Standard specifications and test methods have played critical roles in semiconductor device and integrated circuit manufacture. Voluntary standards have led to “white room” environmental control, silicon wafer availability, and establishment of the merchant processing equipment industry, while military standards have been instrumental in improving IC quality and reliability. Participants in the development of voluntary standards help forge industry consensus on important issues while learning about trends, ideas, and procedures well before they become generally available to the industry. The several organizations now actively developing the standards required by advances in device technology welcome new participants.