US-Japan Workshop on Tools and Metrology in Nanotechnology

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

The National Nanofabrication Users Network (NNUN) and Cornell University propose to organize an international symposium of leading scientists and engineers in the field of nanotechnology from US and Japan. The meeting will be held at Cornell University in Jan. 2003. Operating in a workshop environment, key issues in the development of tools and metrology for nanotechnology will be explored in an interdisciplinary environment that will be guided by the major research successes of this field. Many interesting new nanoscale phenomena have been discovered in recent years, with significant promise for impact on society. This promise has lead to increased funding for nanotechnology including the National Nanotechnology Initiative here in the US. However, the transition from a discovery to a practical or even potentially practical device or process is a long one. Appropriate tools and methods are critical to this transition. This includes tools for fabrication, visualization, and characterization, as well as methods and standards to assure repeatability and accuracy of fabrication and analysis. Few of these tools and methods exist today. Research Impact The field of nanotechnology is unique among the scientific frontiers in its breadth and its extensive interdisciplinary content. This symposium will bring together leaders in the varied fields to explore common phenomena, common requirements, and common techniques with the intent of expanding innovation in nanotechnology tools and methods. Broader Impact of Program: While primarily intended to explore the development of tools and techniques for nanotechnology, a significant component will be to increase interaction and collaboration between scientists and engineers in the US and Japan. Scientists from Japan and the United States are among the research leaders in the field of nanotechnology. Similarly, both countries lead the world in the development of instrumentation for fabrication and characterization at all scales. There is thus much potential for the development of new tools and new methodologies to be gained by an international interdisciplinary workshop in this area. Tremendous developments in nanotechnology have occurred in both the US and Japan in the last 5 years. This workshop is an opportunity to share some of those developments and to explore the subsequent requirements for improved tools and metrology in nanotechnology.