Characterization of various materials being developed at NPL, like thin films, nano tubes, nano rods, nano wires, composite materials for engineering applications, electronic materials for device fabrication etc. are being carried out regarding their composition, trace impurities, crystalline structure, crystalline perfection, surfaces & interfaces, at this division regularly as central facility of the laboratory. The division is also engaged in different R & D activities of its own with definite targets in tune with the research plan of the laboratory as a whole. Some of the important R & D activities of the division persued during this period is listed below:

Chemical analysis of materials which are of national interest giving services to the society, vig. i) Poly aluminium Chloride (PAC), Alumina ferric used in treatment & purifying water ii) indelible ink for electoral process, iii) gas characterization for VVIP security.

Three new solid CRMs BND 3404.01 Plain Carbon Steel composition; BND 3405.01 Plain Carbon Steel, Composition 2 and BND 3301.01 – Alumina internal standard were released during 10th Asian Symposium on Precision Forging. The LaB6 X-ray line position and line CRM is under preparation.
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Detail study of nono-crystalling ZnO synthesized by sol-gel & RF sputtering process were carried out using different characterization techniques. Radiation induced paramagnetic defects in natural quartz from Brazil and Arkansas were studied by EPR spectroscopy. EPR signal pertaining to [AlO4]0 centre was observed in these samples.

A selective range temperature sensor has been developed using ferrofluid and applied for patent. The device is capable of sensing very low precision temperature i.e. 5mK in terms of mV signal generated at constant atmospheric pressure. This device has many useful applications viz. standard, calibration of thermometers, defense, medical and biomedical applications etc.

Work related to installation of New HR-TEM has been completed and the system is now operational. Fine microstructures of nano-dimensional particles, wires, rods, pores and channels in WO3 has been interpreted along with their crystallographic symmetries to understand their influence on different optical and electrochromic properties.

Various types of doped & undoped organic, semiorganic, inorganic crystals were grown and characterized by HR –XRD and other characterization techniques. Undoped, Mg doped and Mg, Nd codoped LiNbO3 single crystals grown by Czochralski technique were characterized by HRXRD. The Mg, Nd codoped crystals show better crystalline perfection. Optical transmission study shows the blue shift in the cutoff frequency in Mg doped and Mg, Nd codoped LiNbO3 crystals.

SIMS depth profiling of different electro-chemically prepared Cu-Co heterostructures were done. In this work, the idea of using SIMS was to confirm the formation of heterosturcture multi-layers and to confirm the uniformity of the deposited layers. Another objective was to check the extent of impurities and inter-mixing of Cu, Co in each layer due to the electro-chemical method of sample preparation used.