[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36519-36520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10099]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Announcement of a Meeting To Explore Feasibility of Establishing 
a NIST/Industry Consortium on Metrological Aspects of X-Ray Diffraction 
and X-Ray Reflectometry Analysis

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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

SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
invites interested parties to attend a pre-consortium meeting to be 
held on August 10, 2006 in conjunction with the 55th Annual Denver X-
Ray Conference at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel, in Denver, CO. 
The objective of this meeting is to evaluate industry interest in a 
NIST/Industry Consortium on metrological aspects of X-Ray

[[Page 36520]]

Diffraction and X-Ray Reflectometry analysis.
    The goals of this consortium include the development of 
standardized terminology and modeling methods, which will facilitate 
parameter comparisons between different instrument software and improve 
customer confidence in X-ray characterization techniques. The approach 
will compare results from industrial X-ray modeling and refinement 
approaches with NIST X-ray metrology-based approaches to establish 
consistency in parameter determination and in uncertainty analysis. The 
long-term goal of this collaboration will be NIST recommendations for 
X-ray data measurement and analysis methods. Recommended measurement 
and analysis methods in conjunction with future Standard Reference 
Materials will establish SI traceability between X-ray measurement and 
structural model parameters.
    NIST staff members along with at least one technical representative 
from each participating member company will conduct X-ray software data 
refinements. Membership in the Consortium is open to the X-ray 
instrument vendor community, particularly equipment manufacturers with 
commercially available X-ray analysis software applicable to the 
comparative study. The term of the consortium is intended to be 5 
years.

DATES: The meeting will take place on Thursday, August 10, 2006 from 
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Interested parties should contact NIST at the 
address, telephone number or FAX number shown below to confirm their 
interest in attending this meeting.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Denver Marriott Tech 
Center Hotel, 4900 S. Syracuse Street, Denver, CO 80237, Room: 
Evergreen Ballroom.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Windover or James P. Cline, 
Ceramics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, MS 8520, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Telephone: 
(301) 975-6102 or (301) 975-5793, FAX: 301 975-5334; e-mail: 
[email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any program undertaken will be within the 
scope and confines of The Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub. 
L. 99-502, 15 U.S.C. 3710a), which provides Federal laboratories 
including NIST, with the authority to enter into cooperative research 
agreements with qualified parties. Under this law, NIST may contribute 
personnel, equipment, and facilities but no funds to the cooperative 
research program. This is not a grant program.

    Dated: June 19, 2006.
Hratch G. Semerjian,
Deputy Director.
 [FR Doc. E6-10099 Filed 6-26-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P