Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

A -- LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY SEEKS INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS TO COMMERCIALIZE A NEW LASER TECHNOLOGY. SOL 00-019 DUE 081400 POC Industrial Partnership and Commercialization (925) 423-3139 The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the University of California under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy is seeking industrial partners to commercialize and license Composition Analysis by Scanning Femtosecond Laser Ultraprobing (CASFLU), a new laser technology. CASFLU exploits a new phenomenon, only discovered in the past half-decade, that enables computer-automated, high-speed, ultra-high spatial-resolution analysis of the molecular, chemical-elemental and isotopic compositions of complex three-dimensional (3-D) objects of all types, shapes and compositions. Many of t CASFLU capabilities are novel, and may offer advances in analytic capability comparable to those first presented by invention of the microscope. CASFLU is expected to provide: (1) 3-D Ablative Micro-Dissection of Objects, (2) Composition Analysis (3) Precise 3-D Object Dissection (4) Extracting Objects Embedded Within Solids. "CASFLU is based upon the use of exceedingly intense [>10**13 Watts/cm**2] laser pulses of extremely brief duration [<10**(-12) seconds each] to heat the uppermost layer [thicknesses < 1 micrometer, or 10**(-4) cm] of any type of material to temperatures far above the vaporization point [temperatures typically ~10,000 K]; roughly 1 Joule/cm**2 of pulsed laser fluence is involved in each event. When material is so abruptly heated over this temperature range, the heated material evaporates so swiftly that it doesn't have time to "leak" its thermal energy into surrounding material, which is thus left essentially unchanged by the ablative removal of the vaporized material -- and therefore available for subsequent processing in quite pristine condition. The vaporized material originates only from the spot which has been laser beam-heated, and the composition of this super-heated vapor thus reflects that of the heated spot. Analysis of this composition by optical- or mass-spectrometric means thus permits the composition of exceedingly tiny mass-parcels [~10**(-12) cm**3] to be determined, as the focal spot-diameter may be made as small as the wavelength of the light employed [typically < 1 micrometer]. Since the repetition-rate of the laser pulses may be made very high [<10**8/second], time-average mass-removal rates may be quite high, without sacrifice of micron-scale spatial resolution. Scanning of the focused laser beam -- or of the object being analyzed under a fixed beam -- may be used to successively generate one-, two- and three-dimensional composition maps of the object being analyzed." It may be possible to apply CASFLU to analytical science and engineering. Its primary application is expected to be in the analyses of the position-dependent molecular, chemical-elemental and isotopic compositions of 2- and 3- dimensional objects of all types. CASFLU offers potential to companies working with the U.S. Stockpile Stewardship program, Magnetic Fusion Energy Program, and 3-D, composition-analyses of biological tissues on microscopic scales in Energy Research projects. Companies working with the FBI and associated state and local law-enforcement agencies may find CASFLU a useful tool for unique object micro-analysis capabilities. Companies interested in working with LLNL to commercialize the CASFLU technology must provide a written statement of interest that includes a description of corporate capability relevant to commercialization of the technology and basic corporate information. Respondents are encouraged to provide ancillary documentation such as annual reports, corporate resumes, and technical publications. THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. All Letters of Interest must be received within 60 days of this announcement. Please send Letters of Interest to Joseph Milner, Business Development Specialist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Mail Stop L795, Livermore CA 94550-9234, Attention: CBD-00-019. Posted 06/14/00 (W-SN464676). (0166)

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