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Automation
NIST,
Robotics Industry Seek a More ‘Open’ Relationship
While
the term “open architecture” may make most of us think of a blueprint
for a retractable-roof baseball stadium, it actually refers to
an information technology system (software, hardware or a combination
of both) that can be connected easily to devices and programs
made by other manufacturers. Open architectures use off-the-shelf
components and conform to approved standards.
For
the robotics industry, the interoperability permitted by open
architecture controls is considered critical to reducing the price
of integrating different robotics systems. Lack of these controls
is a major contributor to the $2 billion to $4 billion that U.S.
industry spends annually on integrating robots into manufacturing
systems.
To
begin addressing the issue of open architecture controls for robotics,
NIST and the Robotics Industries
Association organized a workshop in February 2000. More than 50
participants from the three key sectors of the robotics market—system
integrators, vendors and end users—attended and formed a working
group. Recommendations for short-term actions were made, including
providing a roadmap for the group, looking at current open architecture
control standards (such as those for machine tools) from the perspective
of robotics, establishing initial guidelines for data integration
in factory networks, and creating a World Wide Web site with a
glossary, references and related links (www.isd.mel.nist.gov/projects/openarch/).
In
June of this year, the group met for the second time and better
refined its definition of open architecture controls for robotics
with two new concepts. The first concept split robot controllers
into a proprietary part and an open (typically PC-based) part.
The second identified three classes of external interfaces to
the open part of a robot controller which would be proper areas
for standardization: factory data integration, peripheral integration
and graphical display. Group members agreed to focus initially
on factory data integration, proposing “first-wave standards”
for such areas as media and protocols, information presentation,
time synchronization and network management.
For
the robotics open architecture control group’s third meeting—on
Nov. 1, 2000, preceding the 2000 Robotics Industry Forum in Orlando,
Fla.—organizers are seeking field experiences with the proposed
first-wave standards (to develop case studies) and proposals for
using remote collaboration tools to refine the guidelines. Reports
should be submitted to the electronic mail list, openarch@nist.gov.
For
more information, contact Frederick
Proctor, (301) 975-3425.
Media
Contact:
Michael
Newman, (301) 975-3025
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Quality
Wanted:
Baldrige Award Examiners for 2001
It’s
a tough, demanding job—without pay. So why is a position on the
board of examiners for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award so desirable?
Here’s
what David Quattrone, a former Baldrige board member and superintendent
of schools in the Indian Hill School District of Cincinnati, says:
“Participating in the Baldrige process and working with fellow
examiners have given me a wonderful professional experience. The
Baldrige concepts and analytical tools have also sharpened the
focus on excellence in my daily work as a school superintendent.”
The
NIST Baldrige National Quality Program is looking for volunteers
from a wide variety of business, education, health care and not-for-profit
organizations to serve a one-year term on the board of examiners
for the 2001 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Examiners
evaluate applications for the award, prepare feedback reports
to applicants citing strengths and opportunities for improvement,
and visit high-scoring applicants. Qualifications include expertise
in business, education or health care management processes and
results, as well as knowledge of practices and improvement strategies
that lead to organizational excellence.
The
board consists of about 400 members, including nine judges and
about 60 senior examiners. Selection to serve on the board is
considered a recognition of professional achievement.
Applications
for the board will be available in November 2000.
Additional
information is available by calling (301) 975-2036 or visiting
the Baldrige Award World Wide Web site at www.quality.nist.gov.
Media
Contact:
Jan
Kosko, (301) 975-2767
Physics
Proposals
Sought for Precision Measurement Grants
N
IST is seeking project proposals for two research grants for fiscal
year 2002 in the field of precision measurement and fundamental
constants. NIST Precision Measurement Grants are awarded each
year to faculty members of U.S. universities or colleges for work
in determining improved values of the fundamental constants, investigating
related physical phenomena or developing new, fundamental measurement
methods. Each Precision Measurement Grant of $50,000 for one year
may be renewed by NIST for up to two additional years for a total
of $150,000.
Prospective
candidates must submit summaries of their proposed projects and
biographical information to NIST by Feb. 1, 2001. The application
should include a pre-proposal summary of not more than five double-spaced
pages outlining the objective, motivation and technical approach
of the research and the amount and source of current funding for
the research. This summary should be accompanied by a concise
biographical sketch of the applicant and a list of the applicant’s
most important publications.
On
the basis of this material, four to eight semifinalists will be
selected by the NIST Precision Measurement Grants Committee and
the Outside Review Committee to submit more detailed proposals.
Submit
10 copies of the pre-proposal summary to Peter Mohr, NIST, 100
Bureau Dr., Stop 8401, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-8401. For more
information, contact Mohr at
(301) 975-3217, or visit the Precision Measurement Grants World
Wide Web page at http://physics.nist.gov/ResOpp/grants/grants.html.
Media
Contact:
Michael
Baum, (301) 975-2763
Semiconductors
Software
Evaluation Expedites Incredible Shrinking of Transistors
S
omehow, a name like Silicon Dioxide Valley simply would not have
the same catchiness as Silicon Valley. But people who work on
semiconductors know that silicon alone is not enough to keep the
computer revolution going.
Chip
makers grow or deposit ultrathin films of silicon dioxide on silicon
surfaces to give the electronic chips their desired functionality.
Many semiconductor companies have developed their own methodology
and modeling software to measure the thickness of these films.
This is an important step in the race to make ever smaller microcircuits,
because the oxide layer thickness must be reduced proportionately.
In a modern manufacturing facility, the oxide may be only two
nanometers thick—about the space of six atoms stacked end to end.
Engineers
have learned that standard techniques of thickness measurement
do not work reliably for such extremely thin layers. So, they
are developing computer models to help identify where the current
methodologies fail. Most of the difficulty occurs because films
prepared at atomic dimensions become entangled in quantum phenomena,
which must be taken into account to understand the way electrons
behave in tiny circuits.
NIST
scientists are championing a comprehensive study to compare quantum
mechanical simulators and software suites designed to predict
the properties of ultrathin silicon dioxide and alternate gate
dielectric films. Despite the importance of such models and software,
no comparative investigations of the differences between them
have been reported. NIST’s effort marks the first attempt at an
objective evaluation.
Based
on software suites available from a variety of university and
corporate research groups, NIST researchers identified the relevant
strengths and weaknesses of each model. These were presented to
the SEMATECH Gate Stack Engineering Working Group and the International
Metrology Council during the past year.
The
demonstrations drew strong interest from the audience and ultimately
prompted the developer of one simulator to modify its software.
Since then, Intel Inc. has supplied ultrathin films for laboratory
measurements at NIST and an evaluation for the second phase of
benchmarking, which is now under way. Additional researchers have
requested that their simulators be included in this expanded evaluation.
For
more information, contact Curt
A. Richter, (301) 975-2082.
Media
Contact:
Philip
Bulman, (301) 975-5661
Materials
Science
NIST
Lab, German Counterpart Team to Develop Reference Materials
The
Materials Science and Engineering
Laboratory at NIST and its
German counterpart, Bundesanstalt Fur Materialforschung und-Prufung
(also known as BAM), have agreed to work together on the development
of reference materials. This collaboration is aimed at the global
harmonization of material measurements through worldwide distribution
of these reference materials.
Developed
by NIST, standard reference materials are used for the calibration
of scientific and technical instruments and for quality control
of manufacturing processes and products. BAM develops the same
types of materials, referred to as certified reference materials,
for use in Germany.
Under
the agreement, a joint research and development plan will be developed
and approved by both NIST and BAM for each reference material.
The first two reference materials planned for joint development
are a ceramic powder with a high surface area and a ceramic porosity
standard, which will complement ceramic reference materials already
available from NIST and BAM.
For
more information about the new agreement, contact Said
Jahanmir, (301) 975-3671.
Media
Contact:
Pamela
A. Houghtaling , (301)
975-5745
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