OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION (Gaithersburg, MD) Albert C. Parr, Chief Tel 301 975 2316 Fax 301 869 5700

The Optical Technology Division, by advancing knowledge and expertise in targeted areas of optical technology, will provide the highest quality services, technical leadership, and measurement infrastructure to promote the U.S. Economy and support the public welfare and the National defense. The Division has the institutional responsibility for maintaining two SI base units: the unit for temperature, the kelvin, above 1234.96 K and the unit of luminous intensity, the candela.

Major programs

• Develop, improve, and maintain the national standards for radiation thermometry, spectroradiometry, photometry, colorimetry, and spectrophotometry.

• Furnish National measurement standards and support services to advance the use and application of optical technologies spanning the ultraviolet through the microwave spectral regions.

• Disseminate optical standards and optical measurement technology to industry, government, and academia.

• Provide basic theoretical and experimental research in photophysical and photochemical properties of materials, in radiometric and spectroscopic techniques and instrumentation, and in the application of optical technologies to nanotechnology, biotechnology, microelectronics, and optoelectronics.

• Conduct research to harness the unique properties of synchrotron radiation and advanced lasers to improve the accuracy, extend the wavelength range, and create novel optical sources for detector metrology.

• Participate in activities of the international standards community to insure that accurate and appropriate standards are established worldwide in order to enhance trade and international scientific activities.

• Develops NSOM, nanoparticle and single molecule spectroscopy as metrological tools with application to nanostructured optoelectronic materials, semiconductors, and biological samples

Collaborations with industry

• Develop new photodetectors for use in standards dissemination.

• Develop characterization techniques to determine suitability of detectors for use in deep ultraviolet lithography.

• Develop new techniques for accurate and precise determination of the index of refraction of materials in the ultraviolet for use in lithography.

• Study temperature measurement for RTP (Rapid Thermal Processing) for semiconductor manufacturing.

• Develop new photometric, spectrophotometric, and radiometric calibrations for the aerospace and defense industries and a broad range of industrial calibration laboratories.

• Provide training courses in photometry and radiation thermometry.

• Develop optical properties of materials measurements for the defense, aerospace, instrument, and medical industries.

• Develop new calibration strategies for improving the characterization of space-based remote sensing instrumentation.

• Measurement of the color and appearance of materials for coating and paint industries.

• Development of noncontact microthermometry for MEMS and MOEMS manufacturing.

• Calibration of x-ray step tablets for the photographic, graphic arts, and x-ray industries.

• The development of single-molecule measurement metrology for the biotechnology and nanotechnology industries.

• Research in new chiral measurement technologies for the drug industry.

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Online: November 1994   -   Last update: August 2001