Contact:
Karen McCabe
+1 732 562 3824, k.mccabe@ieee.org or Edward Rashba, Manager, New
Technical Programs
+1 732 465 6449, e.rashba@ieee.org
NANOTECHNOLOGY STANDARDS INITIATIVES AT THE IEEE
The IEEE has taken the lead in developing nanotechnology-based electronics standards that address materials, devices and system-level interoperability. This activity is part of a broader nanotechnology effort at the IEEE driven by the IEEE Nanotechnology Council (NTC), an interdisciplinary group whose members are drawn from 20 IEEE Societies.
Nanotechnology Standards at the IEEE
The IEEE is creating standards to facilitate the movement of nanotechnology innovations from a research to a market environment and to establish fundamental nanotechnology platforms that support accelerated growth of the sector. These standards address critical commercialization issues, such as nanoelectronics device design and characterization, as well as quality and yield in manufacturing. Overall, the IEEE Nanotechnology Standards Initiative seeks to identify:
Nanoelectronic technologies likely to generate
products and services having high commercial and/or
societal value.
Areas where new standards can aid rapid commercialization,
technology transfer and diffusion into the market.
People and institutions to lead and support IEEE
nanotechnology standards projects.
One such standard is IEEE 1650™-2005, "Standard Test Methods for Measurement of Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes", is the first to define electrical testing procedures and to suggest characterization tools for carbon nanotubes. This uniform metrics foundation is intended to help accelerate the emergence of nanotube-based devices in transistors and other nanoelectric components. It addresses a variety of basic parameters, including electrical conductivity, Hall effect and other critical electrical properties of nanotubes and basic nanotube devices.
Another project is underway, IEEE P1690™ “Standard Methods for the Characterization of Carbon Nanotubes Used as Additives in Bulk Materials” which will define test methods for carbon nanotube quality control involving such factors as material purity and composition.
In addition, SEMI and IEEE have signed a memorandum of understanding to support each other’s programs to create nanotechnology and MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) standards. IEEE was also a member of the ANSI Nanotechnology Standards Panel Steering Committee, which prioritized needs for nanotechnology standards and provided a venue for coordination of nanotechnology standards developments among organizations.
Anticipatory Nanotechnology Standards at the IEEE
Nanotechnology has begun to benefit from an IEEE strategy that creates standards well before the products they concern are produced. Such anticipatory standards help drive early commercialization in emerging fields and promote acceptance among producers, users and the public. This strategy is often implemented through a standing working group, which provides a forum to consider new standards projects, guide the development of white papers into standards, and revise existing standards. A notable example of the anticipatory standards strategy is the IEEE 802™ effort, which has produced seminal wired and wireless networking standards for almost 20 years. Anticipatory nanotechnology standards, starting with IEEE 1650™-2005, will first focus on material characterization methods and equipment. Standards for device and component fabrication and testing, and systems architecture and interoperability will follow.
To define the scope and timing of these standards, the IEEE Nanoelectronics Standards Roadmap (NESR) initiative was launched in 2006 with two workshops (May in NYC, and Oct in Santa Clara, CA). This builds on initial prioritization of standards activities in an 2003 workshop hosted by NIST which addressed the materials, devices and interoperability specifications needed to structure nanotechnology methods and processes so data is reported uniformly and results can be compared and verified.
In the 2006 NESR workshops, discussions on priorities for standards took place in the context of a framework for nanomaterials, devices, functional blocks, and applications led by key industry participants. These are being incorporated into the IEEE Nanoelectronics Standards Roadmap version 1.0 which is currently in development. The NESR initiative on an ongoing basis seeks leadership and participants to initiate new standards projects based on the identified priority areas.
The IEEE and Nanotechnology
The IEEE Nanotechnology Council is a multidisciplinary group formed to advance and coordinate the many nanotechnology scientific, literary and educational endeavors within the IEEE. It has become a focal point in the field and is helping to unite the global nanotechnology community. The Council supports nanotechnology-related lectures, symposia and workshops, publishes the "IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology" and other periodicals, and sponsors nanotechnology standards. Its annual industry-wide conferences have been held in North America, Europe and Asia and covered such topics as nanoscale electronics, computing, data storage and materials. It sponsors the IEEE Nanotechnology Council Virtual Community for announcements, information, and discussions of interest to the worldwide nanotechnology community
