Chapter 6

CONCLUSIONS
Within the field of nanoparticle size measurement, internationally the level of
economic activity is extremely significant, and in Australia it is small but developing
quickly.
Approximately 13 Australian companies are currently involved with nanoparticles.
Activities include incorporating nanoparticles into commercial products, encapsulating
chemicals and pharmaceuticals into nanoparticles and suppling nanoparticle equipment
and instrumentation. Nanoproducts made in Australia include cosmetics and
sunscreens, ultra-violet resistant coatings on bottles, stain-resistant and wrinkle-free
textiles and nucleating agents. Manufactured nanoparticles are often not products in
their own right, but serve as raw materials, ingredients or additives in existing
products. A number of companies are exporting their products.
Australia manufactures nanoparticles across the 1 to 100 nm range and from a wide
variety of materials. There are five industry sectors where Australia has significant
nanotechnology opportunities based on the improvements available through current
technology developments. These are minerals and agribusinesses, medical devices and
health, energy and environment, advanced materials and manufacturing, electronics
and information, and communications technologies.
The

national

metrology institutes

of

most

industrialised

economies

have

nanometrology programs, many of them very significant, e.g. PTB, NPL, KRISS,
NMIJ and NIST. BIPM has conducted several international comparisons of
nanometrology standards through its Working Group on Dimensional Metrology (an
advisory committee to the Consultative Committee for Length).
There is a both a demand and an imperative for NMI to develop a nanometrological
infrastructure in Australia, with the requirements, in order of priority, being technical
support, traceability, industrial research and development, and documentary standards
and regulation. There are no alternative suppliers of this infrastructure.

A significant finding, not foreseen in the terms of reference, is the critical importance
of documentary standards and regulation, which are again underpinned by a
nanometrological infrastructure.
The most important conclusion of this investigation is that NMI should immediately
commence a program of establishing a nanometrology infrastructure in Australia,
beginning with dimensional (length) metrology.
A detailed three-year business plan for this development has been prepared. NMI is
unable to establish this infrastructure with its present physical and human resources.
Laboratory space and support services are adequate, but at least four extra scientists
will be required and new equipment will need to be purchased or developed. It is
estimated

that

an

additional

A$4.48 million will be required over the next three years, but note that this includes
the salaries and overheads of the four extra staff members.
The plan involves two main tasks. The first is to establish traceability for nanoscale
(dimensional) measurements in Australia by developing physical standards and
instruments capable of transferring Australias realisation of the metre, using known
optical wavelengths of light, down to nanometre measurements in the nanotechnology
community via a chain of comparisons.
The method proposed is to develop three high level instruments: a metrological AFM,
an optical diffractometer and an interference microscope. These instruments are
capable of calibrating artefacts such as gratings, grids and step height standards
directly in terms of optical wavelengths. These artefacts would then be used to
calibrate a wide range of standards and instruments used in the nanotechnology
community, including standard reference powders, SPMs and EMs. The proposed
traceability chart is shown on the next page.
This proposal has been designed to make as much use as possible of existing expertise
and equipment and to provide multiple uses of the new equipment. For example, the
precision rotary table for the optical diffractometer would be an important addition to
NMIs angle standards capability and the interference microscope would play a
critical part in NMIs surface texture capability and traceability.
The second task is to establish a laboratory for nanoparticle standards and
measurement containing instruments used in Australian companies and institutions.

The laboratory will provide traceable calibrations of nanoparticle standards for

industry. It will also investigate and resolve measurement issues and problems
associated with nanoparticle instruments. This work should be done in close
collaboration with the nanotechnology community and include exploring the
limitations, accuracy and characteristics of the instruments and the influence of testing
environments and sample preparation.
The development of expertise in nanometrology within NMI is an extremely
important objective of the business plan, establishing NMI as a national resource for
technology transfer and measurement-related expertise for nanometrology. An
important role for NMI is to maintain close links with international and regional
measurement and standards institutions and organisations. The aim of these
connections is to monitor overseas technical and regulatory developments and transfer
them back to the Australian nanotechnology community.
Future developments for the nanometrology program at NMI should include the
development of a -CMM and a metrological SEM. Extending and broadening the
spectrum of measurements from dimensional to quantities such as mass, force,
electrical and optical should also be considered in the near future.