Microtechnology News articles from October 1998

Microtechnology News archives from October 1998

DEVELOPMENTS MEMS "Lock" Foils Computer Hackers.
October 1, 1998... The "world's smallest combination lock," a minuscule mechanical device developed at Sandia National Laboratories, promises to build a virtually impenetrable computer firewall that even the best hacker can't beat. The recodable locking device,...

Microvision's Patents Include MEMS.
October 1, 1998... Microvision, Inc. (Seattle, WA) has filed eight new patent applications covering a wide range of optics and scanning technologies. These new applications are a result of the company's ongoing investment in research associated with scanning...

A Generation of Biomorphic Explorers.
October 1, 1998... Biomorphic explorers are a class of proposed small robots that would be equipped with microsensors and would feature animal-like adaptability and mobility. These robots would capture key features, a specific design or function found in nature,...

Ballistic Conductance May Shrink Electronics.
October 1, 1998... Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology recently observed an effect known as ballistic conductance in carbon nanotubes up to 5 um long. The effect occurs when electrons pass through a conductor without heating it. This is the...

Technique Makes Tiles from DNA.
October 1, 1998... A research group in the Dept. of Chemistry at New York University (NYU, New York, NY), in cooperation with scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA), announced a step in the direction of rapid manufacture of...

Contract for "Silicon Brain".
October 1, 1998... Irvine Sensors Corp. (Costa Mesa, CA) says it has received approximately $738,000 research and development contract from the U.S. Army space and missile defense command to demonstrate the feasibility of an ultra high density interconnect to...

APPLICATIONS: AlliedSignal to Supply Measurement System.
October 1, 1998... AlliedSignal announced that it will supply silicon-based micro-SCIRAS (pronounced "micro-cyrus) inertial measurement unit (IMU) for the Army's next generation XM982 guided projectile. This is the first major guided munitions award for an IMU...

Incyte Awarded Microarray Patent.
October 1, 1998... Incyte Pharmaceuticals (3174 Porter Dr., Palo Alto, CA 94304; Tel: 415/855-0555; Fax: 415/855-0572, Website: www.incyte.com) has received an important patent supporting its microarray genetic technology. U.S. Patent 5,807,522 is seen as part of...

Teaming Up for Prefab Microarrays.
October 1, 1998... Molecular Dynamics (880 E. Arques Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086; Tel: 408/737-3000) and Clontech Laboratories (4030 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303-4607; Tel: 415/424-8222, Fax: 415/424-1064) seek to jointly develop and market specially prepared...

Analog Devices Provides Sensor.
October 1, 1998... Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI, Norwood, MA) says it will supply its new ADXL202 micromachined accelerometer to Microsoft Corp.'s hardware division for its new SideWinder Freestyle Pro game controller. The ADI accelerometer allows the new game...

MEMS-Based Mass Flow Controller.
October 1, 1998... Redwood Microsystems (Menlo Park, CA) integrates MEMS components to replace traditional, bulky electro-mechanical devices. The company's new MEMS-flow mass flow controller (MFC) consists of four silicon microfabricated components: a...

Vertical Gyro Sets Price Standard.
October 1, 1998... Crossbow Technologies (San Jose, CA) announced the DMU-FOG, fiber optic gyro-based sensor subsystem that utilizes silicon MEMS technology and proprietary digital signal processor (DSP) algorithms to provide a highly reliable replacement for...

FABRICATIONS: MUMPS Service Now on Its Own.
October 1, 1998... At the MCNC MEMS technology center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the multi-user MEMS processes (MUMPS) program had been supported by DARPA. MCNC is a private nonprofit corporation that maintains advanced equipment and expertise in...

CAD Tools Target Biochip Applications.
October 1, 1998... A new CAD program developed by Microcosm Technologies, Inc. (Raleigh, NC) permits the design of integrated chemical and biochemical analysis of synthesis systems, or "biochips." The software is the first such CAD tool available. The tool...

MST Foundry Offers Production Services.
October 1, 1998... Tronic's Microsystems (Grenoble, France) is a startup company that was spun off from France's CEA/LETI. Their specialty is development and production of dedicated micro components, microsensors, and MEMS. The company's basic technologies, which...

Center Has Fab Facilities.
October 1, 1998... The Center for Microelectronic Sensors and MEMS (CMSM) at the University of Cincinnati (OH) is fully equipped with facilities to research the design, fabrication, and characterization of MEMS structures and devices on chips with integrated...

Production Lasers Micromachine Tools.
October 1, 1998... The largest independent laser micromachining company in the U.S., Resonetics, located in Nashua, New Hampshire, has introduced two new production laser micromachining tool families--the Maestro and Impressario. The Maestro series excimer...

ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES Deep Plasma Etch Increases Device Density.
October 1, 1998... Products such as pressure sensors, membranes, and microfluidic devices often require very deep, through-the-wafer etching. The wet chemistry often used to accomplish this degree of etching employs hazardous chemicals such as EDP and KOH in...

DUV Stepper Achieves 0.12 Micron Line Width.
October 1, 1998... The semiconductor equipment division of Canon U.S.A., Inc. says that the I300I (the international 300 mm initiative) has achieved 0.12- micron lines and 0.24-micron spaces on aluminum in a cooperative program using the Canon FPA-3000EX3L 300 mm...

Dual Damascene for Copper Production.
October 1, 1998... Lam Research (Fremont, CA) released dual damascene applications for the company's field-proven 4520XLE advanced dielectric etch system. The released applications are being used in production of devices with copper interconnects at a major U.S....

TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS System Monitors Thin Film Stress.
October 1, 1998... Measuring the stress of thin films as they are deposited is critical for achieving the optical, electronic and mechanical properties required in today's high performance devices. Thin film deposition is a MEMS enabling technology so our...

First Tools for 300 mm Fab.
October 1, 1998... Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (RTI, Flanders, NJ) says its MetaPULSE 300 has been selected by the first 300 mm pilot fab in the world, Semiconductor 300 of Dresden, Germany, to qualify and develop 300 mm tools and processes. The non-destructive...

INDUSTRY NEWS Plasma-Therm Reports Results.
October 1, 1998... Plasma-Therm, Inc. (St. Petersburg, FL) reports net income for the third quarter of $364,144, as compared to $1,242,052 for the same period in 1997. Earnings per share (diluted) for the quarter was $.03, as compared to $.11 for the same period...

IBM & ST Will Develop SOCs.
October 1, 1998... IBM, at its East Fishkill, NY location, and ST Microelectronics (St. Gemis, France) announced a joint effort to accelerate development of advanced system-on-a-chip (SOC) products. The two companies will exchange intellectual property and...

Standard Microsystems Reports 2Q Revenue.
October 1, 1998... Standard Microsystems Corp. (SMSC, Hauppauge, NY) announced revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 1999 ended August 31, 1998. Revenues were $40.9 million, slightly below revenues of $41.2 million reported for the second quarter of the...

Electronic Visions Creates MEMS Unit.
October 1, 1998... Electronic Visions, Inc. (Phoenix, AZ) a manufacturer of wafer bonding, lithography, coating, developing, and cleaning systems for MEMS and semiconductor market segments, has created a North American Technology Group to develop new...

Solitec Gets Business from Ultratech.
October 1, 1998... Solitec Wafer Processing (SWP, Inc., San Jose, CA) announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Ultratech Stepper East, Inc. SWP purchased the resist processing business portion of the former Integrated Solutions, Inc. (ISI), which...

CALENDAR.
October 1, 1998... Sept. 20-22, 1998. Micromachining and Microfabrication 1998, Santa Clara Marriot, Santa Clara, CA. Contact: Website: www,spie.org/info/mf. Oct. 24-29, 1998. IPC/SMTA Electronics Assembly Expo, Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, RI....