ROUND THE CIRCUIT

Free solvents guide offered

An on-line guide to help manufacturers meet both their process needs and environmental regulations has been released by Research Triangle Institute. The Solvent Alternatives Guide (SAGE) is available free on the World Wide Web at http://www.clean.rti.org. Windows- and Macintosh-compatible versions may be downloaded for free at http://www.clean.rti/org/sagedown. SAGE enables users to evaluate alternatives to various processes and chemistries in specific situations. The EPA-sponsored guide is also a hypertext manual on cleaning alternatives. A related engineering service for surface cleaning is available from RTI at http://www.clean.rti.org/green. RTI experts will help process engineers determine the proper standard of cleanliness and devise ways of meeting it.

NIST probes microscope tips

Using a specially designed tool, physicists at NIST are developing techniques to improve the measuring capabilities of scanning probe microscopes. To examine the problem of variations in the shape of SPM probe tips, researchers have built an instrument that combines a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and a field-ion microscope (FIM). The tool enables the researchers to measure tip geometries and dimensions and match this information with the performance of a specific tip. Such characterization of SPM tips will eliminate uncertain measurements caused by unknown variations in tip geometry, NIST believes.

The NIST instrument rotates up to six probe tips at a time between microscopes. The tool characterizes probe tips on the FIM, then transfers them on a carousel in ultrahigh vacuum to the STM, which researchers use to test the probes on silicon samples. Tip and sample surfaces are heat-treated in a separate ultra-high-vacuum chamber. Researchers also use the FIM to modify the shape of the tips. Initial work has been focused on tungsten and platinum-iridium tips.

In addition to characterizing tip dimensions, researchers plan to write a guidebook describing standard methods for making SPM tips with reproducible geometries. NIST further hopes to develop methods of cleaning and transporting tips that will minimize the chances of unwanted alterations. The institute will also use data generated in the research to refine its computer-modeling research on SPM tips and the distortions caused by interactions between the tip and the sample. Eventually, NIST will offer the tip-characterization software in its Guide to Available Mathematical Software, the institute's on-line site for mathematical modeling and statistical analysis software. The guide can be found at http://www.gams.nist.gov.gams. Information: 301/975-3776.

300-mm summit to reconvene

The second meeting in an international series of joint seminars on 300-mm wafer standards is scheduled to take place May 29 in Tokyo. Held in conjunction with Semicon/Kansai 97, the meeting is designed to promote global cooperation on wafer carrier and physical interface standards. The cosponsors are SEMI and SEAJ.

The first seminar was held in Tokyo on February 25 and drew 260 attendees. Leaders of the Japanese equipment industry's J300 working group and members of a SEAJ/SEMI joint committee made presentations at the event. Participants discussed J300's concepts of equipment load ports and wafer carriers, 300-mm open cassette­related standards, and a status report on the draft standards for 300-mm pod and equipment load ports. A copy of the seminar proceedings and information on the upcoming seminar are available from SEMI Japan, 81-3-3222-5755; fax, 81-3-3222-5757. SEMI's Web site is http://www.semi.org.

Hodess's hard work honored

The seven-day workweeks that employees and subcontractors for Hodess Building Co. put in to complete a $13-million headquarters and microelectronics facility for Lockheed Sanders have been duly noted by Associated Builders & Contractors. In the recent National Excellence in Construction Awards competition two of the trade organization's local chapters honored the North Attleboro, MA-based construction company for its work on the project, which is located in Nashua, NH. Hodess received first-place awards in separate competitions in the category of commercial or institutional projects valued at more than $5 million from both ABC's Rhode Island and Massachusetts chapters.

Display titles translated

LCD Intelligence and Display & Imaging Journal, two Japanese monthly magazines covering the flat-panel display industry, are available in English translation from InterLingua of Redondo Beach, CA. The translations are published at the same time as the Japanese editions. Each of the English versions costs $650 per year. Articles, sections, and special reports are available for $25 each. An English translation of Japanese Display Technology Patent Directory for 1996 is also available for $195. The tables of contents for both Japanese magazines may be seen on InterLingua's Web site at http://www.japanese-translation.com. Information: 310/792-3638; fax, 310/ 792-3642.