DEVELOPMENTS AT NIST POC: Marsha Salkeld (301) 975-4188. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a number of new devices and methods involving a variety of technologies. In certain cases other parties have participated in the development of these technologies. Anyone interested in the further development of any of these technologies or in applying for a license to commercialize these technologies should send a written request for further information, referencing the NIST Docket Number and Title, to: Marcia Salkeld, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Industrial Partnerships Program, Building 820, Room 213, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899; Telecopy: 301-869-2751. This is not an announcement of a contract action or a grant. NIST Docket Number: 94-010 Title: Process for Fabrication of Improved Resistive Microbolometers Description: In this relatively uncomplicated and reproducible process for fabricating microbolometers, an ultrathin layer of niobium is used as the detector element, and the wafer is cleaned in situ in a low-pressure evaporation system, to provide an instrument having a substantially lower noise level than conventional microbolometers. NIST Docket Number: 95-015 Title: Photoinitiators for Free-Radical and Cationic Polymerization Description: Photoinitiators based on the interaction of diaryliodonium salts and acylphosphine oxides activated by visible light radiation effectively polymerize both acrylic and non-acrylic monomers so that hybrid monomer systems can be polymerized by concurrent free-radical and cationic modes of polymerization. Fabrication of improved acrylic resin-based dental materials results. NIST Docket Number: 96-009 Title: Interferometric Thickness Variation Test Method For Windows and Silicon Wafers Using a Diverging Wavefront Description: A non-contact method of using an infrared interferometer for determining a full aperture map of thickness variation and central thickness of silicon wafers and windows. The IR interferometer maps the thickness variation over the entire wafer surface in one rapid measurement. A second measurement with the same device determines the central thickness of the wafer. If the wafer has substantial bow, a third measurement with the wafer reversed permits determination of the bow and separation of its effect from the thickness variation measurement. NIST Docket Number: 96-019PA Title: Fabrication of Structures by Metastable-Atom Impact Desorption of a Passivating Layer Description: This new process for fabricating microstructures on a surface utilizes the energy contained in neutral metastable rare gas atoms to remove passivating atoms from selected areas of a surface so that further chemical processing can add material to or remove it from the exposed areas. Atom optical techniques allow structures with extremely high resolution and the possibility of parallel fabrication.

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