NIST

An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce

Founded in 1901, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a nonregulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. With headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, NIST’s mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

Mon, 04/01/2024 - 09:50
Manufacturing Day: Changing People’s PerceptionsDon’t underestimate the power of telling your story
Thu, 09/28/2023 - 12:03
Manufacturing Day, or MFG Day, has grown to mean many things since it was officially proclaimed in 2012. Some celebrate on the first Friday in October with an event at a manufacturing facility or a school. Others participate in a regional…
New NIST Measurements Aim to Advance Portable MRI TechnologySmaller, less expensive, and portable MRI systems promise to expand healthcare delivery
Thu, 08/31/2023 - 12:02
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines can clearly view non-bony parts of the body—soft tissue such as the brain, muscles, and ligaments—as well as detect tumors, making it possible to diagnose many diseases and other conditions. However, the…
NIST Demonstrates New ‘Primary Standard’ for Measuring Ultralow PressuresChip manufacturing, gravitational wave detectors, and quantum computers could all benefit
Tue, 08/29/2023 - 12:02
A vacuum chamber is never perfectly empty. A small number of atoms or molecules always remains, and measuring the tiny pressures they exert is critical. For instance, semiconductor manufacturers create microchips in vacuum chambers that must be…
Measuring Up: Kibble Dynamic Force ReferenceA primary standard for testing structures and calibrating force sensor systems
Thu, 08/10/2023 - 12:03
Static force, such as the weight of a person standing motionless on a bathroom scale or the force that an office full of equipment exerts on a high-rise floor, can be easily determined using scales, balances, load cells, and the like because static…
Laser-Based Method Could Help Scientists Discover Puncture-Resistant MaterialsTiny projectiles and troves of data bridge the gap between microscopic properties and real-world behavior

Mon, 07/17/2023 - 12:02
A bullet piercing the protective armor of a first responder, a jellyfish stinging a swimmer, micrometeorites striking a satellite—high-speed projectiles that puncture materials show up in many forms. Researchers constantly aim to identify new…
Tiny Atomic Beam Clock Could Bring Stable Timing to Places GPS Can’t ReachCurrent chip-scale beam device is a prototype for a miniature atomic beam clock
Wed, 07/12/2023 - 11:59
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) A new type of miniature atomic clock could provide better timing over the span of weeks and months compared with current systems. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration…
Manipulating Multiple Lasers on a Single ChipPaving the way for a new generation of quantum devices
Thu, 07/06/2023 - 12:02
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed chip-scale devices for simultaneously manipulating the color, focus, direction of travel, and polarization of multiple beams of laser light. The ability to…
New Building Standard Paves the Way for Collapse-Resistant StructuresASCE/SEI 76-23 provides design requirements to keep isolated failures from bringing down the entire building
Wed, 06/28/2023 - 11:58
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Buildings in the U.S. are generally designed to withstand the usual suspects: rain, wind, snow, and the occasional earthquake. Abnormal events, such as gas explosions, vehicle impacts, or uncontrolled building fires, aren…
NIST Innovation in 3D Printing Takes a Familiar FormAhoy, Benchy!
Wed, 06/21/2023 - 12:00
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Do you know Benchy the Boat? NIST researchers certainly do, and the 3D-printing design is helping them make waves with a technique called vat photopolymerization. To start off, Benchy (a nickname for “benchmark”) isn’t a…
NIST Scientists Develop Novel CT Scan Device for Integrated CircuitsThree-dimensional X-ray images reveal defects and impurities in microchips
Mon, 06/12/2023 - 12:02
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have developed a novel tabletop device that takes three-dimensional X-ray (CT) images of integrated circuits. The highly detailed scans produced by the…