraction-based strain measurements, atom probe tomography, 3D microscopy, and 3D profilometry.

News and Updates

PROJECTS & PROGRAMS

Picture of PBD set up for wavelength measurement

Diffraction Metrology and Standards

Ongoing
Diffraction techniques can provide data on a number of sample characteristics. Therefore, the method of certification and the artifact itself are chosen to address a specific measurement issue pertinent to a diffraction experiment. NIST diffraction SRMs may be divided into five groups: Line Position
Nanocalorimeter Measurements Project

Nanocalorimetry Measurements

Ongoing
Accurate thermodynamic measurements are essential to understand fundamental properties of materials, providing direct and quantifiable insight into the thermodynamics of thin film reactions and phase transitions. Going forward, new classes of materials may only be synthesized as thin films, a scale
CRAFM_on_Au_cube

Nanoscale Property Measurements by Atomic Force Microscopy

Ongoing
Over the past several decades, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has advanced from a technique used primarily for surface topography imaging to one capable of characterizing a range of chemical, mechanical, electrical, and magnetic material properties with nanometer resolution. Such characterizations
Images of SRM 3461 device and enlarged view of the cantilever arrays at one end

Scanning Probe Microscopy Calibrations and Standards

Ongoing
The Nanomechanical Properties Group has expertise in a wide variety of SPM techniques, especially atomic force microscopy (AFM); however, the main research thrust for the Group’s standards project area deals with accurate cantilever stiffness calibration and the use and development of AFM methods
EBSD measurement on 63nm SiGe line

Strain Measurement for Semiconductor Devices

Ongoing
Mechanical strain is hugely important to semiconductor devices and packages while also being difficult to measure accurately. Strain is engineered into CMOS channels to improve carrier mobility for higher performance at lower power but is also intrinsically present from manufacturing processes where
SRM 3452 certified Seebeck coefficient data

Transport Property Measurements for Semiconductors and Energy Materials

Ongoing
The properties of materials and interfaces that govern reliability, performance, and thermal transport in advanced microelectronic packages are not fully characterized or understood, especially at device length scales wherein properties may differ significantly from bulk or literature values
View All Projects/Programs

standard reference and reference materials

Instruments &Tools

Hysitron PI-85 Picoindentor

Hysitron PI-85 Picoindentor

This in-situ indentation system can be integrated into electron microscopes as well as being run in other unusual setups. With a load capacity of 150 mN, this
Laser Doppler Vibrometer located in 218/D012 (Group 643.09)

Laser Doppler Vibrometer Microscope

Since 2006, the Nanomechanical Properties Group has pioneered the use of Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) to calibrate the stiffness of AFM cantilevers using the
Nanocalorimeter Measurement System

Nanocalorimeter Measurement System

This Nanocalorimeter Measurement System is used for nanocalorimetry measurements at fast heating rates (100 °C/s to 100,000 °C/s) and measurements of samples
Nanocalorimeter Calibration System

Nanocalorimeter Calibration System

The Nanocalorimeter Calibration System is used to calibrate each individual nanocalorimeter sensor chip used in the nanocalorimetry measurements project. The
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Publications

Awards

Contacts

Group Leader

Office Manager

Group Safety Representative