The Aims of the Project
The project brings together six European National Measurement Institutes (NMIs) and European Industries and Research Institutions to collaborate in the field of materials measurement.
Running from July 2011 until June 2014, the central aim of EMINDA is to develop traceable Electromagnetic (EM) materials metrology to enable the uptake of new EM and functional materials by European industries, especially electronics and ICT-related industries. It recognises that the European metrological infrastructure for EM materials characterisation has not been as well developed as that in many other fields of metrology that are of importance for industry and it therefore seeks to progress this field on two fronts: first the development of key advanced measurement techniques and secondly the provision of a broader infrastructure for EM materials metrology in Europe.
On the first front the project targets metrology at the frequencies and dimensional scales that are of most practical importance for developing European industries. The technical approaches chosen are those in which NMI-based metrology, and the existing expertise of European NMIs, can most effectively be pulled through to support European industries in this field.
On the second, broader, front it seeks to promote collaborative ventures in EM materials metrology in Europe through the establishment of a European measurement club and through the effective use of internet communications.
Activities in IND02 EMINDA
In pursuing specific technical aims, it is intended to:
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Develop a suite of traceable metrological tools for characterising both passive (dielectric and magnetic) and active 'functional' EM materials
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Develop measurement tools and practices across the spectrum from Low Frequencies (LF) up to 80 GHz in order to characterise materials for fast electronics applications that utilise ever-increasing clock speeds
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Develop traceable measurement methods for complex permittivity and permeability, including related parameters, e.g. conductivity, and also important parameters for functional materials such as piezo-, ferro- and magnetoelectrics
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Develop validated EM-field modelling and improved measurement uncertainties for specific techniques at a range of dimensional scales:
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Near-field Scanning Microwave Microscopy (NSMM) for determining complex permittivity at micro- and nanoscales
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Co-planar waveguide (CPW) techniques for functional thin films
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Cavity techniques for laminar specimens, both substrates and thin-films
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Techniques for challenging measurements on bulk materials
These technical aims will be underpinned by theoretical and modelling inputs from Researcher Excellence grants placed with leading European Universities: Imperial College London (ICL) and the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ).
On the broader front, in supporting European Industry, the project aims to:
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Develop a thorough understanding of the uncertainties inherent in the measurement techniques developed in order to help industry to select the most effective and informative measurement methods for individual materials. This information will be disseminated, for example, via web-based good practice guidance
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Set up a unified European measurement service for EM materials
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Support European industry through a EM Materials Measurement and Applications (EMMA) Club
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Ensure that project activities are relevant to industrial needs by working closely with industrial collaborators, especially by:
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setting up an Industrial Advisory Group (IAG) for IND02 EMINDA
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carrying out practical Case Studies with industry
