James E. Potzick

James E. Potzick
Nanoscale Metrology Group
james.potzick@nist.gov
(301) 975-3481

Mr. Potzick is a guest researcher in the Nanoscale Metrology Group in the Engineering Physics Division of the Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He has been involved in the accurate measurement of various physical quantities at NIST for over 20 years. Currently, Mr. Potzick is the Project Leader for Optical Dimensional Metrology in the Nanoscale Metrology Group. Prior to this, he developed improved methods for measuring the mass flowrate of gases, gas temperature, humidity, and dynamic forces.

Mr. Potzick is the author of over 78 technical publications in the fields of fluids, mechanics, electronics, acoustics, dimensional metrology, and theory of measurement, and owner of three patents. He is responsible for the production and integrity of the NIST photomask linewidth standards SRM 475, 476, 473, and 2059, and conceived and built the first Stewart Platform metrology microscope. He received the Best Paper Award at the 1997 Measurement Science Conference, the Dept of Commerce Bronze Medal in 1999, and the Dept of Commerce Silver Medal in 2006.

He has an M.S. degree in Physics, is active on SEMI Standards committees, and is a member of SPIE (Society of Photo-optical Engineers), and the BACUS photomask working group.

This SRM is intended to be used for the calibration of reticles for optical or other microscopes at the user's desired magnification. It contains a pitch pattern consisting of a single array of lines with spacings ranging from 1 µm to 1 cm. This line scale is located in the center of a quartz microscope slide and consists of a lithographically produced chrome pattern. The SRM may be used in either the transmission or reflection mode. Calibration is traceable to the meter through NIST Line Scale Interferometer.

NIST Standard Reference Material SRM 2800 Microscope Magnification Standard.




This SRM was developed for use in calibrating optical microscopes used to measure linewidths on photomasks. Linewidth ISO uncertainties are about 20 nm and pitch uncertainties are about 10 nm.

NIST Standard Reference Material SRM 2059 Photomask Linewidth Standard.




These SRMs are calibrated in transmitted ultraviolet light with this innovative microscope.

NIST UV Scanning Microscope.