NanoScale - Seminar on quantitative microscopy, dimensional and related measurements in the micro- and nanometre range, Helsinki, 10-12, October, 2023, Finland
After a four-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminar series ‘NanoScale—Seminar on quantitative microscopy, dimensional and related measurements in the micro- and nanometre range’ could finally be continued. The ninth NanoScale took place as a three-day seminar in the conference centre Technopolis Ruoholahti in Helsinki, Finland, from 10th to 12th October 2023. With a total of 19 selected scientific papers and one Technical Note, this Special Issue of Measurement Science and Technology presents selected contributions from NanoScale 2023. All papers have passed a double-blind peer review. The NanoScale organizers thank all reviewers involved in this process and the MST Editorial Board for their support. NanoScale is a seminar—usually held every third year at different institutes in Europe—that stimulates the exchange between metrologists, other researchers and users on measuring techniques for the nano- and microworld such as scanning probes and advanced optical and electron microscopies, as well as related techniques. Accurate determination of dimensional and other properties of micro and nanostructures and other advanced materials is essential not only for research and development, but increasingly also a prerequisite in process control, quality assurance and safety control in a broad range of industries from semiconductor business and ultra-precision manufacturing to nanobiology and nanomedicine. Hybrid metrology, data fusion and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in metrology are nowadays key topics for efficient measurement and analysis. With 106 participants from 24 countries, including overseas guests from Australia, Japan, the USA, Korea, Taiwan and South Africa, NanoScale 2023 was once again well received. Many conference guests expressed their gratitude for NanoScale being an in-person seminar again instead of it being organized as a virtual event or in a hybrid format, and were pleased to finally meet their colleagues in person again. This relaxed atmosphere was heavily missed for several years during the pandemic. Lab tours of the metrology labs of VTT MIKES on the Otaniemi campus in Espoo were offered to the participants, too. A total of 83 contributions—31 oral presentations and 52 posters—were made at NanoScale 2023, ranging from the development of novel measurement instrumentation, via transfer standards from crystalline standards for traceability down to the atomic scale and up to chirped standards for optical microscopy, to simulation and modelling as well as the application of AI. NanoScale 2023 included special sessions on ‘Traceability of localised functional properties of nanostructures with high-speed SPM’ and ‘3D roughness and dimensional measurements using optical 3D microscopy and optical distance sensors’ (EMPIR projects 20IND08 MetExSPM and 20IND07 TracOptic). The aim of the EMPIR project 20IND08 MetExSPM was to develop modular sub-systems for high-speed large-range scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) (HS-SPMs) with built-in metrological traceability to the SI-unit metre. New active SPM probes, achieving a high resonant frequency with low spring constants, were developed with active on-chip actuation and sensing, including new electronics and characterization methods. These probes are capable of measurements of functional nanoproperties and can be integrated into commercial SPMs. This work will thus have a wider impact in SPM measurements.Furthermore, a new generation of scanning stages was developed for HS-SPMs, capable of combining high-speed motion (∼10 mm s−1) with a large stroke (∼10 mm). The developed setup is based on a combination of a long-stroke high speed scanner including a three-axis monocrystalline piezo stage, a six-axis polycrystalline piezo stage and a six-axis large-stroke magnetic levitation stage, including high-speed 6-DoF interferometry sensors and enabling real-time measurements in industry without dynamic position errors. These stages find applications in other fields requiring both high speed and high accuracy. High-speed and large-range SPM measurements require new control and data processing software tools. Methods for HS-SPM data processing were developed for image stacks and XYZ data handling. In addition, methods for stitching SPM images measured for large scanning were developed. The methods can be applied to different types of SPM data, not only high speed or large range. All the developed algorithms are available in Gwyddion open-source software or Gwyscope open hardware. The aim of the EMPIR-Project 20IND07 TracOptic was to achieve a better understanding of optical measurements of surface topography and convey this knowledge to the users, which is of paramount interest to a wide range of industries. It is estimated that surface effects cause 10% of manufactured parts to fail, which has financial implications. Optical measuring systems are widespread as they are fast, with high resolution, and contactless, and are therefore nowadays indispensable in industry for roughness and dimensional measurements. At NanoScale 2023, the results of TracOptic were presented with talks and several posters.A thorough study of the metrological characteristics using carefully chosen reference samples is a prerequisite to assess the measurement capabilities. For optical measuring systems, this is often more difficult than for tactile instruments because of the complexity of the interaction between the object’s surface and the measuring system, which demands a systematic investigation of further parameters, such as topography fidelity, slope and curvature measurement capabilities. Moreover, simulation models for confocal microscopes, coherence scanning interferometers, focus variation instruments and optical distance sensors were developed, which can now be used to develop virtual instruments. The project improved the traceability of 3D roughness and dimensional measurements using optical 3D microscopy and optical distance sensors by supplying corresponding simplified uncertainty budgets. Good practice guides and E-learning modules on how to select and set up optical 3D microscopy and optical distance sensors for roughness and dimensional measurements were developed and can now be used to check and improve the reliability of optical measurements. NanoScale 2023 was jointly organized by VTT MIKES (the Finnish national metrology institute), PTB (the German national metrology institute), Helmholtz Fund and EURAMET TC-L (Technical Committee for Length) and supported by the Working Group Nanometrology of the BIPM Consultative Committee for Length (CC-L WG-N). The scientific committee of NanoScale comprises experienced metrologists from all over Europe and beyond, whom the organizers cordially thank for their review of abstracts, for selecting the talks, chairing the sessions and moderating the discussions with their expertise and guidance. This has contributed to the success of NanoScale 2023, which finally resulted in the papers presented in this Special Issue. The organizers thank all authors for their hard scientific work and hope that this Special Issue gives the readers an update on state-of-the-art dimensional nano- and micrometrology, and inspires them with new ideas.
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Korpelainen, V., Lassila, A., Brand, U., & Dziomba, T. (2025). Editorial for the MST Special Issue NanoScale 2023. Measurement Science and Technology, 36(4), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/adb642
