A PEEK ON the lab

We are introducing the Czech Metrology Institute, which is a national metrology institute of the Czech Republic.

Department of Nanometrology is focusing on measurements with nanoscale spatial resolution, including dimensional, mechanical, electrical, thermal, magnetic and optical quantities.

In this image we can see the metrology SPM that is being used for developing advanced scan paths based on non-raster scanning. This will be used in the NanoWires project to develop statistically more efficient methods for measurements on individual nanowires, which is one of the approaches to achieve high throughput measurements.

Scan path optimisation in Scanning Probe Microscopy can lead to significant save of time and increase of measurement accuracy as only the relevant parts of sample are measured with high resolution.

This is the process that is being optimized within the NanoWires project, focusing on various structures that will be created within the project.

In this image the local variance path refinement method is tested on a virtual nanowires sample, generated using data synthesis tools in Gwyddion open source software. Using synthetic data during the development of scan path routines has the benefit of knowing the sample parameters in advance.

Researcher Jan Martinek is setting up an infrared microscope system for measurements of performance on nanowire based solar cells.

This system, together with a thermoreflectance setup and a Scanning Thermal Microscope is being developed for fast and traceable measurements of local thermal inhomogeneities on active nanowire based samples in the NanoWires project.

The multi-functional head that is shown in this image can be operated with different positioning systems, ranging up to centimeter scans and reaching up to single nanometer accuracy.