An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories Fiscal Year 1999 (1999) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Chapter 6 Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory
Chapter 6 Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory
Pages 121-150
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 121... ...
Chapter 6 Materials Science andFErlgineering [aborato'
|
From page 122... ...
by its Chair, James E Nottke, this assessment of the fiscal year ~ 999 activities of the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory is based on site visits by individual pane]
|
From page 123... ...
The ability to fabricate and characterize giant magnetoresistance thin films is allowing the Metallurgy Division to contribute to the development of magnetic tunnel junctions for future computer memory systems. NIST abilities in this area are world class, and the program makes appropriate use of capabilities.
|
From page 124... ...
Some highlights follow. The Metallurgy Division's Casting of Aerospace Alloys Consortium was successfully concluded and awarded a Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Award for services to U.S.
|
From page 125... ...
OA/NFG/CRADA 4.9 4.3 Other Reimbursable 0.2 0.5 Total 39.7 37.8 As of January 1999, staffing for the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory included ~ 99 fi~-time permanent positions, of which ~ 66 were for technical professionals. There were also 39 nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
|
From page 126... ...
The panel concluded that an industrial advisory board could help identify appropriate and compatible industrial collaborators. Since the previous assessment, the division management formally solicited industrial advice by forming a Thin Film Panel composed of senior scientists from three companies (Ramtron International Corporation, IBM Corporation, and Hewlett-Packard)
|
From page 127... ...
The Ceramics Processing Program concentrates its research on the characterization of ceramic powders, the rheology of slurries made from these powders, and the characterization of powder compacts. Program staff have organized the largest industrial consortium in the division, the Ceramic Processing Characterization Consortium, which now includes 75 members, including 4 government laboratories and ~ 3 universities.
|
From page 128... ...
Both the Ceramic Processing Characterization Consortium and the Ceramic Grinding Consortium have very active industrial participation. Active industrial collaboration in research projects is a mechanism of immediate technology transfer that is far more effective than reports, presentations, or technical papers.
|
From page 129... ...
NIST-STRS, 9.3 8.9 excluding Competence ATP 0.7 0.7 Measurement Services 0.2 0.1 (SRM production) OA/NFG/CRADA 1.3 0.8 Other Reimbursable 0.1 0.2 Total 1 1.6 10.7 As of January ~ 999, staffing for the Ceramics Division included 59 full-time permanent positions, of which 5 ~ were for technical professionals.
|
From page 130... ...
concluded that the projects undertaken in the Materials Reliability Division were of very high technical merit. The overall technical advancement within the division over the past several years reflects effective organization and efficient execution of projects.
|
From page 131... ...
The existing skill base could readily support digital electronic and wireless industry needs if future programs focused on that industry. The division's colocation with the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory provides an opportunity for joint efforts.
|
From page 132... ...
~ Total 5.9 4.5 As of January 1999, staffing for the Materials Reliability Division included 29 full-time permanent positions, of which 25 were for technical professionals. There were also six nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and parttime workers.
|
From page 133... ...
The pane! noted in its previous report the following examples that show continued progress and potential benefit to industry: the simulation of resin flow in porous composite reinforcements for the work on polymer composites; the study of the effect shear has on blend phase diagram and binding of polymer chains to filler surfaces in blends and processing; and the prediction of the temperature-dependence of shear viscosity and relaxation rate from thermodynamic theory for the work in polymer characterization.
|
From page 134... ...
Excellent progress was made since the previous assessment in refining, adapting, and correlating classic methods of molecular mass characterization (size exclusion chromatography, NMR, light scattering) with MALDI, which offers order-of-magnitude reductions in analytical process and data reduction time.
|
From page 135... ...
a new technique for more rapid evaluation of wear resistance of orthopedic joints. All projects were supported by the American Dental Association (31 research associates)
|
From page 136... ...
It is essential that constant interactions with industrial affiliates be maintained and that the program elements remain dynamic while focusing on key fundamental issues. Since the previous assessment, the Polymers Characterization Program effectively provided SRMs essential to industrial polymer manufacturing quality control and to the support of polymer research programs spanning industry, academe, and institutions.
|
From page 137... ...
1 Total 8.9 9.0 ~ ~ As of January 1 999, staffing for the Polymers Division included 45 full-time permanent positions, of which 39 were for technical professionals. There were also ~ ~ nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
|
From page 138... ...
Materials Program, the Son continues to capitalize on its worId-ciass capability to fabricate and characterize GMR thin films. The division has expanded the program to include magnetic tunnel junctions, which are currently under development as memory elements in nonvolatile computer memory chips.
|
From page 139... ...
The national and international recognition given to members of the staff attest to the value of the division's contributions to measurement science and theory of materials. In ~ 998, the Casting of Aerospace Alloys Consortium was awarded the Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Award for services to U.S.
|
From page 140... ...
The Metallurgy Division's thin films research appropriately capitalizes on its worId-cIass capability to fabricate and characterize giant magnetoresistance (GMR) thin films.
|
From page 141... ...
ST Center for Neutron Research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology on January 26-27, 1999, and on the 1998 annual report of the NIST Center for Neutron Research.4 Members of the subpanel included Albert Narath, Sandia National Laboratories (retired) , Chair; Alice P
|
From page 142... ...
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission conducted an inspection of the process and determined that the spent fuel was loaded safely and in conformance with regulatory requirements of both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Transportation. An additional quantity of spent fuel will have completed its cool-down time in the near future, and plans are under way to make another shipment either late this year or sometime next year.
|
From page 143... ...
Modifications to the thermal triple-axis spectrometers in the confinement building are progressing. in addition, construction on two major high-resolution instruments, the spin echo spectrometer and the disk chopper time-offlight spectrometer, is approaching completion.
|
From page 144... ...
One current project is a study of SiO2 films containing layered nanometer-scare cobalt grains. These materials show strong magnetoresistance effects that combine features of those found in ferromagnet/insulator/ferromagnet tunnel junctions and those found in granular films containing ferromagnetic particles.
|
From page 145... ...
The staff carries out high-quaTity research while providing state-of-the-art reflectivity instruments for a large user community. Work on polymer interfaces involves the study of polymer brush structures, wetting, and polymer diffusion in thin films.
|
From page 146... ...
The range of sample environments is impressive, and the planned upgrade of a shear cell to allow simultaneous rheological and scattering measurements will be very useful. The upcoming commissioning of the neutron spin echo spectrometer and the availability of an ultrasmall angle neutron scattering instrument will add more capabilities and allow further scientific advances.
|
From page 147... ...
The NCNR provided the basis for over 400 papers accepted or published in archival journals in fiscal year ~998. In addition, NCNR staff presented 70 invited talks during the year.
|
From page 148... ...
As of January 1999, the NCNR staffing included 85 full-time permanent positions, of which 78 were for technical professionals. There were also 1 3 nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
|
From page 149... ...
. During March 1998, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission administered licensing examinations to the three candidates, and they passed all portions of their examinations.
|
From page 150... ...
The high-flux backscattering spectrometer has achieved operational status with excellent energy resolution and sensitivity. The spin echo spectrometer has yielded its first echo observation and is now ready for testing prior to commissioning late in ~ 999.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.