PANORAMA MUNDIAL
Metrology in Support of Competitiveness and Innovation:
World View
Reenie M. Parris
Special Assistant, Office of the Director
National Institute of Standards and Technology –
NIST (videoconferência)
PAINEL 12: METROLOGIA EM APOIO
À COMPETITIVIDADE E INOVAÇÃO
Topics will include
2
Need for acceptability and confidence in chemical measurements
provided globally
Tools/mechanisms for providing acceptability and confidence in
measurement results
Examples of impact on innovation, competitiveness, and
credibility if laboratories measurement do not provide this
confidence.
Some of the current issues under discussion at the global level
Mankind has long recognized the need for
measurement science and standards to support
construction, manufacturing and trade.
4
Metrological Traceability)
Traceability and global comparability are a basis for mutual
recognition … and international trade ... and confidence in data
used in making decisions relating to health, safety, commerce,
and/or scientific excellence.
SI
Units
RMOs
NMIs
Private and State
Lab Measurements
Field Measurements
5
ISO/IEC PRF Guide 99
2.41 (6.10)metrological traceability
property of a measurement result whereby the result can be related to a
stated reference through a documented unbroken chain of calibrations,
each contributing to the measurement uncertainty
Note the difference here between the use of “metrological
traceability” and the term relating to traceability of products. Both
refer to a “pedigree” but one refers to metrology criteria and the
other to chain of custody.
ISO 17511commutability
Closeness of agreement between the mathematical relationship of the
measurement result by two measurement procedures for a stated quantity
in a given material, and the mathematical relationship obtained for the
quantity in routine samples.
Note For reference materials, the focus of commutability is on
comparing the behavior of CRMs or RMs with that of routine test samples.
6
Traceability to stated references… and global confidence in this
realization are a basis for mutual recognition and confidence
in data used to facilitate and underpin international trade and
decisions regarding health, safety, commerce, and/or scientific
studies
Requirements
Measurements
Seller Buyer
Specifications
Measurements
NMIxNIST
SI
efficient
inefficient
Traceability is a Means, not an End !!!!!
Birth of the U.S. “Standard Samples” Program
1905
Standard samples program begins with “standardized irons”
in collaboration with the American Foundrymans Association
1906
At the request of the Association of American Steel
Manufacturers, the Bureau [now NIST] began work on
certification of 17 types of steel
• By 1951, there were 502 Standard Samples, 98 of these were
steels
• Today there are more than 1400 different NIST SRMs with
annual sales of ~32,000 units
Early Driver for Standards in the U.S.
1904
Out-of-town fire companies arriving at a Baltimore fire cannot
couple their hoses to the hydrants. 1526 buildings razed.
1905
National Fire Protection Association adopted NBS-developed
national hose coupling standard
Need for international acceptance and confidence in
measurement services
8
Fair trade
Trade agreements
– Internal markets
– WTO agreements
Worldwide services
Global issues (environmental, etc.)
Assessment of Food Safety and Nutritional Content
Informed Healthcare Decision-Making
Reliability of National Security-Related Measurements and Data
Innovation and Industrial Competitiveness
Industrial production (components and parts produced at another time and somewhere else on the globe must fit together)
Accreditation agreements
Metrological agreements . . .Goal: Once measured/tested, everywhere accepted
Approx. $500 M/yr
NIST investment
(0.7% of federal R&D)
Undergirds ~$10 B/yr
of private sector
investment in
measurements and
standards
Impacts U.S. economy
- More than half of
$7.6 T/yr U.S. GDP in
sales supported by
measurement
LE
VE
RA
GE
ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY...
Is vital for commerce and international trade
Accounts for ~50% of U.S. economic growth
Drives demand for new measurements and standards
Requires that NIST maintain state-of-the art scientific facilities
Food Quality & Adulteration, Healthcare, Forensics,
Environmental Quality, Advanced Materials, National
Security, Commodities Trading ......
E.g., Impact of NIST Measurement and Standards Programs
in US
10
Why SI Traceability?
Traceability to the SI leads to measurement results that have three properties.
Stable
• Results from measurements of the same quantity against the
same reference in one laboratory will be stable over time.
Comparable
• Results from measurements of the same quantity against the
same reference in different laboratories will be comparable over
both time and space.
Coherent
• Results from measurements of the same quantity against
different references will be same over both time and space.
Traceability to the SI provides all three of these.
Other approaches to standardization only provide the first two.
11
We can no longer ask customers to “trust us, we’re from your NMI !!!
The CIPM MRA provides
an open, transparent, and
comprehensive system
for vetting the calibration
and measurement
capabilities
that underpin services that
we deliver to customers. 1999
Metre Convention, CIPM MRA …
12
CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement
• Originally signed in by directors of NMIs of 38 member states of the Metre Convention
• It formalized existing ad hoc relationships, especially in the international chemical measurements community
• The MRA has now been signed by the representatives of 67 institutes (45 member states, 20 associates, 2 international organizations)
… was established in 1999 in response to a growing
need for an open, transparent and comprehensive
scheme to give users reliable quantitative information
on the comparability of national metrology services
and to provide the technical basis for wider agreements
negotiated for international trade, commerce and
regulatory affairs.
Requires:
1. Declaring and documenting calibration and measurement
capabilities (CMCs)
2. Evidence of successful participation in formal, relevant
international comparisons
3. Demonstration of system for assuring quality of each NMI’s
measurement services
Ideally, a National Metrology Institute (NMI)
• Is seen as its country’s ultimate reference point for
measurements and standards to support industry,
science and technology enterprise, national defense,
national and international commerce, and quality of life for
its citizens
• Has some enabling legislation in support of this role
that is recognized within its country
• Has its programs well-aligned with its country’s
strategic priorities
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Within this international framework
The typical role of an NMI (and/or Officially Designated Institutes in
a Distributed System) is to establish and maintain:
Scientifically-Sound, Metrologically-Based
Competencies and Measurement Capabilities that
are internationally Vetted and Recognized
To provide calibration and measurement services disseminated to Customers via mechanisms such as:
– Validated Reference Methods
– Certified Reference Materials
– Value-assignment of customer-provided samples or materials
(including PT samples)
– Reference Data
– Measurement Services for other Government Agencies
– Etc.
Unit Reference value used to define the unit
in current SI in the new SI————— —————————————
second, s (133Cs)hfs (133Cs)hfs Cs hyperfine splitting
metre, m c c speed of light in vacuum
kilogram, kg m(K ) h Planck constant
ampere, A 0 e elementary charge
kelvin, K TTPW k Boltzmann constant
mole, mol M(12C) NA Avogadro constant
candela, cd Kcd Kcd luminous efficacy of
a 540 THz source
Rigorous realization of these units has undeniable impact
on trade, commerce, and quality of life
NMI’s Around the World Have Programs Focused on
Physical Metrology and are Working Together to link our
measurement system on the fundamental constants of nature
1901 2014
More and more,
in addition to supporting the realization of SI units, more and more
countries are directing their NMIs to focus increasing amounts of
their research and measurement services activities on Quality of Life and Economic & Social Sustainability
NMIs often complement and support the missions of
other national governmental agencies
Many countries have agencies that regulate and oversee specific
sectors such as the environment.
E.g., U.S. EPA’s Mission is
to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment
— air, water, and land — upon which life depends.
NIST’s role is to support the measurements needed by EPA to
realize their mission.
18
In addition to manufacturing and trade,
Metrology for “Stuff” addresses a broad range of contemporary issues
“Meaningful nanotechnology EHS research requires
independent nanomaterial characterization”
- Nanowerk
“Pipeline Corrosion and Safety Issues
Take Spotlight” - Reuters
“Medical Devices Approved Too Soon?” - ABC News
“Up to 20% of published work
using human cell lines are
known to be misidentified”- Nature Editorial
“Vitamin D Testing:
What’s the Right Answer? – Clinical Lab News
Body of Evidence: New
Fast, Reliable Method
to Detect Gravesoil– Science Daily
“Rare Earth Metals Leave Toxic Trail to
Toyota, Vestas” – Bloomberg Business Week
“The trials of new carbon: commercialization is neither quick nor easy.” - Nature
“Trouble in Toyland,
toxic and hazardous
toys” – NBC News
Concerns Arise over Lead in
Dental CrownsPosted: March 3, 2008 07:45 PM EST
“Missing Micrograms Set a Standard
on Edge” – NY Times
19
Challenges associated with chemical
measurements of “real samples”
– tasked with accurately measuring
“practically nothing” in the midst of
“everything else” without the benefit of
absolute or quantum-based methods
– multiplicity of methods being used
– multiplicity of analytes and matrices
20
A Context for the Importance and Complexity of
Chemical Measurements
According to a study released by the Council
for Chemical Research, chemistry is core
or important to virtually all industrial
sectors and technology areas – “Measuring Up: Chemical R&D Counts for Everyone”, CCR, 2006
For metrology in chemistry the task is to
determine the quantity of a specific
chemical entity in a given matrix and not
merely "amount of substance" (i.e., requires
confirmation of identify as well as amount)
Chemical measurements are
multidimensional
– a large number of chemical entities (>105)
– in a broad range of matrices (10?)
– and mass fractions ranging from <10-12 to 1 # of compounds measured
>105
# o
f m
atr
ices
10
?
mass f
racti
on
<10
-12
to 1
# of compounds measured
>105
# o
f m
atr
ices
10
?
mass f
racti
on
<10
-12
to 1
21
... an example of this complexityRegulated Classes of Chemicals in Foods
(there are multiple measurands within each class)
1 g/g
1 ng/g
1 pg/g
1 g/g
1 mg/g
Nominal Concentrations of Measurands in FoodsNominal Concentrations of Measurands in Foods
proximates
dietary fiber
minerals
caffeine
trans fatty acids
GMOs
nitrates
allergens
toxic elements (lead, mercury)
pesticides
dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs
mycotoxins (aflatoxin, ochratoxin)
veterinary drug residues
marine biotoxins (okadaic acid, yessotoxins)
PAHs
vitamins
All of these measurements are impacted by legislation.
1 g/g
1 ng/g
1 pg/g
1 g/g
1 mg/g
Nominal Concentrations of Measurands in FoodsNominal Concentrations of Measurands in Foods
proximates
dietary fiber
minerals
caffeine
trans fatty acids
GMOs
nitrates
allergens
toxic elements (lead, mercury)
pesticides
dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs
mycotoxins (aflatoxin, ochratoxin)
veterinary drug residues
marine biotoxins (okadaic acid, yessotoxins)
PAHs
vitamins
All of these measurements are impacted by legislation.
• 50 to 60 elemental
species of importance
• >105 organic species
in a wide variety of
sample types
• covering 12 orders of
magnitude in
concentration.
22
Facilitating Innovation in the “Biosciences” is Hard
Life processes are very complex and the information space is very vast
Krebs
Cycle
Understanding life processes requires more than physical and chemical measurements
Physical: What’s the mass of Willie? 90 kg
Chemical: How much cholesterol is there in Willie’s blood? 150 mg/dL
Biological: Which cholesterol-lowering drug would be best for Willie in terms
of both efficacy and potential side effects? Trial and Error
Not as simple
as we once
thought
For measurand:
What is the assigned-value meant to provide:
“Truth”
– Realization of the SI units: Mole, kilogram, meter,
What a standard method should get
– Method-dependent value
– Realization of operationally defined process
Other???
“Lead” in a soil material as xx mg/kg (estimate of “truth”)
or “Lead by US EPA Method yyy” as zz mg/kg in a soil material
or ???
A Global Challenge
Are seeing exponential increase in requests for CRMs and Proficiency
Tests – especially in organic and bioscience areas
With the immense number of analyte-matrix-concentration levels, etc.,
how can we cover our “measurement space” effectively and efficiency?
– Certified Reference Materials
– Proficiency Test Samples with SI-traceable Reference Values
– Neat Calibration materials with assigned purity
- Not achievable to have one-to-one match for each combination. So:
How do laboratories realize metrological traceability?
What do various assessors expect/require?
…
With no quantum methods typically available,
– Need an efficient strategy for CRM producers to collectively establish a
“virtual system” to provide and maintain a set of CRMs that meet global
needs and cover the chemical measurement “space” to meet metrological
requirements; with a range of CRMs of “higher order” ….. to CRMs
needed for testing laboratories for more routine use.
24
25
Chemical Measurements
Chemical measurements involve the determination of the
quantity of a specific chemical entity and not merely
"amount of substance" (i.e., requires confirmation of
identify as well as amount)
– A primary reference for the chemical to be measured (a
reference material of known chemical purity) is required to
provide the basis for establishing the relationship between
instrumental response and the amount of this chemical present in
the sample.
Mass/g of
“Unknown”y = 0,77346x + 0,00097
R2 = 0,99999
0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0
0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0
m Eth / m IS
A E
th / A
IS
Mass/g, calibrant
Instr
um
en
tal R
esp
on
se
Inst Response of
“Unknown”
Example of calibration curve
26
Analysis Space for Organic Primary Calibrators
(Neat materials and/or calibration solutions)Approach being used at CIPM Consultative Committee for Metrology in
Chemistry and Biology: Organic Group
(As polarity indicator)
27
Primary Calibrants Accuracy (matrix-based)
How can the wide-ranging, diverse area of
food “stuff” be addressed?
• Most food analysis labs provide analyses for a similar set of analytes but in a wide range of food types (matrices)
• Matrix differences and concentration differences are the primary measurement challenges. • By providing SRMs certified for these common food analytes in each of the major sections
of the “food triangle”, NIST covers most of the field of CRMs needed for the validation of these measurements of foods.
Examples of Food-matrix Standard Reference Materials by Sector
Every food can be placed in
one of these 9 sub-triangles
according to its % protein,
% fat, and % carbohydrate
coordinates.
29
• There are many different providers / sources of Reference
Materials (RMs) and Certified Reference Materials (CRMs).
• Typically, these meet the accepted definitions of an RM or
CRM. Providers include:
– National Measurement Institute (NMI) or designated institute (DI)
responsible for national standards
– Reference Laboratory as designated by a governmental body,
regulatory body, customer sector group, national or international
organization, provided for by normative standard requirements, etc. –
may provide CRMs
– Commercial providers of certified reference materials, reference
materials and/or proficiency testing
• There are appropriate roles and needs for these various
CRMs/RMs in the metrological hierarchy.
• However, the use of the term “Certified Reference Material”
is not restricted and thus can be misused.
Update on General Guides/Standards for Reference
Materials
Being revised – very close to being published– ISO Guide 30:1992, Terms and definitions used in connection with reference
materials.– ISO Guide 31:2000 – “Reference materials -- Contents of certificates and labels”– ISO Guide 33:2000 – “Uses of certified reference materials”
Being revised –− ISO Guide 35:2006 – “Certification of reference materials -- General and statistical
principles”
Just published: Guide 80 on in-house RMs h
Guide 34 “General requirements for the competence of reference material producers” is being turned into a Standard, ISO 17034, by a joint REMCO/CASCO working group.
• next joint meeting in early December 2014
30
31
www.iso.org/iso/home/store/
catalogue_tc
ISO REMCO Standards -
Published and Revisions
under development
32
ISO Guide 35 and ISO Guide 34
The definition of reference materials is referenced to ISO Guide 30 (not ISO/IEC PRF
Guide 99 (VIM).
Reference Material (RM)
material, sufficiently homogeneous and stable with respect to one or more
specified properties, which has been established to be fit for its intended
use in a measurement process.
Note 1 RM is a generic term
Note 2 Properties can be quantitative or qualitative (e.g., identity of
substances or species).
Note 3 Uses can include the calibration of a measurement system, assessment
of a measurement procedure, assigning values to other materials, and
quality control.
Note 4 An RM can only be used for a single purpose in a given measurement
A few definitions:
33
ISO Guide 35 and ISO 34
The definition of (certified) reference materials is referenced to ISO Guide 30 (not
ISO/IEC PRF Guide 99).
Certified Reference Material (CRM)
A reference material, accompanied by a certificate, one or more of
whose property values are certified by a procedure which
establishes its traceability to an accurate realization of the unit in
which the property values are expressed, and for which each
certified value is accompanied by an uncertainty at a stated level of
confidence. [as in ISO VIM: 1993, 6.14]
ISO/IEC PRF Guide 99 [VIM] :
• 5.14 (6.14)
certified reference material
CRM
reference material, accompanied by documentation issued by an
authoritative body and referring to valid procedures used to obtain
a specified property value with uncertainty and traceability
34
Building a structure -
•Don’t just start pouring concrete or
sawing wood and nailing it together
•Need to know what you’re building –
country cottage, mansion, store,
warehouse …
•Need knowledge of function of
building
•Plan – many available and modified for
use in the case of interest or new plan
is generated
•Constraints / fit-for purpose
Value-assigning a material -
•Don’t just start analytical
measurements
•What is analyte?
•What value – best estimate of truth or
value obtained with conforming
measurements using a specific method
or ……
•What’s intended use of the value
•Plan – typically, there is no ONE way
of value-assigning a material but a
number of appropriate, technically
sound ways that can be used
•Constraints / fit-for purpose
35
A number of approaches are used to certify values (with appropriate
uncertainty) in CRMs and for value-assignments of PT Materials.
These include: :
a) Use of Known / Calculated values - with results determined by specific
test item formulation (e.g. manufacture or dilution).
b) Use of Validated Reference Procedure(s)
c) Use of a specified Measurement Process (method dependent,
empirical method).
d) Consensus values from expert laboratories - expert laboratories
should have demonstrated competence . . .
e) Consensus values from participant laboratories
f) Combinations of these
Different approaches to be used will require different
reference material provider competencies.
37
CIPM MRA KCDB
38
CRM Material Providers:
• Provide design/process to assure “quality” of reference or proficiency test
material and its assigned value(s)
• Provide documentation and information to user to support value-
assignment and claim of traceability
• Provide information as to intended use and appropriate use of material
• Appropriate use of ISO Guide 30 series and other relevant guides and
standards
Users of material and/or users of resulting analytical data:
• Assess relevancy and suitability of CRM, including the specified
measurand, the measurand assigned value, metrological traceability,and
its associated uncertainty, for THEIR intended use and program /
regulatory / quality system needs
• Appropriate use of CRM and RM to maintain validity and to support user’s
metrological traceability claim.
Responsibilities:
39
Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) and Proficiency
test (PT) materials with property values that:
• Are appropriate for their intended use, and
• Are recognized as appropriate by users of these
material and users of data resulting from their use
• Can be used to provide metrological traceability for
intended purpose by user
are a critical component of schemes for
providing mutual recognition and confidence in
chemical measurements worldwide.
Metrology and its Impact on Innovation, Commerce,
and Economic & Social Sustainability
• Impact on competitiveness and credibility without use
and appropriateness of metrological infrastructure
40
FAPAS data - tin
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Results in ascending order
Tin
mg
/kg
reference value assigned by an NMI (LGC (UK)) = 224.6 mg/kg
consensus value (as used in FAPAS PT evaluation) = 206 mg/kg
Effect on Rating Number of Labs. Percent
'Acceptable' >> 'Unacceptable'
17 37
'Unacceptable' >> 'Acceptable'
9 20
No change to rating 20 43
Changes in ratings of
laboratories PT
performance if use
reference value instead
of consensus value
Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS®)
Proficiency Test 0754 Results (>70 food testing laboratories)
Tin in a frozen tomato paste
42
Healthcare: Lack of Standards has Economic and
Quality-of-Life Implications
NIS
T
43
Bias in Cholesterol Measurement Affects Medical Decision-Making
0
50
100
150
200
250
50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Cholesterol, mg/dL
Nu
mb
er
of
pati
en
ts
Cholesterol Frequency
Distribution of >20,000
Mayo Clinic Patients(with +1%, +3% and +10% limits
around 240 mg/dL criteria point)
-15-46
-129
+14
+51
+197
If measurement Positives (>240 mg/dL) Predicted Change
bias were: per 1000 in “Positives/1000”
-10% bias 120
-3% bias 203
-1% bias 234
0% bias 249
+1% bias 263
+3% bias 300
+10% bias 446
Measurement Challenges for Enforcement of
Food Regulations: Four Key Areas
3) Indigenous
contaminants2) Labeling and
nutritional
legislation
4) Tariff classification
1) Incurred residues and
contaminants in food
ECONOMICAL LOSSES DUE TO TEMPORAL CLOSURE OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETS TO CHILEAN EXPORTS
Due to unreliable measurements, it is likely that certain residues in foods such
as antibiotics, pesticides, or heavy metals might result in higher concentration
values than those established by international regulations. This might cause a
temporal closure of certain destination markets. If it is assumed that, on
average, such closure can last 2 months, and that re-establishment of normal
trade can be achieved in 4 months, then the economic losses would be
approximately:
• Temporal closure of grapes market in USA $ 161M
• Temporal closure of salmon market in USA $ 198MJapan $ 176MUE $ 77M
• Temporal closure of pig meat market in Japan $ 161M
IMPACTS FROM UNRELIABLE MEASUREMENTS
FAPAS data - tin
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Results in ascending order
Tin
mg
/kg
reference value assigned by an NMI (LGC (UK)) = 224.6 mg/kg
consensus value (as used in FAPAS PT evaluation) = 206 mg/kg
Effect on Rating Number of Labs. Percent
'Acceptable' >> 'Unacceptable'
17 37
'Unacceptable' >> 'Acceptable'
9 20
No change to rating 20 43
Changes in ratings of
laboratories PT
performance if use
reference value instead
of consensus value
Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS®)
Proficiency Test 0754 Results (>70 food testing laboratories)
Tin in a frozen tomato paste
Environmental Decision-making depends on
Environmental Measurements and ModelsClimate Change
Assessment; Green
House Gases,
Aerosols, Stationary
and Mobile Source
Emissions; Air Quality
Quality and Health
of the Marine
Environment; Links
to Human Health
National Reference System for
Environmental Measurements• Measurement Research
• Standards Development
• Quality Assurance Activities
• International Activities
Environmental
monitoring
(including specimen
banking and Gulf Oil Spill
damage assessment;
drinking & wastewater
Green
Sustainable
Manufacturing &
Processes;
Sustainable
Sediment
Management
48
Quantity of dredged material for disposal: > 4 x 106 m3 per year
• Disposal costs:
– For unrestricted disposal: $30 M per year
– For containment: $150 M to $600 M per year
• Testing costs per federal project: $1 M per year
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - New York District
Sediment CRM Enhances Accuracy of
Environmental MeasurementsSRM 1944, NY/NJ Waterway Sediment• SRM provides accuracy base for reliable
decision-making
• Produced in collaboration with NY District
Army Corps of Engineers and
Environment Canada
• First NIST natural matrix SRM with values
assigned for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-
dioxins and dibenzofurans– Certified values for >70 analytes
– Reference values for >80 analytes
Unnecessary Incineration
or
Unnecessary Containment
Inappropriate Disposal
of
Contaminated Material
True Value
Wasted $$$
$$$
Adverse Health and
Environmental
Effects
False positive False negative
Impact of Analytical Accuracies
on Environmental Decisions
49
Commodities
The value of a “commodity” is often determined by the amount of the major
component or by the amount of various impurities in the commodity.
Examples include:
• Amount of Precious metal in metal ore determines the value
• Amount of Sulfur and Moisture in Crude Oil is inversely related to
its value
50
The world produces and trades ~161 different varieties of crude oil.
Major “purity” properties affecting prices of different grades include:
• Specific gravity (lightness) (as measured in degrees API (a scale devised
by the American Petroleum Institute)
• Percentage of sulfur content by weight
• Acidity
• Moisture
*The International Crude Oil Market Handbook, 2004
Price differentials vary widely
depending upon availability of
crude, refinery capacity, current
transportation costs, etc.; however:
• It is estimated that each
percentage point increase in
sulfur content decreases the
value by 3 percent
51
Optical Remote SensingHigh Accuracy Spectroscopy Application
Configurations– Multi-path observations combined with:
• tomographic reconstruction approaches and GPS time stamping
provide 3D plume flux determination
– Ground based – vehicle or tower
– Airborne
Payoffs– Enable GHG quantification for geographically distributed sources &
sinks
– Point source verification at physical point of emission – [ My Emissions
or Yours? ]
nGHG.
Emerging Industrial Sector:
Organic and Flexible Electronics ManufacturingIndustry Need
• Flexible, polymer-based electronic devices are compatible with versatile solution processing
methods with potential in displays, photovoltaics, sensors, logic, lighting, and radio-
frequency identification tags. Their market is predicted to be $10 to $30 B globally by 2015.
• Manufacturing is hindered by poor reproducibility & highly process-dependent properties.
NIST program focuses on:
• Developing an integrated suite of nondestructive measurement methods to evaluate
organic-based electrical devices and tie both the electrical performance and interfacial
morphology of the active molecules in the device to their chemical structure, fabrication
methods, and processing parameters.
• Providing the measurement link for the structure - processing - performance paradigm will
rationally accelerate product development, enable standard measurements, and provide a
basis for quantitative comparisons
Organic Solar Cell
R2R Manufacturing
NIST, e.g.,
• Has provided this emerging industry sector with measurements to
help understand why selected organic semiconductors are high-
performers (as the charge mobility of Merck’s pBTTT vs. P3HT).
• Provided measurements that illuminated the impacts of thermal
treatments and coating methods on the materials structure &
device performance of organic photovoltaics.
Metrology Program pays Significant Dividends to a Nation’s
Economy and Quality of Life
Impacts innovation, commerce, and economic & social sustainability
Is a critical part of our global infrastructure
Thanks for Your Attention Reenie M. Parris
Special Assistant to the Acting DirectorNational Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau DriveGaithersburg, Maryland 20899-1000
www.nist.gov+(301) 975-3103
Questions and Comments?
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