| Like the California gold rush of 1849, the emergence of | | | | the solution to our energy problems. This industry buzz, |
| nanotechnology presents both an enormous | | | | plus the massive private and public sector investments |
| opportunity and enormous risks. Just as new | | | | in nano research, built interest at every level. In 2000, |
| techniques, rewards, and challenges emerged during | | | | the late Dr. Richard Smalley spun off his work to form |
| the gold rush era, nanotechnology exploration will | | | | Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc. (now Unidym) with the |
| inevitably lead to the development of new tools to | | | | goal of commercializing his method of producing large |
| achieve new breakthroughs, the opportunity for | | | | batches of high-quality nanotubes. Unfortunately, at that |
| creating enormous wealth, and unfortunately, the | | | | point, there were no manufacturing standards or |
| potential for environmental, health, and safety disasters. | | | | guidelines for ensuring the reproducibility of the |
| Although nanotechnology undoubtedly will create | | | | company's manufacturing process. There were also |
| disruptive technologies that will spin off many new | | | | no known test and measurement guidelines for |
| jobs, it also has the potential for displacing existing | | | | verifying the reproducibility and proving results on a |
| workers unprepared to take on these new | | | | large scale. Given this, how would the company have |
| technologies. | | | | assured its customers of the quality of its products? |
| The first fruits of nano R&D are already being | | | | Or just as important, how could customers choose |
| harvested as disciplines as diverse as materials, | | | | confidently among various manufacturers' CNTs |
| electronics, biotechnology, and computing rush to | | | | based on their product description? |
| exploit nanotechnology's potential. Many consumers | | | | Buying carbon nanotubes isn't like buying baseballs or |
| have already become familiar with nano-derived | | | | bananas-it's impossible to judge their quality just by |
| products, such as improved types of cosmetics, | | | | looking at them. En masse, CNTs basically look like a |
| fabrics, paints, plastics, or personal electronics. | | | | pile of soot. How can incoming inspectors verify what |
| Nanotechnology offers all-but-unlimited opportunities for | | | | they have received? How do they know whether |
| those who can develop the next exotic material or | | | | they are single-walled or multi-walled tubes? Given the |
| electronic component that is cheaper, better, and | | | | different species of carbon nanotubes now available |
| faster than today's CMOS devices. It also holds huge | | | | (tubes that are metal or semiconducting, based on their |
| promise for those who will create the tools needed to | | | | chirality), most companies looking to purchase |
| produce these materials and devices. Despite the | | | | nanotubes would have had no basis on which to |
| recession, corporate and government labs around the | | | | ensure that what they received is what they ordered. |
| world continue to invest billions in nanoscience | | | | However, with a standard in place, customers have |
| research. Unfortunately, unless the public and private | | | | the tools needed to verify the materials they are |
| sectors work in cooperation to develop standardized | | | | purchasing. |
| test methods and guidelines, the transition from the | | | | Materials Characterization Techniques |
| laboratory to the marketplace could create many of | | | | Characterizing the specific properties of raw CNTs or |
| the same problems as the California gold rush did, | | | | other nanoscale materials is obviously important, but |
| particularly for the environment. However, with careful | | | | what about nanoscale materials intended to enhance |
| planning, we can have the appropriate terminology, test | | | | bulk materials or to create new materials with |
| measurement methods, reporting, and environmental, | | | | enhanced properties? What kinds of testing and |
| safety, and health safeguards in place early enough to | | | | reporting standards are needed? Must both |
| ward off serious consequences. | | | | mechanical and electrical testing be included when |
| Why Are Standards So Important? | | | | designing new materials? |
| Very simply, standards are crucial to achieving a high | | | | Probing and microscopy are used routinely to uncover |
| degree of interoperability, creating order in the | | | | new materials properties, but probe force should also |
| marketplace, simplifying production requirements, | | | | be considered. What happens to the electrical |
| managing the potential for adverse environmental | | | | properties of a nanoscale material under a particular |
| impacts, and most important, ensuring the safety and | | | | probe force? Some very thin materials can exhibit |
| health of those developing and using the next | | | | localized phase transformations at the probing location, |
| generation of materials and devices. | | | | which can change their electrical characteristics. What |
| Standards for nano terminology, materials, devices, | | | | kind of testing standards and guidelines are necessary |
| systems, and processes will help establish order in the | | | | to support probe force? |
| marketplace. For R&D researchers and engineers, | | | | Nanomechanical testing has become a popular way of |
| standards make it possible to make measurements | | | | determining quantitative, small volume mechanical |
| and report data consistently in a way that others can | | | | properties. Conceptually, nanoindentation is a relatively |
| understand clearly. Those responsible for developing | | | | straightforward technique in which an indenter probe of |
| standards will be at the forefront in understanding the | | | | a well-known geometry is pushed into and withdrawn |
| need for, and creation of, new characterization tools, | | | | from the material's surface while the force and |
| processes, components, and products to help | | | | displacement are continuously recorded. Conductive |
| jump-start this emerging field. This kind of approach | | | | nanoindentation, a new technique, combines |
| can represent a competitive tool in global markets. | | | | nanoindenter hardware with a conductive probe and |
| Creating a standard in advance of the release of a | | | | voltage/current source-and-measure instrumentation to |
| new technology allows both manufacturers and | | | | produce a time-based correlation of force, |
| consumers to gain greater confidence in it, promoting | | | | displacement, voltage, and current. When used in |
| greater acceptance and faster adoption. | | | | tandem, nanomechanical and electrical measurements |
| The following examples illustrate the importance of | | | | have proven highly sensitive to probe/sample contact |
| early standards development. | | | | conditions, as well as to material deformation behavior, |
| Carbon Nanotubes | | | | which adds important information to that obtainable |
| Although some of the more sophisticated electronics | | | | from nanoscale point measurements. |
| and medical advances scientists have envisioned are | | | | From a standards perspective, the most important |
| still years down the road, the development of some | | | | question becomes whether a broader audience would |
| nanoscale raw materials, particularly carbon nanotubes | | | | find this testing method acceptable. Would the |
| (CNTs), is already well underway. Years before CNTs | | | | nanomaterials community accept this as a best |
| were commercially available, industry observers heard | | | | practice measurement method and as a potential |
| how they would bring significant performance | | | | standard test methodology? |
| advantages to electronics, enhance materials to make | | | | This is the first of a two-part series about standards in |
| them stronger and lighter, and might even be part of | | | | nano technology. |