DEVELOPMENTS AT NIST 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. NIST may enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with interested parties to perform further research on the invention for purposes of commercialization. NIST may grant CRADA Partners an option to negotiate for exclusive licenses to any jointly owned inventions which arise from the CRADA as well as an option to negotiate for exclusive royalty-bearing licenses for NIST employee inventions which arise from the CRADA. 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: 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 NUIMBER: 97-039PA. TITLE: Method and Apparatus for Measuring the Ion Current in Electrical Discharges using Radio-Frequency Current. DESCRIPTION: A process for measuring the ion current in electrical discharges using radio frequency (rf) current and voltage measurements. The invention could be used for monitoring and controlling industrial plasma processing reactors. The invention succeeds in industrial applications where previous methods of measuring the ion current fail. Specifically, it can measure the ion current at a wafer (or some other substrate or electrode) while the wafer is undergoing plasma processing, including insulating wafers as well as wafers to which rf power is applied. The invention requires no hardware to be inserted into the plasma reactor. It does not impose any currents, voltages, or electric fields that might perturb the plasma. The operation of the invention is described in detail. Results from a prototype of the invention are presented. Alternative designs, procedures, and applications for the invention are also described. WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov.

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