NIST News

Engineers in the CNST NanoFab have developed a new plasma etching technique for silicon which improves the etch rate, the mask selectivity, and the sidewall profile by optimizing the addition of … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will unleash its Dragon—a NIST invention that bellows showers of glowing embers, or firebrands—at a unique wind tunnel … more

Diamonds may be best known as a symbol of long-lasting love. But semiconductor makers are also hoping they'll pan out as key components of long-lasting micromachines if a new method developed … more

Counting the seconds until Metric Week (Oct. 9-15, 2011) begins? That’s the spirit! Seconds are the metric unit of time. You also could figure your distance in meters (the metric unit of … more

While most of us would say that hindsight is 20/20, the folks at the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program believe just the opposite for organizations that want to survive and thrive now, and for … more

Three researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will receive the 2010 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the White House … more

To accommodate additional interested parties, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced a 30-day extension on a request seeking public comment on the proposed new … more

ARDEC, a 2007 Baldrige Award Recipient is being recognized for its achievement as an inventor in the Army Greatest Inventions Award for 2010. The achievement is particularly meaningful for ARDEC … more

Recent theoretical work conducted at the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology explains the surprisingly small effect of macroscale phase segregation on the overall efficiency of blended … more

Paige Lillard, Vice President of Business Excellence at Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., tells her unique story of becoming a change agent using the Baldrige Framework on the radio show "The … more

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley addressed several hundred educators, IT experts, and others at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) yesterday as part of a workshop hosted … more

Risk assessment is the topic of the newest special publication from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments (NIST Special Publication … more

Scanning electron micrograph of a suspended circular dielectric grating. The grating design leads to emission of quantum dot photons out of the surface, as simulated above. An … more

"Form follows function!" was the credo of early 20th century architects making design choices based on the intended use of the structure. Cell biologists may be turning that on its head. New … more

As large parts of the nation recover from nature's one-two punch—an earthquake followed by Hurricane Irene—building researchers from the National Institute of Standards and … more

Today, the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the European Union's (EU) Smart Grid Coordination Group (SG-CG) jointly announced their … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published two new documents on cloud computing: the first edition of a cloud computing standards roadmap and a cloud computing … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking advice on possible key features of a new broadband communications network for the nation's emergency services agencies. The … more

Bringing order and security to the patchwork quilt of computing environments in a large organization can be a daunting task. Software tools and technical specifications that allow security … more

The Seventh Annual IT Security Automation Conference, co-hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will focus on the breadth and depth of principles and technologies … more

The Panel of Judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest recognition for organizational performance excellence, has selected 11 organizations for the final … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host a workshop on cryptography for new technologies from Nov. 7-8, 2011, at the agency’s Gaithersburg, Md., campus. As the … more

In a recent article in Nano Letters,* CNST researchers describe a new high-contrast, low operating-voltage, electrochemical optical switch that uses a volume of active dye orders-of-magnitude … more

Thanks to advances in experimental design, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have achieved a record-low probability of error in quantum information processing … more

It’s not often that someone can claim that going from a positive to a negative is a step forward, but that’s the case for a team of scientists from the National Institute of … more

With a nod to biology, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have a new approach to the problem of safely storing hydrogen in future fuel-cell-powered cars. Their … more

Much like a meteor impacting a planet, highly charged ions hit really hard and can do a lot of damage, albeit on a much smaller scale. And much like geologists determine the size and speed of the … more

Management and non-management personnel across a broad cross-section of U.S. organizations see eye-to-eye on mission, customer focus and commitment to success but differ significantly in their … more

Peter Frasso, President and CEO of Segue Manufacturing Services, states that "Baldrige consists of three core principles—find out what the customers' wants and needs are; … more

Ian Spielman, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and fellow of the Joint Quantum Institute, a collaborative enterprise of NIST and the University of Maryland, … more

Guest blog post by Patrick D. Gallagher, Commerce's Under Secretary of Standards and Technology and Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Under Secretary of … more

Update: NIST Gaithersburg will be open for business as usual on Wednesday August 24th. The campus was closed on Tuesday afternoon due to the earthquake that hit the local area.&Engineers have … more

Surprisingly, transmitting information-rich photons thousands of miles through fiber-optic cable is far easier than reliably sending them just a few nanometers through a computer circuit. However, … more

Wireless emergency safety equipment could save lives—if signals are transmitted reliably. But few performance standards exist. Now, tests at the National Institute of Standards and … more

A research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has come up with a potential solution to a two-pronged problem in medical research: How to capture cells on a particular … more

Carbon nanotubes offer big promise in a small package. For instance, these tiny cylinders of carbon molecules theoretically can carry 1,000 times more electric current than a metal conductor of the … more

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have, for the first time, linked the quantum properties of two separated ions (electrically charged atoms) by manipulating … more

For more than 40 years, scientists and engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have studied structural failures caused by natural disasters, fires and man-made … more

The continuing increase in the level of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" in the Earth's atmosphere has been identified as a cause for serious concern because it may … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced nearly $2.7 million in Phase 1 and Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards to 18 U.S. small businesses. The … more

Willie E. May, a 40-year veteran of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been named to serve as the agency’s Associate Director for Laboratory Programs. In his … more

Two distinguished scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Willie E. May and Laurie E. Locascio, have been named fellows of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today* issued for public comment a draft strategic plan for the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) program. The plan, … more

Researchers in the CNST have used photoconductive atomic force microscopy (PCAFM) to characterize the nanoscale structure of organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials, and have performed a careful … more

New Approach Harnesses Mature Electronics to Simplify Ion-trap Quantum Computers BOULDER, Colo. – Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have for the … more

Gaithersburg, Md. - The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced nearly $2.7 million in Phase 1 and Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards to 18 U.S. … more

U.S. production of ethanol for fuel has been rising quickly, topping 13 billion gallons in 2010. With the usual rail, truck and barge transport methods under potential strain, existing gas … more

Gram for gram, novel carbon nanofiber-filled coatings devised by researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Texas A&M University outperformed … more

DNA, a molecule famous for storing the genetic blueprints for all living things, can do other things as well. In a new paper,* researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

Two wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires* earlier this year outside of Amarillo, Texas, destroyed 70 homes, burned more than 25,000 acres of land, and caused nearly $6 million in property damage. … more

Seeking to measure the U.S. first responder community’s need for documentary standards at the federal, state and local levels, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

A team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is working with the U.S. National Guard on a coordinated effort to train emergency first responders in the delicate and … more

The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has made the first six entries into its new Catalog of Standards,* a technical document now available as a guide for all involved with Smart … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will co-sponsor the 2011 Biometric Consortium Conference, Sept. 27-29, 2011, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla. The annual … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host the second annual National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workshop, September 20-22, 2011, at its Gaithersburg, … more

In a chapter of the recently published book Optical Techniques for Solid-State Materials Characterization,* CNST researchers provide a detailed overview and explanations of& micro-optical … more

Gaithersburg, Md. – The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has made the first six entries into its new Catalog of Standards, a technical document now available as a guide for all … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today* said that it will conduct a full technical study on the impacts of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin, Mo. The … more

A notice published today by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the Federal Register requests opinions from the public about the best ways to structure a proposed new … more

Terahertz radiation can penetrate numerous materials—plastic, clothing, paper and some biological tissues—making it an attractive candidate for applications such as concealed … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated* a measurement technique that reliably determines three fundamental mechanical properties of … more

The electromagnetic force has gotten a little stronger, gravity a little weaker, and the size of the smallest "quantum" of energy is now known a little better. The National Institute of … more

With increasing dependency on information systems and advances in cloud computing, the smart grid and mobile computing, maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of citizens' personally … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released for public comment updated specifications for the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP), which helps … more

Virtual robots move pallets while maneuvering around each other in a simulation of a busy warehouse. Credit: Laboratory for Robotics and Intelligent Control Systems (LARICS), University … more

Ed. Note: This post is part of the Spotlight on Commerce series, which highlights members of the Department of Commerce who are contributing to the president's vision of winning the future … more

Researchers from the University of Maryland and the CNST’s Shaffique Adam have recently published a detailed review of the electronic transport properties of two-dimensional … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today* announced that manufacturing industry executive Michael F. Molnar has been appointed to be the agency’s first-ever Chief … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a tunable superconducting circuit on a chip that can place a single microwave photon (particle of light) in two … more

Using a combination of sophisticated computer modeling and advanced materials analysis techniques at synchrotron laboratories, a research team led by the University at Buffalo (UB) and including … more

If materials scientists accompanied their research with theme songs, a team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland (UMD) might be tempted to … more

John Cahn, an emeritus senior fellow and materials scientist at the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has been named to receive the … more

A new report* sponsored by the U.S. Commerce Department (DOC)—the results of the first independent study of its kind in almost 10 years—describes both barriers and effective … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking qualified candidates to lead the Technology Innovation Program (TIP). Established in 2007 as part of the America COMPETES Act … more

When ScienceWatch.com, a Thomson Reuters web resource for measuring and analyzing science trends, recently listed the most influential institutions and researchers in forensic science based on … more

Virtual robots move pallets while maneuvering around each other in a simulation of a busy warehouse. Credit: Laboratory for Robotics and Intelligent Control Systems (LARICS), University of … more

BOULDER, Colo. – Showcasing new tools for widespread development of quantum circuits made of mechanical parts, scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) … more

Showcasing new tools for developing quantum circuits made of mechanical parts, scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a flexible, broadly … more

On June 30, 2011 school administrators, PTA officials, and board President Christopher S. Barclay gathered in Rockville at a ceremony (see the video on RockvillePatch.com) to recognize Jerry D. … more

CNST researcher Kartik Srinivasan was honored with the Sigma Xi Young Scientist Award for 2011.&& He shared this prestigious prize with Sheng Lin-Gibson, Acting Group Leader of the … more