Award Data

To further advance the characterization and utility of microcantilevers, next generation optical detectors with higher frequency response, improved displacement resolution and lower noise for weak signal detection are needed. Consequently, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (RMD) will develop a turnkey optical detector module for use in characterizing the displacement and resonant frequencies of m ...

Current research tools to understand tumor cell migration and metastases are limited to linear gradients or constant flow across cells skewing results. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology developed a tool called the microfluidic palette which exposes cells to chemical stimuli in a static environment overcoming the limitations above. Several improvements are necessary ...

In Phase 1, TIAX developed and demonstrated a residential energy monitoring system (R-EMS) with potential national energy savings of $20 billion annually. Based on user requirements and well-established systems engineering methodology, TIAX’s R-EMS solution is inexpensive, easy to install and operate, and is supportive of intuitive decision making about energy usage. In Phase 2, TIAX will extend ...

Microalgae are a promising feedstock for biofuels because of their high oil content, excellent CO2 capture, and ability to use brackish water and non-arable land. The extraction of oil from algae represents a challenging cost barrier to commercial biofuel production. Conventional technologies for algal oil extraction are energy-inefficient, cost-intensive, or non scalable, leading to barriers for ...

Light scatter has been used to map and size particles on silicon wafers for many years, producing accurate maps of particle position and giving an indication of particle size, but do not reveal any information about particle composition. Today's technology is limited by noise, precluding detection of the smallest particles of interest. Present instruments are not adequate for the next generation ...

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METAL-PARTICULATE INTERFACES HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE PROPERTIES OF CERAMIC-REINFORCED METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES. DESIRED INTERFACE CHARACTERISTICS ARE ADHERENCE, MECHANICAL TOUGHNESS AND RESISTANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL ATTACK. IN TURN, THESE PROPERTIES ARE DICTATED BY SURFACE MORPHOLOGY, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, SHAPE AND THE PRESENCE OF THIRD PHASES. STEPS MUST BE TAKEN TO CONTROL THE RELEVANT CHARACTE ...

Microscopic measurement of surface topography is a continuing need in microfabrication technology and materials research. The aim of this research is to adapt the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to the quantitative measurement of a wide range of surface structures. The SEM is a widely used measurement tool in materials science and semiconductor fabrication. The SEM's strength is that it prov ...

This NIST Phase 1 SBIR effort will demonstrate the feasibility of low noise single photon up conversion using KTiOPO4 (KTP) or LiNbO3 (LN) or Stoichiometric LiTaO3 (SLT) periodically poled waveguides and an 1800nm pump for a high efficiency single photon detector. The key innovation is using low noise periodically poled waveguides with a long wavelength (1800nm) pump leading to higher efficiency s ...

This SBIR Phase I effort will establish the feasibility of fabricating advanced waveguide structures in potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) capable of efficiently generating 25 to 40 mW of frequency converted light in the 395 to 480 nm. The key innovation in this effort is to utilize KTP waveguides in a single-pass frequency doubling device to efficiently produce the desired laser wavelengths and po ...