Measuring the future: Nanoscale metrology and the global race for technological competitiveness

January 6, 2026

Through pointing a light beam towards atoms, one can examine their structure and quantum physical consequences.,3d rendering — Image: © Oselote | iStock

Cecilia Van Cauwenberghe, Research Director at Everest Group, explains how to measure the future using nanoscale metrology and discusses the global competition for technological superiority. She highlights how nations and companies are leveraging atomic-level precision to gain a significant industrial advantage

Precision as the new frontier of competition

The industrial revolutions of the past were measured in horsepower, megawatts, and terabytes. The next one will be measured in nanometers. In a world where performance, yield, and reliability hinge on structures invisible to optical instruments, nanoscale metrology has become a strategic capability that separates technological leaders from followers.

At the heart of this transformation is the ability to quantify, map, and correlate properties – mechanical, chemical, and electrical – at atomic and molecular scales. This discipline, known as nanoscale measurement science, forms the invisible infrastructure of innovation. It governs the reliability of semiconductors, the performance of batteries, and even the efficacy of biomedical devices.

The stakes are high: whoever commands nanoscale precision will dominate the design, production, and regulation of next-generation technologies. For nations and companies alike, nanoscale metrology is no longer an analytical niche but a decisive axis of industrial competitiveness.^(3,4,5,6)

Beyond imaging: The evolution of nanoscale measurement tools

The transition from traditional microscopy to quantitative nanometrology marks a profound shift in how science observes and engineers matter. At the center of this transformation is atomic force microscopy (AFM). This technology has evolved from simply “feeling” surfaces with a nanometric tip to characterizing complex functional properties with subnanometer precision.

In its early years, AFM produced stunning surface topography maps, but its modern incarnations reveal far more. Today’s multimodal AFM instruments can measure elastic modulus, adhesion, conductivity, surface potential, piezoelectric behavior, and even chemical composition – often simultaneously. They do this through specialised operational modes that transform a simple cantilever into a suite of sensors.

Contact Resonance AFM (CR-AFM), for instance, quantifies mechanical stiffness by measuring shifts in the resonant frequency of a cantilever in contact with a surface. This enables the precise mapping of elasticity across thin films and heterogeneous materials, providing critical insights into semiconductor layers, polymers, and composites.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its collaborators extended this concept further with Intermittent Contact Resonance AFM (ICR-AFM), which captures three-dimensional information on elasticity and viscoelasticity while minimizing sample damage. By combining frequency tracking with intermittent contact, ICR-AFM delivers nanometer-resolved subsurface profiles that conventional imaging cannot achieve. ⁽¹⁾

At the chemical level, AFM-infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) merge mechanical probing with optical spectroscopy. These hybrid techniques identify molecular signatures at tens of nanometers’ resolution, surpassing the diffraction limit of light microscopy. They are particularly transformative in polymer science, energy materials, and biomedicine, where composition and morphology dictate function. ⁽²⁾

Meanwhile, Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) maps electrostatic potential and work function variations across device surfaces, revealing how charge and defects govern performance in semiconductors, photovoltaics, and batteries.

Together, these innovations mark the dawn of correlative nanoscale metrology, in which mechanical, electrical, and chemical data converge to form a multidimensional understanding of how materials truly behave. The result is a new foundation for precision engineering – one that enables the measurement, modeling, and optimization of once invisible phenomena.

From measurement to industrial strategy

The metrology revolution is not only technical; it is geopolitical and economic. In an era defined by semiconductor sovereignty, energy resilience, and medical innovation, nanoscale measurement has become the currency of trust in global supply chains.

Semiconductors provide one of the clearest illustrations of the need for nanoscale measurement precision. As transistors approach atomic dimensions, parameters such as line-edge roughness, film stress, and interface adhesion govern both manufacturing yield and device reliability. NIST’s advances in AFM-based metrology – particularly in understanding AFM-IR signal dependence on sample thickness and laser excitation – extend critical dimension measurement capabilities into the sub-micrometer regime. These insights support the establishment of uncertainty budgets and traceability protocols that underpin quantitative process control across global fabs, ensuring consistency, reproducibility, and confidence in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.⁽⁵⁾

NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs), such as SRM 2059 for photomask calibration, have become essential for process control. These artifacts anchor dimensional measurements used by chipmakers, equipment vendors, and regulators. Their recalibration using traceable AFM methods exemplifies how nanoscale metrology sustains industrial interoperability across an entire value chain.

Beyond microelectronics, nanoscale measurement now defines the development of energy materials. In next-generation batteries, for example, mechanical degradation and interfacial chemistry govern cycle life. Conductive AFM, KPFM, and AFM-IR collectively track these parameters in real-time, illuminating how lithium migration or interphase growth impacts the local structure. The insights enable the development of more durable electrodes and safer storage devices.⁽²⁾

In biomedicine, AFM provides a bridge between nanomechanics and cell biology. Studies of cancer progression, tissue stiffness, and drug-delivery nanoparticles demonstrate how variations at the nanoscale translate into clinical outcomes. Quantitative AFM maps now reveal correlations between cell stiffness, protein structure, and disease state, transforming how scientists design biomaterials and therapies.⁽⁶⁾

Across these sectors, the strategic throughline is clear: metrology is a strategy. Reliable, traceable measurements enable industries to innovate more quickly, validate new materials more efficiently, and ensure compliance in increasingly regulated markets.

Building the infrastructure of precision: Institutions and standards

Metrology cannot advance in isolation; it requires institutions that translate techniques into standards, and standards into industrial trust.

The Nanoscale Science Research Centers (NSRCs), operated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), provide open-access facilities where researchers and companies use advanced instruments, including multimodal AFM, under standardized conditions. These centees promote reproducibility, interoperability, and collaboration, ensuring that data from one lab can be replicated elsewhere – an essential feature of competitive ecosystems. ⁽³⁾
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) serves as the overarching framework coordinating federal investments across NIST, DOE, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other agencies. By aligning measurement research with industrial needs, the NNI fosters a pipeline from fundamental discovery to commercial application. It also emphasizes the development of ethical and sustainable nanotechnology, embedding safety and reliability into the innovation process. ⁽⁴⁾
At the operational level, NIST provides the metrological backbone of this ecosystem. Its pioneering AFM techniques – CR-AFM and ICR-AFM – represent not only scientific innovation but also the codification of measurement practice. NIST’s development of calibration standards, uncertainty models, and reference materials ensures that nanoscale data have the same credibility as any other regulated metric. The institute’s work bridges academia, manufacturing, and policy, translating measurement accuracy into market access. ⁽⁵⁾

This institutional framework illustrates how public investment in nanoscale metrology yields disproportionate private-sector returns. Standards reduce duplication of effort, promote technology transfer, and shorten the path from prototype to production. In a global context, they also strengthen resilience against fragmented regulations and inconsistent quality benchmarks.

Innovation at the nanoscale: The next competitive horizon

The next generation of nanoscale measurement technologies is already reshaping what industries can see – and therefore what they can build.

Subsurface mechanical imaging through advanced CR-AFM and ICR-AFM methods is revealing buried defects and stiffness gradients that previously required destructive analysis. These capabilities are critical for heterogeneous semiconductor packaging, coatings, and flexible electronics, where subsurface interfaces dictate durability. (7)

Chemical nanospectroscopy, enabled by AFM-IR and TERS, is now being extended to operando conditions. Researchers can observe molecular changes under electric bias, temperature, or mechanical strain, offering a direct view of how chemistry drives performance in batteries, catalysts, and organic electronics.⁽²⁾

Meanwhile, automation and artificial intelligence are transforming AFM into a production-ready platform. Machine learning algorithms already assist with tip alignment, image correction, and property extraction, reducing operator dependency and boosting throughput. These advances promise to move AFM from specialized laboratories into routine manufacturing environments, where its data can guide real-time process adjustments.

Equally transformative is the rise of correlative metrology, which integrates AFM data with complementary techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray spectroscopy, and optical scattering. These combined datasets create multidimensional maps that connect nanoscale features with macroscale behavior, thereby bridging the gap between design and diagnostics. Such convergence is crucial for future fields such as quantum device fabrication and neuromorphic computing, where atomic-scale variations can alter functionality.

Outlook: Precision as a shared global imperative

By 2030, nanoscale measurement will have become an intrinsic component of industrial design and policy. The competitive advantage will shift from who can measure most accurately to who can measure most meaningfully – integrating data across disciplines, supply chains, and regulatory frameworks.

For governments, the lesson is clear: investment in metrology infrastructure is investment in sovereignty. Countries that develop robust nanoscale standards and maintain cross-border interoperability will dominate high-value manufacturing, safeguard intellectual property, and command trust in international trade.

For companies, nanoscale measurement offers both an opportunity and an obligation. The opportunity lies in faster innovation and reduced risk through predictive materials engineering. The obligation lies in transparency – ensuring that products built at atomic scales can be certified, trusted, and traced across global markets.

For research institutions, the mission remains to bridge the gap between discovery and deployment. As emerging phenomena – such as quantum coherence, biohybrid interfaces, and multifunctional nanostructures – blur disciplinary boundaries, metrology must keep pace by integrating mechanics, chemistry, and physics into unified frameworks of understanding.

Ultimately, nanoscale metrology is not just a mirror reflecting progress – it is the mechanism that enables it. Nations and firms that master precision at the smallest scales will define the future at every other scale.