Scales of Metrology

This chapter introduces the following metrology scales: nanometrology, micrometrology, standard-scale metrology, and large-scale metrology. The long-term growth of nanotechnology products is dependent on increased investment in infrastructure, including technology, manufacturing, and inspection development. Standardization is a prerequisite for successful development of nanotechnology in all aspects. The standardizations include scientific instrumentation, measurement methods showing the best way of carrying out measurements, and special protocols describing unsuitability of conventional methods translated to nanometrology to avoid gross errors in interpretation. The standard scale is the normal one starting from a few millimeter to around one meter length of objects, after micrometrology and before large-scale metrology. The best-known challenges in large-scale metrology are large measurement sizes in 3D with tight required tolerances, oversized structures, complex geometries, and difficult-to-reach features and challenging angles access. Large-scale metrology is mainly used for geometric inspection, and the linear dimensions vary from 1 to 100 m.