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 should send a written request for further information, referencing the NIST Docket Number and Title to: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of Technology Partnerships, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2200, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-2200; Telecopy: 301-869-2751. This is not an announcement of a contract action or grant. NIST DOCKET NUMBER 99-022PA, Title: AC Bias Method for Magnetoresistive Sensors, Description: Magnetoresistive (MR) sensors, used primarily as read heads for disk drives, typically have dimensions of a few micrometers and, thus can also be used in other applications such as microscale magnetic field sensors. Typically, these sensors are biased with a DC current. Their resistance then provides a measure of an applied magnetic field; unfortunately, the resistance is also a strong function of temperature. We describe a new method of magnetic field measurement using AC bias and second-harmonic interrogation of an MR sensor. This techique effectively separates the magnetic-field information from the temperature information in the resistance signal. NIST DOCKET NUMBER: 99-024PA, Title: Shear Stabilization of Gels for Use in the Sol-GEL Process, Description: NIST Researchers have developed a process that indefinitely stabilizes a sol aftergel initiation. The process allows gel products to be manufactured in much larger batches thus improving product uniformity and decreasing manufacturing costs. The process is based on the discovery that a solution (sol) of colloidal silica, which as had its chemistry altered so as to initiate a gelation reaction and subjected to a constant shear, will at first experience an increase in viscosity but later the viscosity will fall to an intermediate value which can apparently be held for an indefinite period of time. Once the shearing is halted, the "stabilized" sol will form a gel. This unexpected behavior can be used to improve manufacturing processes based on sol-gel technology. ContactPerson: Kim Emswiler at 301-975-4188. WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov. Posted 10/01/99 (W-SN387587).

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