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# Metrology, Basic Units; Length; Silicon Staircase

Steps of silicon serve as a natural ruler for measuring vertical dimensions. This silicon "target" has step heights ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers leading down to a flat, single atomic layer measuring only 0.3 nanometer. The microscope used to make this image sits on an isolated concrete slab equipped with air springs to cancel out even minute vibrations that could ruin the nanoscale measurements.

*MEL, step heights, dimensional metrology, atomic layers, precision engineering

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November 5, 2004

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