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Electricity

U.S. Economy Reaps Benefits of Josephson Volt Standard

Sometimes it’s hard to quantify a scientific advance, but in the case of a standard developed to accurately measure the volt, impact can be assessed. In fact, a recent economic study commissioned by NIST finds that the standard enjoys a 5-to-1 benefit-to-cost ratio.

In the late 1960s, the relationship between voltage and frequency was measured precisely with newly discovered superconductor devices called Josephson junctions. Over the years, NIST developed two standards for the volt based on Josephson technology—the one-volt and 10-volt. The 10-volt technology was the version most in demand by industry and other government agencies for use in calibration facilities.

After developing the technology, NIST transferred it to a private company, Hypres Inc., which began marketing Josephson array systems in 1996. Today, there are at least 16 of these systems in operation in the United States.

A basic standard, such as that enabling high-accuracy voltage measurement, is at the apex of an industry supply chain and can, therefore, have economic impact on a number of industries. In this case, the Josephson volt standard infratechnology transferred to industry by NIST is used in the development and marketing of high-accuracy solid-state voltage sources and associated calibration services. These instruments and services are purchased by the measuring instrument industry to manufacture precision voltage measuring devices, such as digital voltmeters. Finally, the productivity of companies that use these devices, such as those in the aerospace industry, is increased.

In order to derive a benefit-to-cost ratio, economists compared the constant dollar benefits versus the constant dollar costs from 1987 (when the first systems became available) through 1999. The ratio, they found, was 5-to-1, and the net benefit was estimated at $45 million.

The report, Economic Impact Assessment of the NIST’s Josephson Volt Standard Program, was prepared by TASC Inc., of Arlington, Va., for the Strategic Planning and Economic Analysis Group in NIST’s Program Office. The report is available at www.nist.gov/director/planning/strategicplanning.htm or by e-mail at gregory.tassey@nist.gov.

Media Contact:
Fred McGehan, Boulder (303) 497-3246

 

Quality

Baldrige Criteria: Good to Go for 2002

Is your organization thinking about applying for the 2002 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award? If so, you can start now, basing your application on the 2001 Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.

The criteria—which are reviewed annually by NIST and many outside experts—underwent significant changes in 2001. These included highlighting the increasing importance of e-commerce, the use of Internet-based interactions and the importance of aligning all aspects of a performance management system. To give organizations more time to better understand and implement these changes, the award’s board of private-sector overseers has recommended that the 2001 criteria not be revised.

Over the years, the criteria have focused more sharply on overall performance excellence and results. In addition to being the basis for a Baldrige Award application, thousands of organizations use the criteria to assess and improve performance.

Single copies of the 2001 Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence are available free of charge from NIST by calling (301) 975-2036, faxing a request to (301) 948-3716 or sending e-mail to nqp@nist.gov. They also may be downloaded from www.quality.nist.gov. Packets of 10 or more, as well as other Baldrige-related materials, may be ordered for a fee from the American Society for Quality, (800) 248-1946, www.asq.org.

Media Contact:
Jan Kosko, (301) 975-2767

 

E-Government

ATP Pilot Tests Electronic Submission of Proposals

On Aug. 21, 2001, the NIST Advanced Technology Program launched a pilot test of the program’s new electronic proposal submission process. The one-month shakedown cruise for the new system is a prelude to full use of the system in any future ATP competition.

Individual companies and industry joint ventures interested in applying for ATP support for innovative, high-risk industrial R&D projects must submit detailed proposals. Currently, 16 paper copies of each Gate 1 (technical) and Gate 2 (economic) portion of the proposal must be sent to the ATP for evaluation, along with a number of forms required by federal procurement rules. The new system will permit users to submit all portions of the proposal electronically using a secure web site and receive confirmation. A digital signature system is used to verify the identity of the proposer. A special client application will guide users through the forms, allowing them to “attach” proposal documents containing text, graphics and letters of support to the proposal.

During the pilot test, only a limited number of users will be able to actually submit an electronic proposal, but their Gate 1 submissions (due by Sept. 30, 2001) will be considered valid for the current ATP competition. All users, however, will immediately be able to use the new proposal preparation software to create and fill in standard proposal forms that can be printed and submitted to the ATP.

Those interested in participating in the pilot test should contact Susannah Schiller, (301) 975-2852, susannah.schiller@nist.gov, or John Garguilo, (301) 975-4426, john.garguilo@nist.gov. More information on the ATP Electronic Submission System may be found at webguy.nist.gov, while general ATP information is available at www.atp.nist.gov.

Media Contact:
Michael Baum, (301) 975-2763

 

 

Semiconductors

NIST Assesses Accuracy of Thin Film Dimensions

The thickness of gate dielectrics—the ultra-thin insulating films that separate electrical gates and channels in transistors—is the smallest dimension to be measured on a chip. As thickness requirements fall below 4 nanometers, films must be produced with a thickness tolerance of less than 0.3 nanometer, and metrology tools with a precision of better than 0.1 nanometer are required. NIST is developing a new data analysis approach that quantifies the errors associated with these thickness measurements, a critical issue in semiconductor manufacturing and performance.

Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to measure thickness, new methods have been developed for obtaining two-dimensional calibration information from an image of the silicon lattice substrate. The “ruler” is the distance between silicon atoms, measured in a new way that significantly improves measurements of atom position. The approach involves computer-based image processing and a mathematical algorithm. The image of the lattice is digitized, a computer is used to define where the atoms are, and the algorithm produces a measurement based on multiple inputs.

Films nominally 2 nanometers thick were measured with an estimated uncertainty of 0.2 nanometer, confirming that standard techniques are not good enough. The researchers now are working on improving the measurement precision and understanding accuracy issues. The accuracy is estimated by computer modeling of gate dielectric stacks using simulation software. NIST researchers are quantifying the effects of variables such as microscope lens aberrations, vibration and sample properties on the accuracy of the thickness measurement and are searching for the optimal imaging conditions.

For more information, contact John Henry Scott, (301) 975-4981, johnhenry.scott@nist.gov.

Media Contact:
Michael E. Newman, (301) 975-3025

 

 

Research Funding

JILA Receives $15 Million Grant from NSF

Researchers at JILA, an internationally renowned research and teaching institute operated jointly by the University of Colorado at Boulder and NIST’s Boulder Laboratories, have won federal funding expected to total $15 million over the next five years. The competitive National Science Foundation grant is the nation’s largest in the field of atomic, molecular, optical and plasma physics. To be shared by 18 JILA faculty, the grant will support many of the institute’s experimental programs and related theoretical work as well as more than 25 graduate students each year.

First-year (the 2001-2002 academic year) funding under the grant totals $2.9 million. The continuing annual awards are scheduled to increase to $3.2 million in 2005-2006, contingent on the annual congressional budget.

The grant will support world-renowned scientific research at JILA, including work on ultracold atoms and Bose-Einstein condensation, the development and use of ultrashort pulse lasers, and fundamental studies of molecular dynamics and chemical reactions.

Media Contact:
Collier Smith, Boulder (303) 497-3198

 

 

Semiconductor Manufacturing

Neutron Probes Focus the Search for Insulators

The semiconductor industry is desperately seeking better insulating materials. By the end of the decade, state-of-the-art integrated circuits will contain more than a billion transistors, connected by thousands of meters of ultra-fine copper wiring. Without satisfactory replacements for silicon dioxide, the current insulator of choice, the potential for electrical cross talk between such closely packed wires will be enormous.

Recently, the search has become less frenzied and more focused, thanks to a productive collaboration between NIST and International SEMATECH, the consortium of chip makers and equipment suppliers. The team has pioneered the use of powerful analytical methods to gather critical information on the properties of a promising and extremely varied class of insulators: thin films with nanometer-scale pores.

The pore structure lowers the so-called dielectric constant of the films to desired levels. Unfortunately, the Swiss-cheese-like effect can undermine other important properties—from mechanical strength to hardness to thermal expansion—that strongly influence the suitability of the films for semiconductor manufacturing.

Working at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, the team is using small-angle neutron scattering to characterize a growing cast of nanoporous, low-k dielectric films. With the tools, researchers can measure average pore size, pore distribution and connectivity, film thickness and composition, coefficient of thermal expansion, and other important characteristics of samples.

NIST has evaluated an assortment of nanoporous films supplied by International SEMATECH. These include spun-on glass materials, films from chemical vapor deposition and organic thin films. Structural information provided by NIST is placed into a master database, where it is combined with other data needed to evaluate candidate materials. Materials and equipment suppliers also are leveraging the NIST-provided measurements to engineer novel nanoporous films with even more complex microstructures, broadening the search for economical, high-performance low-k dielectric films.

An overview of this project and others in the Interconnect and Packaging Metrology Program can be found at www.eeel.nist.gov/omp/interconnect.html. For technical information, contact Barry Bauer, (301) 975-6849, barry.bauer@nist.gov, Eric K. Lin, (301) 975-6743, eric.lin@nist.gov or Wen-li Wu, (301) 975-6839, wen-li.wu@nist.gov.

Media Contact:
Mark Bello, (301) 975-3776