Research Facilities Acoustic Anechoic Chamber Facility Building Integrated Photovoltaic Testbed Center for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science Controlled Background Radiometric Facility Electromagnetic Anechoic Chamber Electronic Kilogram Facility, The Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Facility High-Resolution UV and Optical Spectroscopy Facility Integrated Circuit Fabrication Laboratory Large-Scale Structural Testing Facility Line Heat-Source Guarded Hot Plate Low-Background Infrared Radiation Facility Magnetic Engineering Research Facility Magnetic Thin-Film Fabrication Laboratory Materials Science Synchrotron X-Ray Beamlines Medical-Industrial Radiation Facility Microfabrication Process Facility Mobile Transient Reception/Transmission Systems Near-Field Scanning Facilities for Antenna Measurements Neutron Interferometer and Optics Facility NIST Center for Neutron Research Pulsed Inductive Microwave Magnetometer Facility Radiopharmaceutical Standardization Laboratory Robotic Performance Test Arena Scanned Probe Microscopy Laboratory Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations Using Uniform Sources (SIRCUS) Facility Superconductor Characterization Laboratory Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility III Time-Domain Electromagnetic Field Facility Transverse Electromagnetic Cell Ultralow-Temperature Electronics Facilities
|
Research
Facilities
Acoustic Anechoic Chamber Facility This facility is a vibration-isolated, shell-within-shell structure that is one of the quietest and best acoustically characterized rooms in the world. The inner room is supported by 52 coil springs and has walls 0.3 meter thick. All interior surfaces are covered with custom-designed wedges that protrude into the room about 1.8 meters. The inner room is 6.7 meters wide, 10 meters long (wedge tip to wedge tip), and 6.7 meters high. The walls are designed to be 99.9 percent sound-absorptive for frequencies above 45 hertz. The ambient noise in the chamber is so low it cannot be measured above a few hundred hertz with the best quality laboratory microphones. Applications: Contact: Victor Nedzelnitsky Building Integrated Photovoltaic Testbed NIST measures the long-term performance of building integrated photovoltaic panels in-situ using the Building Integrated Photovoltaic Testbed. The facility provides comparison between different building integrated photovoltaic panels when exposed to identical meteorological conditions. Up to nine panels can be evaluated simultaneously. We can compare energy production, operating temperature, heat flux, and characteristic current versus voltage curve traces. This testbed consists of crystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous, and silicon film building integrated photovoltaic products. Two identical panels of each photovoltaic cell technology, one insulated and one un-insulated, are currently installed. Meteorological instrumentation includes two precision spectral pyranometers, one precision infrared radiometer, and two radiatively shielded type-T thermocouples. An ultrasonic wind sensor is used to measure the magnitude and direction of air movement in a vertical plane. Two systems are used to monitor the Building Integrated Photovoltaic testbed. A testbed data acquisition system is used to measure the output signals of the outdoor meteorological instruments, the heat flux transducers, the panel temperature sensors, and two radiatively shielded indoor ambient temperature sensors. This data acquisition system scans the sensors and records the data every five minutes. The second data acquisition system is a custom built photovoltaic measurement system, referred to as a multi-tracer. The multitracer simultaneously loads and collects electrical performance data on multiple photovoltaic panels. The multi-tracer can operate with a maximum of 14 panels. Capabilities:
The testbed is capable of evaluating up to nine building integrated
photovoltaic panels simultaneously. The size of the panels can vary up
to a maximum of 1.38 meters by 2.36 meters. The multi-tracer can dissipate
up to 2,400 watts. User selectable load options include: peak power tracking,
fixed voltage operation, user specific voltage profile, and unloaded or
open circuit. Contact: A. Hunter Fanney The U.S. legal system of electrical units is tied to the International System of Units with smaller uncertainties than those of any other nation and provides the United States with a very solid basis for the measurement of electrical quantities. The central facility is the NIST calculable capacitor, with which the measurement of capacitance is effectively achieved through a measurement of length. Both the calculable capacitor and the chain of high precision measurements that transfers the SI unit to the calibration laboratories must be maintained and improved. We also conduct international comparisons with other national metrology laboratories to ensure measurement consistency. Capabilities: This facility provides the realization of the farad at both 1000 and 1592 Hz, traceable to the SI meter, at uncertainty levels of parts in 108. Applications: Measurements made in this lab link the calculable capacitor to the quantum Hall resistance representation of the ohm. Traceability is provided for the NIST calibration services for impedance (capacitance and inductance).Availability: By special arrangements only. Contact: Gerald J. Fitzpatrick Center for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science The NIST Center for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science (CTCMS) is a research program addressing industry's needs for theory and modeling tools for materials design and processing. Founded in 1995, the CTCMS is a center of expertise in computational materials research that develops tools and techniques and fosters collaborations. CTCMS goals are to investigate important industrial problems in materials theory and modeling with novel computational approaches, create innovative and productive opportunities for collaboration in materials theory and modeling, develop powerful new tools for materials theory and modeling, and accelerate their integration into industrial research. Capabilities: To use the nation's resources more effectively, the CTCMS integrates ongoing research at various institutions by forming multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research teams as required to attack key materials issues. The CTCMS has three principal activities, all operating interactively: planning, research, and technology transfer. Workshops are held as the first step in defining technical research areas with significant technological impact, identifying team members, and building the infrastructure for collaborative research. The CTCMS provides an infrastructure and support for its members, including an interactive World Wide Web information server (www.ctcms.nist.gov) and modern computing and workshop facilities. Applications: Current research areas include theory and simulation of phase transformation kinetics and morphology, micromagnetics, composite materials, foams, microstructure and dynamics of disordered and partially ordered materials, complex fluids, materials reliability, reactive wetting, pattern formation, crystal growth, sintering, and solidification. Simulation techniques include finite element, finite difference, Lattice Boltzmann, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, phase field and cellular automata methods. Current CTCMS working groups include:
The CTCMS also hosts Web pages with resources and tools in the following areas:
Availability: The CTCMS facilitates numerous interactions between industry, academia, NIST, and other government and national labs to apply materials theory and modeling to solve U.S. industrial problems in materials design and processing. Researchers interested in joining existing efforts or starting new ones are encouraged to contact the CTCMS. The center welcomes proposals for focused workshops in materials theory and modeling at any time. Proposals will be funded on the basis of scientific merit and availability of funds. Computing and workshop facilities are available to U.S. industry, other government agencies, and academia for collaborative research projects. The CTCMS participates in the National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship program and hosts short-term and long-term visitors. Contact: James Warren New, more complex materials are increasingly in demand for applications in areas such as biotechnology, microelectronics and nanotechnology. The use of combinatorial methodswhich comprise a special set of tools and techniquesenables scientists to rapidly explore a wide range of material characteristics in parallel and on a miniaturized scale. The Combinatorial Methods Program at NIST (see www.nist.gov/combi) was initiated to develop this methodology to learn more about materials and their structure, properties, and processing, data that can help manufacturers accelerate the development of new materials. The program has demonstrated the ability to successfully develop novel combinatorial methods for polymer "library" preparation and characterization, and validation of combinatorial measurements through well-defined problems in polymer materials science such as mapping phase boundary, stability and wettability of thin films, co-polymer morphology, crystallization, and demonstrated new knowledge discovery in the process. State-of-the-art on-line data analysis tools, process control methodology, and data archival methods are being developed. The program works closely to address issues of the multiphase materials, electronic materials, and biomaterials for their structure and properties characterization. A multitier consortium directly serves the needs of industrial customers. Researchers in the Polymers Division have developed novel combinatorial methods for polymer "library" design and characterization. These include gradient flow coating with elevated temperature control, automated interferometric mapping of film thickness and refractive index, composition gradient library preparation, UV and wet etch for gradient surface hydrophobicity modification of inorganic and polymer surfaces, infrared spectroscopic composition mapping, temperature gradient processing stage, automated optical reflection and transmission microscopy with polarization and process control programming, automated multi-solvent contact angle instrument, high throughput opto-adhesion methodology, and state of the art on-line data analysis tools for image and pattern processing. Combinatorial and high-throughput measurement techniques available in the facility include:
Contact: Alamgir Karim Controlled Background Radiometric Facility Infrared radiometry has an important role in space-based civilian, defense, and industrial applications. A facility to maintain an infrared scale for specialized applications was developed with funding from NIST, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Defense. In particular, the capability for measurements on large-area, vacuum-operational, blackbody sources operated from 200 K to about 400 K is being established. These measurements will be traceable to NIST via infrared radiometry through the radiance temperature of the source. An alternative scheme that is directly traceable to an absolute cryogenic radiometer using laser-illuminated sphere sources and transfer detectors is also under development. An example of the type of scientific activity that this facility supports is the use of satellites for the determination of temperature, based on radiance measurements, for the Earth's surface and atmosphere. These measurements are the basis for the study of global warming. A goal of the facility will be the development of infrared radiometers, which will be used for intercomparisons of large-area blackbody sources used by contractors for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise Project. Contact: Carol Johnson Electromagnetic Anechoic Chamber The electromagnetic (EM) anechoic chamber at NIST is a facility for generating standard, well-characterized electromagnetic fields. Such fields are fundamental to the research, development, and evaluation of antennas, field probes, and EM material properties. Capabilities: EM fields up to 100 volts per meter can be established in the chamber over the broad frequency range from 200 megahertz to 40 gigahertz and up to 200 volts per meter for certain bands above one gigahertz. A majority of the individual components are computer-controlled, including a robotic positioner, thus enhancing statistical control of the measurements. The chamber measures 8.5 meters by 6.7 meters by 4.9 meters. Applications: The EM chamber is used in areas such as:
Availability: This facility is used heavily in performing calibrations for industry and other governmental agencies. It is available for independent or collaborative work with NIST. Contact: Dennis Camell Electronic Kilogram Facility, The The equivalence of electrical and mechanical power provides a convenient route to the measurement of mass in terms of other quantum mechanically defined measurement units. The apparatus at our electronic kilogram facility is a balance that compares both kinds of power in a virtual measurement that is unaffected by the dissipative forces of friction and electromagnetic heating. The experimental observables are length, time, voltage, and resistance. We measure these quantities with respect to fundamental and invariant quantum phenomena: atomic clocks, laser wavelengths, the Josephson effect, and the quantum Hall effect, respectively. Capabilities: The goal is to establish long-term stability of alignment, data acquisition, and reference standards for the repeatability of watt data at an uncertainty of 0.1 ppm. Further optimization of the system will permit regular monitoring of the kilogram at an uncertainty of 0.01 ppm. Contact: Michael H. Kelley Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Facility NIST is leading a national and international effort in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry for measuring ionizing radiation. Paramagnetic centers (molecules or atoms with unpaired electrons) are produced by the action of radiation on materials. In the EPR measurement, irradiated materials are placed in a magnetic field and electron spin transitions are induced by an electromagnetic field of the appropriate frequency, typically in the gigahertz range. EPR is used as a non-destructive probe of the structure and concentration of paramagnetic centers. The centers created by ionizing radiation are proportional to the absorbed dose and provide a sensitive and versatile measurement method. Capabilities: The EPR dosimetry facility is supported by three state-of-the-art X-band EPR spectrometers capable of measuring radiation effects on a wide range of materials from inorganic semiconductors to biological tissues. The data acquisition system provides full computer control of all spectrometer functions, including real-time spectral display and rapid acquisition scan to analyze rapidly decaying signals. The data acquisition system is interfaced with an advanced data analysis station for data manipulation and is capable of simulating and deconvoluting multicomponent spectra. Applications: EPR dosimetry is operable over many orders of magnitude in absorbed dose (10-2 Gy to 105 Gy) and impacts many facets of society and industry: Radiation accident dosimetry. Using biological tissues (bone, tooth enamel) or inanimate materials (clothing), retrospective dose assessment and mapping can be accomplished. Clinical radiology. Ionizing radiation doses administered in cancer therapy can be measured for external beam therapy using dosimeters of crystalline alanine (an amino acid) or validated for internally delivered bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals using bone biopsies. Industrial radiation processing. Routine and transfer dosimetry for industrial radiation facilities can be performed using alanine dosimeters as well as post-irradiation monitoring of radiation-processed meats, shellfish, and fruits using bone, shell, or seed. The EPR facility also serves as a fully functional materials research facility for analyzing radiation effects on semiconductors, optical fibers, functional polymers, and composites. Availability: The EPR facility is available for collaborative research by researchers from industry, academia, and other government agencies under the supervision of NIST staff. Contact: Marc F. Desrosiers We have designed and constructed reverberation chambers to measure radiated electromagnetic (EM) emission, immunity of electronic equipment, and shielding effectiveness of materials and cable/connector assemblies. A reverberation or mode-stirred chamber is an electrically large (in terms of wavelength), high-quality cavity whose boundary conditions are varied by means of a rotating conductive tuner. Capabilities: The mode-stirred chamber simulates far-field conditions for tests at frequencies from 200 megahertz to 40 gigahertz. Equipment as large as 1.5 meters by 2.0 meters by 3.0 meters can be tested in high-level test fields up to 1000 volts per meter. Applications: The range of reverberation chamber tests includes:
Availability: Two chambers are available. NIST staff are available for collaborative programs or to advise and interpret measurement results. Contact: Galen Koepke NIST operates several environmental chambers capable of simulating a variety of temperature conditions. The largest chamber, referred to as the large truck chamber, measures 14.6 meters by 7.3 meters by 4.2 meters with a 3.6-meter by 3.6-meter access door. The heat pump chambers are located in adjacent rooms. Capabilities: The large truck chamber is capable of maintaining steady and dynamic temperature profiles from -45 to 65 degrees Celsius. Cooling and heating tests may be performed with dry-bulb and dew-point temperature control of ±0.1 degree Celsius. A maximum of 35 kilowatts of heat may be removed from this chamber at 35 degrees Celsius and 50 percent relative humidity. The heat pump chambers are designed for testing systems at standard cooling and heating conditions. The indoor chamber can maintain steady dry-bulb and dew-point conditions from 10 to 60 degrees Celsius, and the outdoor chamber can maintain temperatures from -18 to 60 degrees Celsius. The maximum capacity system for these chambers is 35 kilowatts. The appliance chamber may be controlled from -18 to 65 degrees Celsius with relative humidity controlled within ±2 percent. Maximum heat removal from this chamber is 12 kilowatts. Applications: Testing of large equipment and special structures can be carried out in the large truck chamber. It has been used to test the performance of engines, vehicles, and special structures under extreme heat and cold. The heat pump chambers are used to test residential heat pump and air-conditioning equipment. The appliance chamber is used to test appliances and small heating and cooling equipment such as radiators, heat exchangers, water coolers, and control devices. Availability: These facilities are available to investigators from industry and universities, but must be operated by NIST staff. Collaborative research programs and proprietary research can be arranged. Contact: Piotr A. Domanski Well-defined methods for specifying and verifying display quality are necessary to enable worldwide commerce of electronic displays. In the Flat-Panel Display Lab, we are developing methods for characterizing the components of reflection (Lambertian, specular, and haze) associated with displays. The refinement of measurement procedures is being pursued in support of display metrology and the application of these to national and international standards for characterizing flat panel displays. Capabilities: The Display Measurement Assessment Transfer Standard (DMATS) is a portable unit that is available for determining unambiguous color measurements in round-robin testing. A narrow-frustum stray light elimination tube (SLET) apparatus can be used to minimize the effects of stray light in making small-area measurements on displays, particularly important in rendering high-contrast detail. Applications: This work has led to the second public version of the VESA Flat Panel Display Measurements Standard (FPDM2). DMATS and SLET capabilities are being used to determine the readability of automotive displays under high ambient light conditions. Availability: By
special arrangements only. The ground-screen antenna range is an open-area electromagnetic field test site. Capabilities: The ground screen consists of 6.35-millimeter mesh galvanized hardware cloth stretched over a level concrete slab. There is a center section of 20-meter-by-30-meter stainless-steel sheets. The screen is 30.5 meters by 61 meters and permits far-field measurements in the high-frequency portion of the spectrum. The mesh dimension provides for an efficient ground plane well into the ultrahigh frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Applications: The range can be used for the following applications:
Availability: This facility is used heavily in performing calibrations for industry and other governmental agencies. It is available for independent or collaborative work. Contact: Dennis Camell High-Resolution UV and Optical Spectroscopy Facility Accurate atomic data for neutral atoms and ions are required in support of high-technology products and manufacturing processes as well as advanced scientific applications. The primary source of such data is high-resolution optical spectroscopy. Spectrometers in NIST's High-Resolution Ultraviolet and Optical Spectroscopy Facility are the most powerful in the world for observations of emission and absorption spectra in the soft X-ray to near infrared regions. The 10.7-meter grazing-incidence and normal-incidence vacuum spectrographs permit observations from 3 nm to 600 nm with resolving powers of 70,000 to 400,000 and wavelength uncertainties as low as 0.0002 nanometer. In the visible and near-infrared region, an echelle spectrograph provides resolving powers exceeding 1,000,000. NIST's new high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer will be capable of observations from 300 nm to 6 mm with unmatched resolution and wavelength accuracy. A variety of discharge sources are used to excite spectra of neutral atoms and ions stripped of up to 20 electrons. Species up to 40 times ionized are observed in plasmas created by ablating samples with a high-power laser. Our current research includes observations of transitions in highly ionized atoms for diagnostics of plasma conditions in tokamaks and stars, precision measurements of rare gas spectra in the infrared, laser spectroscopy of Rydberg states in alkali atoms, and Fourier transform spectroscopy of rare earth elements for application to development of more efficient commercial lighting. Contact: Joseph Reader Integrated Circuit Fabrication Laboratory NIST maintains a complete fabrication laboratory for superconducting integrated circuits. Devices employing both low- and high-temperature superconductors are supported. Demonstrated capabilities include the fabrication of 32,000-junction Josephson 10-volt array standards using niobium trilayer technology. The laboratory is housed in an M2.5/3.5 (Class 100/1000) clean room. Individual facilities include a digital pattern generator, submicrometer waferstepper, precision contact aligner, laboratory-scale electron-beam lithography system, pulsed laser deposition system, metal and insulator thin-film deposition and etching systems, and requisite accompanying processing tools. Silicon wafer processing facilities for microelectromechanical system (MEMS) fabrication include furnaces for oxidations, diffusion, silicon nitride growth, polysilicon growth, and low-temperature doped oxide growth. Etching tools for MEMS work include a XeF2 system and a special deep reactive ion etcher capable of etching deep trenches with vertical walls. These facilities are available on a limited basis in support of collaborative research with NIST. Contact: James A. Beall NIST recently opened its newly renovated Large Fire Facility for measuring and quantifying the response of basic materials, assembled products, and structures in fires up to 10 megawatts peak heat release. These measurements will be used to validate the predictions of practical and scientific fire models and to serve the unique fire research needs of industry, standards making bodies and other government agencies. Laboratory services include protected areas for safely burning materials and objects without releasing smoke to the environment; state of the art heat release rate measurements with documented uncertainty; a Labview-based data system that acquires and displays, in close to real time, the exhaust flow, heat release history, and critical temperatures in the area of the fire; video records of the experiments synchronized to the heat release measurement; and communications among a range of standard and specialized instruments to meet the objectives of a particular experiment (e.g., smoke meter, mass loss from burning object, radiation distribution, local heat flux, velocity field around fire, extractive and in situ gas and particulate measurements, suppressant flow and droplet characterization). The facility has a large 27- by 5-meter open area designed to accommodate a wide variety of structures. Four exhaust hoods ranging in size from 1 to 80 square meters are equipped with heat-release-rate calorimeters to cover fires from a small single burning object to a fully flashed-over room. We plan to add the capability to examine wind-aided fires. A standard ISO 9705 burn room or a custom structure can be constructed. The full-scale performance of fire detection and suppression systems can be measured in the Large Fire Facility or in unique smaller scale laboratories. Our fire-emulator/detector-evaluator has been specially designed to enable the development of new fire detection systems and to measure their performance against alternative technologies. A suite of nuisance sources (e.g., organic aerosols, cigarette smoke, inorganic dust, cooking foods, steam, gases) have been quantified to see how well a particular design can discriminate a flaming or smoldering fire from a non-fire event. We have developed fire suppression screening devices to evaluate the performance of non-traditional halon alternatives. Our dispersed liquid agent fire suppression screening apparatus can compare the effectiveness of a firefighting agent that exists in liquid phase at room temperature to that of halon 1301, providing a performance measure for liquid agents that is equivalent to cup burner performance measures for gaseous agents. We have developed the transient application recirculating pool fire apparatus to examine the performance of solid-propellant gas generators and enable manufacturers and users of this technology to evaluate proposed improvements in propellant composition or discharge design. Heat flux transducers used for determining convective and/or radiative heat transfer are a critical part of any measurement of the response of a material to fire. We have developed a special Convective Heat Flux Facility for characterizing transducers by subjecting them to a purely conductive or convective flow traceable to the NIST radiometric source. Availability: Industry, university, and government representatives are encouraged to contact NIST regarding the use these fire measurement facilities in a collaborative or independent basis. Contact: William Grosshandler Large-Scale Structural Testing Facility The NIST large-scale structural testing facility consists of a universal testing machine (UTM) that may be used in combination with a 13.7-meter tall reaction buttress and horizontal hydraulic ram to apply tension or compression and lateral forces to large-scale specimens. Capabilities: The UTM portion of the facility is a servo-controlled, hydraulically operated machine. With a capacity of 53.4 meganewtons and a height of 23.7 meters, it is one of the largest in the world. It can be programmed by function generator or computer to create any desired loading function using force, strain, or displacement as the variable. It tests large structural components and subassemblies and applies the forces needed to calibrate large capacity force-measuring devices. It can apply two-compression forces to test sections up to 18 meters in height. The reaction buttress can resist horizontal forces up to 4.5 meganewtons from floor level to a height of 12.2 meters. Tension specimens may be subjected to forces up to 26 meganewtons. A 2-meter-thick test floor may be used to hold specimens in place. Applications: A research program was conducted to evaluate the performance of concrete columns 1.5 meter in diameter and up to 9.1 meters in height. Another study evaluated fracture propagation in 1-meter-wide steel plates with thickness of 100 millimeters and 150 millimeters. A third project used the servo-control system to apply repeated loads to fiber-reinforced composite specimens. We can use this facility for low-cycle fatigue tests, destructive or proof load testing, earthquake simulation in two dimensions, and complex loading of components. Servo operation of this machine creates a unique potential for applying precisely controlled, large forces to test components. Availability: This facility, which NIST staff must operate, is available for cooperative or independent research. Tests should be arranged as far in advance as possible as special hardware may be needed for attaching specimens. Contact: Shyam Sunder Line Heat-Source Guarded Hot Plate The 1-meter guarded hot-plate apparatus measures thermal conductivity of building insulation. This facility provides for absolute measurement of thermal resistance of thick and low-density test specimens used as transfer standards. These standards are used to calibrate heat-flow-meter apparatus or verify guarded-hot-plate apparatus. This facility is the only one of its kind in the world that will permit low-density thick insulation to be measured with an expanded uncertainty of less 1 percent. Capabilities: Laboratory services for thermal resistance measurements and related thermal properties are provided for thermal insulation and building materials having thermal conductivities of 0.02 to 0.15 watt per meter kelvin. In general, the highest accuracy is obtained for homogeneous specimens. The preferred size for the test specimen is 1,016 millimeters in diameter; the minimum size, 610 millimeters square. Customers can supply their own material for specimens, or request NIST to select specimens from an in-house inventory of fibrous-glass material. All tests are performed at an ambient atmospheric pressure of approximately 100 ± 20 kilopascals (site pressure at Gaithersburg, Md.). Services at ambient pressures outside these limits or with other gases are not provided. A dry-air purge is available to reduce the relative humidity to less than 15 percent. Availability: This apparatus is available for use by those outside NIST, but it must be operated by BFRL staff. Collaborative programs may be arranged on a cost reimbursable basis. Contact: Robert R. Zarr
In the NIST Low-Background Infrared Radiation Facility, radiant background noise levels less than a few nanowatts are attained in two large (60 cm diameter × 152 cm long) vacuum chambers by cooling internal cryoshields to temperatures less than 20 kelvin using a closed-cycle helium refrigerator system. These chambers, the broadband chamber and the spectral chamber, are equipped with absolute cryogenic radiometers (ACR) of the electrical substitution type that operate at 2 K to 4 K . Capabilities: The ACR is a broadband detector with a flat response from the visible to the long wavelength infrared spectral region. The ACR in the broadband chamber can measure power levels of 20 nW to 100 W at its 3 cm diameter aperture within an uncertainty of less than 1 percent. The spectral chamber is equipped with a prism grating infrared spectrometer that covers the spectral range of 2 micrometers to 30 micrometers with a spectral resolution of 2 percent. The spectral chamber ACR is more sensitive and can measure power levels of few nanowatts at its 2-cm aperture within an uncertainty of less than 1 percent. Both radiometers have a resolution of 1 nW, and their time constants are about 20 seconds. Applications: This unique facility can be used to measure total radiant power from sources such as cryogenic blackbodies to deduce their radiant temperatures. The spectral chamber allows the measurement of the spectral distribution of radiation from sources and characterization of infrared detectors and optical components. Availability: The facility is operated by NIST staff in support of user infrared calibrations. It is available for collaborative research by NIST and outside scientists in areas of mutual interest. Contact: Steven Lorentz Magnetic Engineering Research Facility Capabilities: This facility is specifically designed for advancing key enabling technologies in the field of ultrahigh-density data storage. Films can be deposited both by the methods preferred in basic research (molecular beam epitaxy) and by the methods of industrial manufacturing (magnetron sputtering). Numerous in-situ structural characterization techniques are available, including scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, ion scattering spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and mass spectrometry. For in-situ magnetic measurements, both a superconducting magnet and an electromagnet are built into the instrumentation and are equipped for magnetoresistance and magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. This array of in-situ instrumentation allows measurements to be made on samples at every step of fabrication with the most modern surface, interface, and magnetic diagnostics. Properties that can be investigated include elemental composition, thickness, atomic structure, roughness, and magnetic and magnetoresistive properties. These measurements allow researchers to establish the correlations between the film structure and properties and to use the resulting insights to help industry establish a scientific basis for their manufacturing processes. Applications: This facility is used to prepare magnetic spin valves possessing giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effects and to study the science underlying their fabrication. These devices, which are partially comprised of 1- to 2-nanometer-thick alternating layers of Co and Cu, are being used in all current computer hard disk read-heads and may form the basis for a new generation of non-volatile memory chips to compete with dynamic random access memory. For the past three years in this highly competitive area, Magnetic Engineering Research Facility (MERF) activities have led the world in devices possessing the largest GMR values with the switching fields small enough for devices. Through close association with the National Storage Industry Consortium, which comprises the leading magnetic recording companies, NIST has provided the MERF results to the recording industry on a continuous basis. Fierce competition is under way to dominate this key technology of the information storage industry. The introduction of GMR heads means that only eight years elapsed between the discovery of the GMR effect and its introduction into commercial products. The MERF facility is used to support U.S. industry in the competition by making measurements that industry is not equipped to make. This approach is leading to the development of improved GMR read-heads to help keep U.S. industry competitive in world markets. Availability: The MERF is open to all qualified U.S. researchers who are interested in collaborative research. Scientists from industry particularly are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities for collaborative research of interest to their companies. Several such collaborations presently are under way. However, facility time can be made available for new collaborations if the proposed research is designed to promote the agenda of our customers. Contacts: William F. Egelhoff, Jr. and Robert D. Shull
Contact: David Pappas
Contact: Stephen Russek
Contact: Ron Goldfarb Mass
Standards Facility Applications: Research and development activities include the characterization of physical and chemical properties of artifact mass standards and support of research efforts aimed at monitoring the mass unit by means of fundamental constants. Mass measurement services also are provided. Contact: Zeina Jabbour
Synchrotron radiation sources provide intense beams of X-rays for leading-edge research in a broad range of scientific disciplines. The Synchrotron Beam Line Operation and Development project in MSEL's Ceramics Division includes the operation of experimental stations at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory. The Advanced Photon Source is one of three hard X-ray third-generation synchrotron radiation light sources in the worldthe brightest sources of X-ray beams available. NIST is a partner at the APS with University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, Oak Ridge National Lab, and UOP, in a collaboration called UNICAT. At the UNICAT facility, scientists can examine the microstructure of metals, ceramics, polymers and biomaterials, in detail not possible before. The emphasis at both facilities is on microstructure characterization. Scientists from NIST, industry, universities, and other government laboratories, come to the UNICAT beam lines at the APS and the NIST advanced materials characterization beam lines at the NSLS to perform state-of-the-art measurements. Use of the NIST facilities at the APS and the NSLS are open to all qualified researchers in the scientific community. The experiments available at the APS include high-resolution X-ray diffraction, ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS), surface and interface scattering, X-ray diffraction imaging, X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, diffuse scattering, X-ray microbeam diffraction and fluorescence, and coherent X-ray scattering. Experimental techniques available at the NSLS include XAFS, standing wave X-ray measurements, and ultra-soft-X-ray absorption measurements. The USAXS instrument offers continuously tunable optics for anomalous USAXS, 1,000 times the intensity of earlier USAXS instruments, high sensitivity and high resolution at low scattering vector, and a scattering vector range from below 0.00012 Å-1 to above 0.5 Å-1. As one of the few small-angle X-ray scattering instruments in the world for which a primary absolute calibration is available, the data from the NIST instrument serves an important role in setting scattering standards. In an optional configuration of this instrument, side-reflection optics enables USAXS measurements of anisotropic as well as isotropic materials. The high-resolution, monochromatic X-ray diffraction imaging camera at the APS is the only dedicated monochromatic facility of its type in this country, and is the only instrument able to support experiments at the highest resolution. It supports a range of imaging studies such as imaging of semiconductor crystals, photonic materials, and biological crystals. At the U7A beam line at the NSLS, the NIST/Dow Materials Science end station receives photons in the soft-X-ray energy range from ~ 150 eV to 1000 eV, covering the K-edges of boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and fluorine. It uses a unique focusing multiplayer mirror system for soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and a new non-destructive photon-in photon-out detector system, which allows the in-situ observation of the chemical species under real reaction conditions. The end station can make direct comparisons between the surface and bulk of a sample by measuring simultaneous electron yield (5 nm depth sensitivity) and fluorescence yield (200 nm) spectra. Availability: Beam time is available to qualified scientists provided safety requirements are met and scheduling arrangements can be made. Proposals for collaborative use of the facility are reviewed at NIST; proposals for independent use of the NIST facilities should be submitted to directly to the Independent Investigator Program at the APS or the General User Program at the NSLS. Contact: Gabrielle G. Long Medical-Industrial Radiation Facility NIST operates an electron accelerator as the heart of a new user facility for the medical and industrial radiation communities. The Medical-Industrial Radiation Facility (MIRF) is based on an rf-powered, traveling-wave electron linac donated by the Radiation Therapy Center of the Yale University New Haven Hospital. This reconfigured accelerator provides electron energies from 7 MeV to 32 MeV at average beam currents of up to 0.1 mA. In addition to the original beam-steering system and medical-therapy scanner/collimator head, three additional beam ports and a switching magnet have been added at NIST. The flexibility afforded by access to these four beam lines allows NIST to address issues in radiation metrology, radiation effects, and the uses of electron and high-energy photon beams. Capabilities: The medical beam line can provide electron doses of up to 5 Gy/min at the patient location and is equipped with a target to produce a 25 MeV bremsstrahlung beam as used in high-energy photon therapy. On other beam lines, dose rates in excess of 1 kGy/s over a small area have been achieved with electrons, and exposure rates of about 2,500 R/min can be attained with suitable bremsstrahlung convertors to produce high-energy photon beams used in industrial radiography. Applications: MIRF offers unique opportunities for medical and industrial research. At the facility, a number of organizations are collaborating on a variety of projects: Medical dosimetry. Medical linacs are used for treating approximately 500,000 cancer patients annually at some 1,300 treatment facilities in the United States. Among the medical dosimetry applications of MIRF are the development and testing of instruments and dosimetry systems for use in clinical facilities as well as investigations into shielding requirements for the radiation scattered from the patient. Radionuclide production. Through photonuclear reactions, radioisotopes can be produced with high-energy electron accelerators as an alternative to the use of nuclear reactors. Applications on MIRF include production tests of radionuclides for use in nuclear medicine. Radiography. The facility provides for studies pertinent to industrial radiography and computed tomography. In addition, ongoing development on one of the beam lines is aimed at producing quasi-monoenergetic photon beams of channeling radiation and coherent bremsstrahlung suitable for use in digital-subtraction angiography. Radiation effects and processing. Current applications include electron-beam treatment of waste water, curing of polymer composites, and radiation effects on electronics. Availability: MIRF is available for collaborative research by researchers from industry, academia, and other government agencies under the supervision of NIST staff. Contact: Stephen M. Seltzer Microfabrication Process Facility As integrated circuit (IC) sizes increase to more than one square centimeter and feature sizes within the circuits decrease to less than 1 micrometer, critical demands are placed on the measurement capability required to control and monitor IC fabrication successfully. To meet the demand, we are developing state-of-the-art measurement procedures for microelectronics manufacturing. The Microfabrication Process Facility provides a quality physical environment for a variety of research projects in semiconductor microelectronics as well as in other areas of physics, chemistry, and materials research. The laboratory facilities are used for projects addressing many areas of semiconductor materials and processes, including process control and metrology, materials characterization, and the use of integrated circuit materials and processes for novel applications. The laboratory complex occupies about 5,200 square feet, approximately half of which is composed of Class 1000 clean room space. Within the clean room, work areas are maintained at class 30. The facility is designed so the work areas can be modified easily to accommodate frequent equipment and other changes required by research. Capabilities: The facility has a complete capability for IC fabrication. Principal processing and analytical equipment is listed below.
Applications: We can produce small quantities of specialized semiconductor test specimens, experimental samples, prototype devices, and processed materials. The processes and processing equipment can be monitored during operation to study the process chemistry and physics. The effects of variations in operating conditions and process gases and chemical purities can be investigated. Research is performed under well-controlled conditions. A research-oriented facility, the laboratory is not designed to produce large-scale ICs or similar complex structures. Rather, the laboratory emphasizes breadth and flexibility to support a wide variety of projects. Our current research projects address many aspects of microelectronic processing steps and materials as well as silicon micromachining. Examples include: metal-oxide-semiconductor measurements; metal-semiconductor-specific contact resistivity; uniformity of resistivity, ion-implanted dopant density, surface potential, and interface state density; characterization of deposited insulating films on silicon carbide; ionization and activation of ion-implanted species in semiconductors as a function of annealing temperature; electrical techniques for dopant profiling and leakage current measurements; and processing effects on silicon-on-insulator materials. A simple CMOS process has been established. Recent work has also begun in the field of molecular electronics. Availability: We welcome collaborative research projects consistent with the research goals of the NIST semiconductor program. Work is performed in cooperation with the technical staff of the laboratory. The most productive arrangements begin with development of a research plan with specific goals. The commitment of knowledgeable researchers to work closely with our staff and the provision of equipment and other needed resources are required. Because hazardous materials are present, laboratory staff must supervise all research activities. Contacts: Russell Hajdaj, Eric S. Johnson, Loren Linholm NIST's mobile solar tracking facility is used to characterize the electrical performance of photovoltaic panels. It incorporates meteorological instruments, a solar spectroradiometer, a data acquisition system, and a single-channel photovoltaic curve tracer. Precision spectral pyranometers are used to measure total (beam plus diffuse) solar radiation. We use two instruments to provide redundant measurements. We use a pyrheliometer to measure the beam component of solar radiation and measure long-wave radiation, greater than 3 micrometers, using a precision infrared radiometer. A three-cup anemometer assembly measures wind speed. We measure the ambient temperature using a thermocouple sensor enclosed in a naturally ventilated multiplate radiation shield. The solar tracker's photovoltaic array tester measures and records the current and voltage characteristics of the panels under evaluation. The array tester is capable of measuring panels or groups of panels with power outputs ranging from 10 watts to 36 kilowatts. We record and use irradiance and temperature loads from a reference cell and thermocouple probe to normalize the data to user-selected loads of irradiance and temperature. In addition to sweeping the panel I-V curve and storing the measured values, the curve tracer calculates the values of maximum output power, open circuit voltage, closed circuit current, and fill factor. The data acquisition system can accommodate up to 60 transducers. Capabilities: The mobile solar tracking facility can be operated in the following tracking modes:
Up to four photovoltaic modules can be mounted on the facility simultaneously. The facility can be operated over an azimuth range of ± 135° and over an elevation range from horizontal to vertical. Availability: This apparatus may be available for use by those outside NIST, but it must be operated by BFRL staff. Collaborative programs may be arranged on a cost reimbursable basis. Contact: A. Hunter Fanney Mobile Transient Reception/Transmission Systems Several broadband antennas are available for transmission and reception of transient signals. By combining these antennas, broadband transient generators, high-speed transient digitizers, and sophisticated signal processing, a variety of measurements are possible. Capabilities: The capabilities are related closely to the desired application. With existing antennas, it is possible to transmit transient signals with spectral components from 25 megahertz up to 14 gigahertz and field amplitudes of greater than 200 volts per meter. Receiving antennas have similar frequency restrictions and sensitivities determined by the receiving equipment. Sensitivities of better than 500 volts per meter are typical. Applications: Test applications include:
Availability: This system is readily available for interesting applications. Higher frequencies, amplitudes, and greater sensitivities are possible but require fabrication of special antennas. Contact: Robert Johnk Near-Field Scanning Facilities for Antenna Measurements These automated facilities are designed to measure the near-zone phase and amplitude distributions of the fields radiated from an antenna test. Mathematical transformations are used to calculate the desired antenna characteristics. Capabilities: Near-field data can be obtained over planar, cylindrical, and spherical surfaces; the planar technique is the most popular. Efficient computer programs are available for processing the large quantities of data required. When operated in the planar mode, the facility is capable of measuring over a 4.5-meter-square area with probe position errors of less than ± 0.01 centimeter. Improved position accuracy is possible with further alignment, especially over smaller areas. Antennas with apertures up to about 3 meters in diameter can be measured with a single scan. The facility has been used successfully over the frequency range 750 megahertz to 75 gigahertz. It incorporates provisions for scanning larger antennas in segments. Applications: Primary applications include:
Antenna Characteristics: The facility is used primarily for determining the gain, pattern, and polarization of antennas. Accuracies are typically ± 0.15 decibel for absolute gain and ± 0.10 decibel/decibel for polarization axial ratio. Patterns can be obtained down to the -50 decibels to -60 decibels levels with side lobe accuracy typically about ± 1.0 decibel at the 40 decibel level. (The exact uncertainties depend on the frequency, type, size of antenna, and other factors.) Near-field data also can be used to compute near-field interactions (such as mutual coupling) of antennas and radiated field distributions in the near zone. Antenna Diagnostics. Near-field scanning is also a valuable tool for identifying problems and for achieving optimal performance of various types of antenna systems. It has been used to advantage in locating faulty elements in phased-array antennas and for adjusting feed systems to obtain the proper illumination function at the main reflector. Phase contour plots of the near-field data also can be used to determine surface imperfections in reflectors used for antennas or compact ranges. Probe Calibrations. A spherical probe calibration facility serves as a far-field range for measuring the receiving characteristics of probes used to obtain near-field data. These measurements are required to determine the probe coefficients, which, in turn, are used to calculate accurate, probe-corrected, far-field gain and pattern characteristics of an antenna. Availability: Two kinds of arrangements can be made to use this facility. NIST staff can perform specified tests or measurements on a reimbursable basis. In this case, the customer has no direct use of the facility; all measurements are performed by NIST staff, and the customer is issued a test report. As an alternative, work may be performed on a cooperative basis with NIST staff. This arrangement permits the user the advantage of developing firsthand knowledge of the measurement processes, and the user is responsible in large part for the accuracy of test results. In either case, arrangements need to be made well in advance, and reimbursement is required for the facility use and time of NIST staff involved. Contact: Katherine MacReynolds
The Neutron Interferometry and Optics Facility (NIOF) located at the NIST Center for Neutron Research is one of the world's premier user facilities for neutron interferometry and related neutron optical measurements. A neutron interferometer splits and then recombines neutron waves. This gives the interferometer its unique ability to access experimentally the phase of neutron waves. Phase measurements are used to study the magnetic, nuclear, and structural properties of materials as well as fundamental questions in quantum physics. Related, innovative neutron optical techniques for use in condensed matter and materials science research are being developed. Capabilities: Neutrons are extracted from a dual-crystal parallel-tracking monochromator system, providing neutron energies in a range of 4 meV to 20 meV. Neutrons are counted with integrating 3He detectors or by high-resolution position-sensitive detectors with a resolution better than 50 µm. The sensitivity of the apparatus is enhanced greatly by state-of-the-art thermal, acoustical, and vibration isolation systems. To reduce vibration, the NIOF is built on its own foundation, separate from the rest of the building. The position of the interferometer is maintained to high precision by a computer-controlled servo system. The result is a neutron interferometer facility with exceptional phase stability (5 × 10-3 rad/day)and fringe visibility (70 percent). The vibration isolation is -7 g; the positional stability, 2 µm in translation and 1 µrad in rotation; and the temperature stability, 0.1 K/day. Applications: NIOF applications include neutron phase contrast imaging, neutron tomography, neutron Fourier spectroscopy for surface studies, determination of hydrogen content in materials, measurement of bound coherent scattering lengths, small-angle neutron scattering studies with perfect crystals, tests and demonstrations of quantum principles with matter waves, measurement of the neutron-electron scattering length, and phase transition studies. Availability: Beam time on the NIOF is available to qualified scientists from the United States and abroad, subject to approval and scheduling by the facility oversight committee. Contact: Muhammad Arif The NIST Beowulf System (NBS) is a 128-processor parallel computing cluster. Its nodes consist of industry-standard personal computers, which were originally purchased by the Bureau of the Census for processing the 2000 Census and transferred to NIST in the autumn of 2000. The nodes are linked in groups of 16, communicate via fast Ethernet, and implement the Beowulf clustering system originally developed at NASA. The NBS cluster is used for computational simulation of Bose-Einstein condensation and coherent matter-wave systems, quantum information processing devices, electronic and optical properties of materials, and electromagnetic wave propagation. We welcome proposals for collaborative research that explore the use of parallel computing in such problems. Contact: Charles Clark NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a national center for the application of neutron methods to a variety of problems of national concern. A major component of the center is the cold neutron source and guide hall, the first major facility in the United States devoted to cold neutron research. The cold source offers modern cold neutron instrumentation unique in this country. A wide range of internal and external research and measurement programs have benefited from the broad range of capabilities at the NCNR available to researchers from industry, universities, and government laboratories. The NCNR operates as a national facility open to all qualified researchers. Under the general user program, the available time is allocated by a program advisory committee on the basis of scientific merit of written proposals. Participating research teamswhich constitute another mode of utilizationare responsible for design, construction, and maintenance of the facilities in return for collaborative access to a fraction of the available time. Annually more than 1,700 researchers from government organizations, U.S. industrial and university laboratories, and foreign laboratories participated in research at the facilities, either collaboratively with NIST staff or on a proprietary basis. For further information, visit www.ncnr.nist.gov. Crystallography and Microstructure
Materials DynamicsMedium Resolution, Incident Neutrons: E>5 meV
Materials DynamicsHigh Resolution, Incident Neutrons E=1-15 meV
Chemical Analysis
Dosimetry and Fundamental Neutron Physics
Other Capabilities
Applications: The unusual sensitivity and range of measurements possible at the NCNR provide applications in materials structures, materials dynamics, chemical analysis, and neutron physics. Currently operational instruments are used to study crystal structures, microstructures, and molecular dynamics in the bulk and surfaces of metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and biological materials. Systems under study include colloidal mixtures, catalysts, thin films, layered structures, and interfaces; magnetic systems including amorphous magnets and spin glasses, superconductors, and magnetic multilayers; hydrogen in metals; shear-induced phenomena; molecular geometry of polymer and biological macromolecules; chemical composition of semiconductors; and other advanced materials. Other major programs include studies in environmental chemistry, nutrition, biomedicine, energy, and electronic devices, with emphasis on Standard Reference Materials for these applications, ultralight mass assay for commercial track recorder detectors, absolute fission-rate measurements, and development of thermal neutron beam monitors. Contact: J. Michael Rowe Pulsed
Inductive Microwave Magnetometer Facility Contacts: Thomas Silva or Anthony Kos
Radioactivity measurements
for diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine in the United States are
based on measurements at NIST. Activity measurements for the gamma ray-emitting
radionuclides are made using 4 Capabilities: The radiopharmaceutical standardization laboratory provides calibration services for radionuclides and is available for technical users who must make measurements consistent with national standards or who require higher accuracy calibrations than are available with commercial standards. NIST also undertakes basic research to develop new methods of standardizing radionuclides for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. These studies include measurements of decay-scheme parameters, such as half lives and gamma ray emission probabilities, and identification of radionuclidic impurities. Availability: The customer has no direct use of the facility. NIST staff can provide calibration services for any previously standardized radionuclide. As part of the same program, research associates of the Nuclear Energy Institute produce standards that are certified by NIST as Standard Reference Materials for distribution to the radiopharmaceutical user communities. Contact: Brian E. Zimmerman Robotic Performance Test Arena The test arena is a reproducible means of assessing various aspects of robot performance. Measuring 20 meters on each side, the test arena consists of three separate areas with increasing degrees of verisimilitude and difficulty. Sensing, navigation, and mapping challenges found in real search-and-rescue situations have been abstracted in the test arena. Abstractions of human victims can be placed throughout, represented by a variety of signatures, such as acoustic (calling out, moaning, knocking on walls), thermal (represented by heating pads), visual (mannequins, clothing), and motion. This test arena made its debut at the world's first competition for search-and-rescue robots, held as part of AAAI 2000, the annual conference of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence. It has been used in subsequent competitions, and it is available for use by individual researchers and government programs. The Robocup Rescue international competition is creating duplicate arenas to disseminate the test course at the various locations where the competition is held. Applications:
Contact: Adam Jacoff or Elena Messina Scanned
Probe Microscopy Laboratory Contact: John Moreland The ability to control electrons one-by-one in single electron tunneling (SET) devices offers promise for several valuable metrological applications such as a current standard based on controlled pumping of single electron charges, an electron-counting capacitance standard (ECCS) where a known number of electrons are deposited on the electrodes of a very small capacitor, and quantum computing whereby charge based "qubits" are used as the binary logic representation. The SET lab is studying the feasibility principles and fabrication techniques for realizing these applications with 1) the development of cryogenic capacitors, 2) the fabrication processes necessary to make simple, easy-to-fabricate SET transistors, and 3) the reduction of long-term drift in the charge offset of SET devices. Capabilities: Studies can be performed of the detailed device characteristics and behavior of single-electron transistors and related devices. This facility has capability of measurements at temperatures down to 0.02 K and at magnetic fields up to 5 Tesla. The insensitivity to electromagnetic interference is excellent, as demonstrated by the ease of measurement of single-cooper pair transistors. Applications: Interactions are under way with the Electromagnetic Technology Division on the ECCS using electron pump technology, which has the potential of serving as a quantum-based representation of the farad. Ongoing collaborations with NTT in Japan on Si-based SET devices that exhibit negligible charge offset drift could realize integration of a large number of such devices in parallel to produce a large value quantum-based current standard. Contact: Michael H. Kelley Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations Using Uniform Sources (SIRCUS) Facility We have developed a laser-based facility for spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity calibrations using uniform sources (SIRCUS) for the calibration of radiance meters, irradiance meters, and digital imaging systems such as CCD cameras. In this facility, powerful, continuous-wave single-frequency, tunable lasers are directed into an integrating sphere, producing a uniform, monochromatic, Lambertian source. High-level transfer standard irradiance meters-directly traceable to national standards maintained at NIST-are used to determine the radiance of the integrating sphere with an uncertainty of 0.1 percent or less. The integrating sphere then is used to calibrate other instruments for spectral irradiance and radiance responsivity. Capabilities: With this facility, we have calibrated both narrow-band and broad-band radiometers. We have demonstrated 10 orders-of-magnitude dynamic range in the calibration of a narrow-band radiometer (~ 1 nm), along with extremely accurate spectral measurements (~ 0.001 nm). Most of the measurements to date have used the UV-Vis-NIR facility (spectral coverage from 200 nm to 1100 nm), but we have started construction of the IR facility (for calibrations in the 1 µm to 20 µm spectral range). Applications: Instruments that have been calibrated include NASA radiometers, DoD radiometers, and NIST high-level radiometers. Imaging systems calibrated include a CCD-based camera, microscope, and spectrograph. Availability: The facility is operated by NIST staff to support a variety of radiance and irradiance responsivity calibrations. It is available for collaborative research by NIST and outside scientists in areas of mutual interest. Contact: Steve Brown return
to top of page Contacts: Loren Goodrich or Jack Ekin Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility III The NIST Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility is used as a national standard of spectral irradiance for radiometric applications and a spectrometer calibration facility. The facility also serves a variety of research and applications needs in the ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet spectral regions: detector development, characterization, and calibration; optical properties of materials; extreme ultraviolet optics; and damage and exposure studies. We welcome proposals for collaborative research in these areas. Contact: Charles Clark Time-Domain Electromagnetic Field Facility This facility is designed to generate and transmit standard transient fields. The system consists of a 7.5-meter square ground plane and a 4-meter conical transmitter. The input signal is transmitted as a well-defined spherically expanding wave that can be used to evaluate the impulse response of electromagnetic probes and sensors. Capabilities: The transmit capabilities are primarily limited by the output spectrum and amplitude of the input signal source. In-house sources allow measurements of frequency components between 50 megahertz and 10 gigahertz, and field levels of up to 100 volts per meter. The transmitted wave is known to an accuracy of ± 1 decibel. Applications: The primary uses for this facility include:
Availability: This facility is available for calibration of broadband devices. Other applications are possible on a limited basis. Tests requiring higher frequencies or field levels are possible with special arrangements. Contact: Robert Johnk Transverse Electromagnetic Cell A transverse electromagnetic (TEM) cell is an enclosure for performing radiated electromagnetic emission and susceptibility measurements of electronic equipment. Its design is based on the concept of an expanded transmission line operated in the TEM mode. Capabilities: A TEM cell provides a shielded environment for testing without introducing multiple reflections experienced with the conventional shielded enclosure. It simulates very closely a planar far field in free space and has constant amplitude and linear phase characteristics. TEM cell usage is typically limited by the appearance of higher-order modes. Thus, a TEM cell is typically used for small test objects. Applications: TEM cell tests include:
Availability: TEM cells with five different sizes and five upper frequency limits in the 100 megahertz to 1 gigahertz frequency range are available. In collaborative programs, we are available to advise and interpret measurement results. Independent testing also can be arranged. Contact: Perry Wilson The tri-directional test facility at NIST is a computer-controlled apparatus capable of applying cyclic loads simultaneously in three directions. It is used to examine the strength and deformation characteristics of structural components or assemblages under the application of a variety of loads, such as simulated effects of earthquake or wind. This is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States in terms of both load capacity and specimen size. Capabilities: The facility can apply forces or displacements, or both, in six directions. Specimens up to 3.3 meters in height and 3 meters in length or width may be tested. The six degrees of freedom are translations and rotations in and about three orthogonal axes. Six closed-loop, servo-controlled hydraulic actuators apply forces or displacements. Loads up to 2,000 kilonewtons may be applied in the vertical direction and about 890 kilonewtons in each of the two horizontal directions. The control and data acquisition systems have been updated to increase the machine's capabilities and to simplify its operation. Applications: Loads may be cyclic or monotonic depending on the type of loading condition being simulated. The facility is used to study masonry shear walls subjected to reverse cyclic lateral loading and precast concrete beam column and wall connections, also subjected to reverse cyclic lateral loading. This facility supports our role in conducting research for the development of seismic design and construction standards in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. Availability: The tri-directional test facility is used by NIST staff in a variety of NIST research projects and in collaborative projects with other agencies. It also is available for independent research but must be operated by NIST staff. Contact: Shyam Sunder Ultralow-Temperature
Electronics Facilities In addition, seven adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators, reaching temperatures as low at 50 mK, are used for record-setting X-ray detectors having superior energy resolution and speed compared with any other detector, large imaging arrays of these detectors, and for a portable single electron tunneling capacitance standard. Contact: Richard E. Harris The NIST Wafer Probing Laboratory provides the capability for automated dc probing of test devices on up to 200-millimeter wafers. The system consists of a state-of-the-art commercial parameter analysis test system upgraded with a nanovolt digital multimeter controlled by a workstation. A computer-controlled 200-millimeter wafer prober allows for fast wafer mapping of devices. A switching matrix allows for the use of up to 36 independent connections. These may go either directly to a probe card for wafer probing or, through use of adapter boards, directly to packaged parts. Currently, the laboratory is used primarily in the development and evaluation of test structures for very large-scale integration for metrology applications. The system also is capable of measuring the dc characteristics of devices such as transistors. Additional equipment in the laboratory includes a 125-millimeter manual wafer probe station and inspection microscopes. This facility is available in support of collaborative research with NIST. Contact: Richard A. Allen and Loren W. Linholm
Date
created:
August 17, 2001 |