Semiconductor metrology

The Engineering Physics Division (EPD) provides dimensional and electronics metrology and standards for advanced manufacturing. The Division's overall strategy is to improve measurement science and to develop the advanced measurements and standards needed by current and emerging science and technology-intensive industries

The EPD serves a diverse variety of high tech industries that play a critical role in advancing our nation’s economic competitiveness through improved and innovative manufacturing. It does this by providing technical leadership and research to industry, government, and academia in measurement science research, development, standards, and calibrations essential to the advanced manufacturing industries including aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, and the oil & gas industries. It is also responsible for realizing the SI unit of length and the derived units of acceleration, and acoustic pressure for the U.S.

The Division provides leadership in the research areas of dimensional, nanometer-scale, surface, and acoustic pressure metrology; accelerometry; silicon Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology; Micro-and Nano-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS); power electronics; nanoelectronics including molecular and beyond CMOS; reliability; bioelectronics; smart grid, forensics, and flexible/printed electronics.

The EPD’s technical activities span from basic research to critical measurement services that impact the U.S. industry in high-priority areas such as advanced manufacturing and nanotechnology. Research thrusts include 3D nanoscale metrology for nanomanufacturing, advanced devices, and advancing the state of the art for length measurements. The Division’s dimensional measurements range over 15 orders magnitude.

The EPD is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and operates within NIST's Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST.