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NANOTECHNOLOGY STANDARDS INITIATIVES AT IEEE
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 IEEE driven by the IEEE Nanotechnology Council (NTC), an interdisciplinary group whose members are drawn from 20 IEEE Societies.
Nanotechnology Standards at IEEE
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", the first standard 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 that have potential uses 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. This standard has recently been adopted as ANSI/IEEE Std1650™-2005 as a dual logo between IEEE and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 113, Working Group 3 Performance of Nanomaterials for Electrotechnical Components and Systems.
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.
The IEEE NanoElectronics Standards Roadmap Initiative
One of the latest activities of the NTC is the NanoElectronics Standards Roadmap (NESR) initiative, launched in 2006. The purpose of NESR is to create a framework through which the IEEE-SA and the Nanoelectronics community may collaborate to define a roadmap for Nanoelectronics standards that will:
Identify High Value Standards Opportunities
Frame Near-Term Standards
Leverage, not Duplicate Existing Sources
Stimulate Industry Collaboration
Accelerate Nanoelectronics Standards Development
Establish Framework for Proactive Management of Standards
Built on the successful foundation of IEEE 1650™-2005, the NESR effort is tasked with developing a roadmap of standards development that will help electronic nanotechnology innovations make a smooth transition from laboratory to marketplace in the communications, information technology, consumer products and optoelectronics sectors.
NESR currently focuses in the areas of nanomaterials and devices that will have an immediate impact on industry in the short term, while also assessing the long term needs of a future electronics industry based on nanoelectronic architectures.
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 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.
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
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