For semiconductor devices, smaller has always been better. By the late 1970s it was also clear that such tiny devices required better measurements for quality control. In 1979, NIST* issued its first semiconductor linewidth standard-an instant best seller. The new standard reduced measurement discrepancies among companies tenfold and saved the industry millions of dollars annually. The quest for microrulers continues today as NIST works with industry to extend accurate measurements to the atomic level.

*NIST was known as the National Bureau of Standards for most of its 100 years.