[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 213 (Friday, November 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56521-56522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28113]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology


Announcement of an Opportunity To Join a Cooperative Research and 
Development Consortium for CD-Metrology Below 0.25 Microns

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology invites 
interested parties to attend a meeting on November 12, 1996 to discuss 
setting up a cooperative research consortium. The goal of the 
consortium is to achieve commercially available reference standards to 
support CD-metrology below 0.25 microns. Parties participating in the 
consortium will be loaned a premeasured prototype sample for 
evaluation.
    The program will be within the scope and confines of The Federal 
Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-502, 15 U.S.C. 3710a), 
which provides federal laboratories including NIST, with the authority 
to enter into cooperative research agreements with

[[Page 56522]]

qualified parties. Under this law, NIST may contribute personnel, 
equipment, and facilities--but no funds--to the cooperative research 
program.
    Members will be expected to make a contribution to the consortium's 
efforts in the form of personnel, and/or funds. This is not a grant 
program.

DATES: Interested parties should contact NIST to confirm their interest 
at the address, telephone number or FAX number shown below.

ADDRESSES: Technology Building, Room B360, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Michael W. Cresswell, Telephone: 301-975-2072; FAX: 301-948-4081.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIST and Sandia National Laboratories have 
successfully fabricated and tested prototypes of a new class of 
reference materials to support CD-metrology below 0.25 m. This work has 
the long-term goal of the commercial availability of certified physical 
standards traceable to NIST. As a result of the multiple requests for 
sample prototypes for evaluative purposes that they have received, NIST 
and Sandia management have proposed a Consortium to maximize the 
benefits of exchanging measurement results made independently by a 
diverse group of participants, each of whom will be loaned a pre-
measured prototype sample for evaluation. The purpose of the above 
meeting is to describe the chip layout and reference-feature 
construction, to review the CD-measurement results already extracted 
from the different chips by NIST and Sandia, and to explain the CRADA 
(Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) rules which will apply 
to the Consortium. The distribution of samples will begin as soon as 
signed CRADA documents are returned to NIST. Each participating 
organization will be requested to make an illustrated presentation of 
its CD-measurement results at a closed meeting to be held in 
conjunction with SEMICON/West 97.
    Organizations not members of SEMATECH may be asked to contribute a 
nominal fee in order to participate.

    Dated: October 28, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-28113 Filed 10-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M