2. A favorable context for the development of nanometrology

The current craze for nanomaterials and the vast field of associated applications can be explained by the strong dependence of the physico-chemical properties of nano-objects on their dimensions and morphology. For a particular application, it is thus possible to design a nano-object "à la carte" to meet a specific functional property (electronic, magnetic, optical, thermodynamic, mechanical, etc.). However, these developments face a large number of technological hurdles and specific problems linked to the nanometric dimensions (1-100 nm) of these structures. A common misconception in nanoscience and nanotechnology is that the technological breakthrough faced by industry lies in manufacturing. In reality, in many sectors, the development of ever-smaller devices and materials is the fruit of a long, continuous process resulting from a so-called "top-down" approach to the miniaturization...