MRTL - Metrology Research and Teaching Laboratory

MRTL Vision

To be the leading force in advancing the field of metrology, MRTL at Northern Arizona University envisions itself as a pivotal hub for interdisciplinary research, innovation, and education.

MRTL Mission

By harnessing the collective knowledge of our faculty across diverse disciplines, MRTL is dedicated to organizing impactful research, hosting knowledge-sharing events, and nurturing talent that contributes to Arizona’s economic growth and national security imperatives in microelectronics. We aim to empower the industry and programs with cutting-edge metrology solutions, fostering a culture of precision, reliability, and security in microelectronics.

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The recently published National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) CHIPS Research and Development Office roadmap highlights metrology as foundational for all semiconductor research and development programs, and indicates that it will be closely integrated across CHIPS R&D activities. Northern Arizona University is well-positioned to help address national metrology needs given our faculty expertise in this area. With the support of NAU administration, the Arizona Board of Regents, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and the Office of the Arizona Governor, NAU established this Metrology Research and Teaching Laboratory (MRTL) at the Engineering Research Center (Building 98E). This Laboratory serves as a hub connecting various NAU departments and academic programs, organizing research teams, hosting workshops and seminars, consolidating metrology research facilities, coordinating R&D focused on semiconductor metrology, and partnering with industry as well as the other two public universities (ASU and U of A). The Metrology Research and Teaching Laboratory (MRTL) bolsters NAU's leadership in microelectronics research and support national R&D priorities.

The R&D efforts of the Laboratory will be around the following five research themes, which were proposed as the Path Forward Elements in :

• 1. Multi-physics models, including those that capture thermal, chemical, physical, mechanical, signal integrity, reliability, power consumption, and other parameters.
• 2. Measurements of material, component, and circuit properties across a broad temperature, bias, and frequency range as input to, and as verification of, the above models.
• 3. Application and validation of advanced analytics such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for modeling and optimization of complex materials, circuits, and systems operating in real environments.
• 4. Methods for robustly estimating model uncertainty.
• 5. Metrology to enhance security and provenance of microelectronic-based components and products: Advances in metrology to enhance the security and provenance of microelectronic components and products across supply chains and to improve trust and assurance.

Key Objectives

There are six key objectives of the Metrology Research and Teaching Laboratory (MRTL)

• Organize cross-disciplinary faculty teams to pursue metrology research projects, collaborations, and funding opportunities.
• Develop cutting-edge metrology capabilities through strategic equipment acquisitions and facility enhancements.
• Host seminars, workshops, and training programs to disseminate metrology knowledge and build talent pipelines.
• Forge partnerships with industry, government labs, and academic institutions to advance metrology innovation.
• Support and coordinate metrology R&D activities aligned with national initiatives and priorities.
• Translate R&D activities, in partnership with government and private sector partners, into tangible value for Arizona and the nation in an area that is both a critical economic driver and acute national security interest.