of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

NIST X-RAY DETECTOR HEADS FOR COMMERCIALIZATION NIST has granted co-exclusive licenses to two private companies for commercialization of a revolutionary microcalorimeter-based x-ray detector with an energy resolution of 2 eV, some 50 times better than conventional semiconductor-based detectors. The new technology will be used in instruments for the characterization and analysis of materials by x rays in semiconductor and other materials-intensive industries. The detector fits easily onto a commercially available scanning electron microscope and conveniently operates even though the sensor is cooled to near absolute zero. The vastly improved detector system will enable chemical analysis of particles that are difficult or impossible to study with current detectors. It permits the chemical analysis of tiny particles that contaminate silicon wafers during semiconductor fabrication. It also has been used to measure the shift in x-ray energy that occurs due to chemical bonding of one atom to another. In the meantime, the NIST research team that developed the technology is exploring other uses for it. One current project is evaluating the microcalorimeter’s role as the detector on a high-resolution mass spectrometer that might help speed up human gene sequencing. For technical information, contact Richard Harris, MC 814.00, NIST, Boulder, CO 80303-3337; (303) 497-3776; [email protected]. Media Contact: Fred McGehan (303) 497-3246; [email protected]. News Briefs