A demonstration of the feasability of a laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition process for mercury cadium telluride films utilizing large area, uniform rare-gas halide excimer laser illumination is proposed. an initial task from this purpose will be to conduct a tradeoff study to determine the… More

The extension of a non-contact polishing technique previously developed for it-vi compounds, is proposed for (100) gaas wafers integrated circuit applications in mind. an initial task will be to characterize such non-contact polished surfaces and compare them with conventionally polished surfaces.… More

For the class of dna nuclear weapons effects simulator known as the plasma radiating source (prs), high resolution x-ray spectroscopy diagnostic measurements provide critical information both for characterization of the test-object radiation environment and for optimization of the source. present… More

Commercial sapphire surfaces contain buried damage which has a deleterious influence on sos layers grown thereon. the defects in the silicon layers result in a reduced yield of devices and performance limitations. much of the damage in the sapphire surface is produced by the polishing step, which… More

Near-surface defects in semiconductors have a primary influence upon device properties, particularly the yield. it would be very useful to be able to map spatially the density and type of defects near a semiconductor surface either as a wafer quality control step or to support device physical… More

Eccm technology has a growing need for improved high-stability time-frequency standards. the main standards currently in common use utilize quartz-crystal oscillators cut to the at orientation. a primary candidate for meeting the requirement for improved time/frequency standards is sc-cut quartz,… More

Corrosion of equipment and material is an unbiquitous national problem costing the u.s. economy over $70 billions annually. realtime radiography has been identified as one of several promising new nde technologies because of its potential ability to solve a significant number of existing corrosion… More

The newly-developed layered synthetic microstructure (lsm) x-ray optic component offers the potential of improving the the performance and survivability of x-ray diagnostic instrumentation used in the magnetic fusion energy (mfe) experimental program. these benefits result from the ability of the… More

The key to the development of new high-temperature, higher-performance, lighter-weight materials is an understanding of the properties and behavior of these advanced materials as a function of their microstructure. an x-ray tomoscope, based on computer tomography (ct) principles, is capable of… More

A powerful, now imaging modality ideally suited for thin-shelled structures but considerably more general in nature is proposed. the approach is based on well- established digital tomosynthesis principles and modern real-time digital radiography techniques. a series of component radiographs of a… More

An important aspect of sdi development of x-ray laser (xrl) weapons systems and the countermeasures is the experimental validation of effects of simulation fidelity and the creation of materials response databases. this experimentalprogram uses as a source of intense soft x-ray the plasma radiating… More

The development and evaluation of advanced fast-neutron sensors based on the converter/metal-oxide-silicon-capacitor (mosc) approach is proposed. the sensors promise improved technical performance and cost-effectiveness as components of the neutral particle beam (npb) mass discrimination system… More

Innovative technical approaches for detecting and characterizing bulk defects in large aerospace structures are urgently needed. the integrity of bonded surfaces in the y-joint and restricter regions of large solid boosters, such as titan 34d motors, is a good example of a critical application… More

The new generation of synchrotron radiation (sr) sources promises to extend significantly the regimes of photon energy and intensity available to materials scientists and other researchers. a key challenge to developing these new sr sources is the construction of premonochromator x-ray beamline… More

A phase ii program is proposed leading to the development ofan instrument that provides an accurate, cost-effective ca- pability for making radiation total=dose measurements over the temperature range of -55 deg c to 200 deg c. the instrument would be uniquely suited for the radiation testing and… More

Nasa has a strong interest in developing advanced structuralmaterials for various system spplications. in practice, thedevelopment of new, or the improvement of old, materials systems is an iterative process in which the rate of progress is intimately related to the understanding of the properties… More

The trend continues towards applying advanced composite materials to the high performance structures associated with aerospace. structures fabricated from carbon-carbon and filament wound composites are particular examples. to fully exploit the promise of these advanced structures, novel nde… More

The development of x-ray tube anodes of greatly increased brightness is proposed by application of an enhanced heat removal technology which will be implemented through the development of micro-fabricated heatpipes. the principal effort of this research will be the construction of a (principally… More

The development and adoption of honeycomb structures and other advanced composite aircraft materials require new modes of inspection, both during production and following deployment, that are faster, more definitive, less costly and easier to use than conventional film radiography. one promising new… More

The emerging importance of nuclear-weapon and directed energy weapon (dew) effects testing in the soft x-ray regime has highlighted the need for a robust, accurate and reliable soft x-ray spectrometer that will measure fluence incident on ugt test-articles. the new layered synthetic microstructure… More

Carbon-carbon composites are increasingly being employed in advanced dod systems. the length and complexity of the manufacturing process of these components tend to make the parts costly and the yields less than optimal. an ongoing darpa program aims at developig an intelligent control system which… More

Research on unique soft x-ray wave-length dispersive instrumentation is proposed to fulfill important process monitor needs in the semiconductor industry. aracor experience in designing and successfully applying multilayer synthetic microstructures to obtain both wave-length discrimination and… More

The development of advanced chemical systems would benefit greatly from the availability of new inspection techniques which could image materials with submircon resolution. benefits of such a capability would include the ability to nondestructively examine samples in three dimensions to high… More

The new compound semiconductor material, mercuric iodide (hgi2), offers the potential for room temperature, high stopping power detectors of penetrating radiation. this potential has not yet been realized owing to the difficulties in consistently producing hgi2 stating material free from bulk and… More

Computed tomography (ct) is rapidly becoming an important complement to other non-destructive evaluation (nde) methods and is the preferred nde technique whenever the primary goal is to locate and size planar and volumetric detail in three dimensions. however, modern military ct systems are capable… More

The development of analog devices fabricated on defect-free advanced substrates with increased neutron tolerance is proposed. this concept will implement ultra-thin, defect-free, silicon-on-insulator substrates fabricated by bonding and etch back (besoi) to demonstrate lateral bipolar devices with… More

The use of composite materials has grown significantly in the past decade. these material systems are being used as critical components in increasingly complex structures. metal-matrix composites, more specifically, are being considered for applications from turbine engines to primary aircraft… More

New generation high-temperature materials are being developed for a host of applications such as the national aerospace plane (nasp). carbon-carbon composites show great promise for this application because of their high strength and stiffness at elevated temperatures.in order to fully utilize the… More

High-resolution computed tomography shows significant promise in aiding the development of advanced composite materials which are important in improving aircraft performance. nondestructive imaging of the internal structure of these materials can help in improving processing quality, in developing… More

The development of a wafer-level testing technique for multigigahertz gaas digital integrated circuits to characterize the transient-radiation-induced upset level is proposed. this concept will allow the optimization of the upset level in high pin-out density circuits using an on-site, quick… More

Computed tomography (ct), a technique for reconstructing theinterior of an object from measurements of its line integrals (or projections), is increasingly being applied inresearch and in non-destructive evaluation of industrial objects. to handle the increased spatial resolution and throughput… More

The proposed r&d will establish a new capability of light-element x-ray fluorescence analysis that supports the accurate quantitative measurement of the biogenic elements. the basis for this new capability is a class of innovative x-ray wavelength-dispersive optical components known as layered… More

The development of an automated test method to extract cmos vlsi circuit parameters to assess hot-electron reliability and radiation hardness is proposed. the instrument, combined with standardized test chips, would be uniquely suited for qualification of low-volume asic circuits for spacebourne… More

The objective of the proposed work is to develop techniques for detecting and quantifying weak or "kissing" debonds in solid rocket motors. the proposed technique is based on x-ray computed tomography.it is innovative because it does not require that any gaps in the debond area be resolved. instead,… More

Analytical instrumentation based on x-ray fluorescence excitation and diffraction are vital components of both industrial process control/quality assurance laboratories and materials research facilities. the application of thesetechniques for the inspection of microscopic areas is increasingly more… More

This project attempts to experimentally demonstrate a re-entrant light element x-ray fluorescence analyzer for analytical transmission electron microscopy (tem). the analyzer relies on advanced x-ray optical components to collect and transport characteristic radiation emitted from light elements… More

This project is to develop a high energy particle detector that incorporates onboard signal processing support electronics using radiation-hard, bond-and-etchback silicon-on-insulator (besoi) wafer technology. tailored foruse at the superconducting super collider (ssc), this detector device offers… More

The u.s. semiconductor device fabrication industry, with the support of the department of defense, is rapidly developing the cluster tool concept as the basis for advanced device manufacturing. this concept provides the clean vacuum processing environment necessary for high-yield production of… More

We will develop and demonstrate a new hardware architecture for x-ray mammography systems that will provide enhanced diagnostic performance, producing higher quality images at lower patient dose and lower examination cost. the project will implement a novel line-scan exposure method that enhances… More

X-ray imaging and inspections play an increasing role in the development and implementation of modern manufacturing technique. the increasing demand for high-resolution inspection and for inspection as an adjunct to critical manufacturing steps has generated a need for new, flexible, compact,… More

The objectives of the phase i effort are to quantify the effect of x-ray scatter on radiographic image quality, test scatter rejection approaches, and generate a conceptual design of a system which will provide better resolution, contrast sensitivity, and dynamic range than is currently available… More

Darpa and the u.s. semiconductor community are actively developing laser-produced plasma (lpp) x-ray sources as the basis for x-ray microlithography exposure systems. these lpp sources will allow the construction of compact exposure systems that can be easily integrated into existing semiconductor… More

The scanning photovoltage (spv) technique is a non-destructive, high resolution optical method for mapping electrically-active defects in semiconductors. the potential of the spv technique has not been realized for modern, ultra-thin film materials, however, because of multiple reflection… More

The project is developing a micromechanical constitutive damage (mcd) model for use with metal-matrix composites. the model incorporates traditional parameters such as an elasticviscoplastic matrix, fiber-matrix debonding, residual stresses, and fiber packing geometry. the mcd model incorporates… More

The development of a novel non-scanning wavelength dispersive specrometer (wds) for analytical electron microscopy (aem) is the objective of this project. this spectrometer is designed to provide sufficient energy resolution over broad regions of the soft x-ray spectral region (from 100 to 2000 ev)… More

This phase i project will develop a detector technology for tracking particles close to the beam pipe in new generation accelerator experiments. high spatial resolution, high speed data readout, compact size, low power, and radiation hardness will be achieved by incorporating a high resistivity,… More

Monolithic integration of silicon avalanche photodiode (apd) arrays with their associated electronics is being investigated. the photodiode elements are based on the state-of-the-art process which achieves uniform bulk breakdown by using neutron transmutation doped silicon and a "beveled junction"… More

To meet existing and future casting manufacturing needs, the development of an automated rapid metrology (arm) capability for investment casting layout is being investigated. the approach is based on the extraction of dimensional information from computed tomography (ct) images of a part. a key… More

ARACOR proposes to develop image processing tools and integrate them into a software package running on UNIX workstations that can efficiently and quantitatively analyze computed tomography (CT) images of metal-matrix composites (MMC's). The software will provide numerical data to microstructural… More

BESOI fabrication techniques will be evaluated to select an optimum approach for manufacturing ultrathin silicon films on 150- and 200-mm diameter wafers. A supplier of such BESOI material will be identified. The baseline will be the SiGe etch stop and strain-sensitive etch method which ARACOR has… More

The investigators will test the feasibility of developing a 3D X-ray microtomography scanner for trstudies in small animals, as further described by their abstract: A 3-D Computed Tomographic scannerobservation of trabecular bone microstructure and density of laboratory animals is proposed. This… More

Rapid prototyping technology has the prospect of significantly increasing the efficiency and flexibility of current manufacturing practices. This program will investigate the feasibility of linking x-ray computed tomography (CT) with rapid prototyping equipment to produce prototypes directly from… More

129 Integrated 2-D Silicon Detector for High-Count-Rate, Low-Noise X-Ray Applications--ARACOR, 425 Lakeside Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086-4704; (408) 733-7780 Dr. Yuzhong June Wang, Principal Investigator Mr. Ed LeBaker, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-97ER82330 Amount: … More

40344 November 12, 1996 ARACOR Glass capillaries, which have been pulled into focusing geometries with narrow exit apertures, have shown substantial gains for the concentration of 1 to 20 keV x rays into sub-micron beams. These optics have been used on… More

Two-dimensional measurement machines, such as microlithography and computed tomography systems, are subject to distortions in the measurement field due to imperfections in their hardware and software. Certified methods to characterize and quantify such distortions are urgently needed. An innovative… More

The proposed program will investigate the feasibility of detecting and extracting detailed characterization of marcelling in composite panels with X-ray computed tomography (CT) without the use of special radiographic markers (such as tracer fibers). Marcelling conditions will not only be detected,… More

The goal of this two-phase program is to develop a prototype system which addresses the problem of nondestructively extracting layout patterns for multilayer printed circuit boards. The system will use x-ray digital tomosynthesis for image acquisition, and advanced image processing, including… More

129 Integrated 2-D Silicon Detector for High-Count-Rate, Low-Noise X-Ray Applications--ARACOR, 425 Lakeside Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086-4704; (408) 733-7780 Dr. Yuzhong June Wang, Principal Investigator Mr. Ed LeBaker, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-97ER82330 Amount: $75,000 Detectors… More

The goal of this two-phase program is to develop a prototype system which addresses the problem of nondestructively extracting layout patterns for multilayer printed circuit boards. The system will use x-ray digital tomosynthesis for image acquisition, and advanced image processing, including… More

The creation of digital design information for the manufacture of existing parts is a critical need for maintaining part inventories and to ensure the reliable operation of critical equipment. Such parts, which are frequently found in aging military aircraft, pose an important challenge to the Air… More

Not Available This SBIR Phase I proposal describes a concept study for a single-soldier delivery system that is launched in-flight at high altitude from a carrier aircraft. The delivery vehicle is a glider modified for powered flight using a ducted-fan propulsion system. The air-delivery system… More

This project will develop a practical, nondestructive inspection technique for the detection of corrosion hidden under the reusable surface insulation tiles found in thermal protection systems. This technique is based on an innovative use of x-ray interactions to discriminate low levels of corrosion… More

65165 The current-carrying capacity of high-temperature superconductors needs to be improved to reduce the costs and pollution associated with electric power generation, delivery, and use. Such improvements will require on-line diagnostics to detect defects in the superconducting wires as they are… More

The objective of this SBIR project is to develop enhanced capabilities to evaluate solid rocket motors (SRMs) using x-ray computed tomography (CT) inspection. In Phase I, approaches were defined for developing technology to improve CT inspectioncapabilities. In Phase II, the technology will be… More

The objective of this SBIR project is to develop enhanced capabilities to evaluate solid rocket motors (SRMs) using x-ray computed tomography (CT) inspection. In Phase I, approaches were defined for developing technology to improve CT inspectioncapabilities. In Phase II, the technology will be… More

65165 The development of a practical manufacturing process for high temperature superconductors is slowed by the lack of suitable diagnostic tools that can relate a rapidly measured property during production to the electrical performance of the finished product. This project will develop… More

65165 The development of a practical manufacturing process for high temperature superconductors is slowed by the lack of suitable diagnostic tools that can relate a rapidly measured property during production to the electrical performance of the finished product. This project will develop… More

Synchrotron-based x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is a major scientific tool for solving a wide range of problems with important applications in the material and biological sciences. There is an urgent need for fast, efficient x-ray detectors for effective utilization of synchrotron-based… More