acilities

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards

and Technology

too

10 . 732

998
Contents

Foreword 1 NIST Research Reactor 2

Neutron Depth Profiling Facility 3

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Facility 4

High-Resolution Neutron Powder Diffractorr^ter 5

Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility-II 6

Materials Science X-Ray Beamlines

Magnetic Microstructure Measurement Facility 8

Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Facility 9

Ultra-Clean Ceramic Processing Laboratory 10

Powder Characterization Laboratory 1

Metals Processing Laboratory 12

Mechanical Behavior Laboratories 14

Toxic Chemicals Handling Laboratory 15

Semiconductor Processing Research Laboratory 16

Automated Manufacturing Research Facility 17

Near-Field Scanning Facility for Antenna Measurements 19

Mode-Stirred Chambers 20

Outdoor Extrapolation Range for Antenna Measurements 21

Ground Screen Antenna Range 21

Transverse Electromagnetic (TEM) Cells 22

Electromagnetic Anechoic Chamber 23

High-Voltage Measurement Facility 23

Fire Research Facilities 24

Large-Scale Structures Testing Facility 26

Tri-Directional Test Facility 28

Calibrated Hot Box Facility 29

Line Heat-Source Guarded Hot Plate 30

Large Environmental Chamber 31

Acoustic Anechoic Chamber 32

Nitrogen Flow Measurement Facility 33

Water Flow Measurement Facility 34

Information Systems Engineering Facility 35

Computer and Network Security Facility 36
Foreword

NIST Gaithersburg Laboratories

NISTBoulder Laboratories

Our number one job at the

National Institute of Standards

and Technology is to work

closely with industry on the

development and use of the

new technologies that U.S.

companies need to stay competitive in the world marketplace. We also have major

responsibilities to help other

government agencies and

universities.

Founded in 1901 as the

National Bureau of Standards,

NIST has enjoyed a long history of cooperative research

with scientists and engineers

from industry, government,

and academia. This tradition

of cooperation is more important now than ever before.

When the Institute was

created from NBS on August

23, 1988, as a result of the

Technology Competitiveness

Act, we received a number of

new assignments. The aim is to further assist industry in

developing technology and

procedures for improving

quality, and to facilitate the

commercialization—especially by small- and mid-sized

U.S. firms—of products

derived from new scientific

discoveries.

One of the ways we are pursuing these goals is to make

many of our research and test- ing facilities—some of which

are unequaled anywhere in

the world—available to other

researchers for collaborative or independent work. For ex- ample, our Research Associate

Program, begun in the 1920's,

has spawned numerous collaborative projects over the

years. Through this program,

sponsoring organizations pay

the salaries of research associates; NIST contributes its wideranging expertise and permits

the use of its facilities and

equipment.

We also encourage U.S. re- searchers to conduct proprietary work in select

Institute facilities on a cost- recovery basis when equal or

superior facilities are not

otherwise readily available.

We hope through these ac- tions to increase the transfer

of technology to industry and

to encourage more commercially important research.

This brochure highlights

only a small number of the

special NIST facilities which

could be used to benefit your

research. It offers information

on the capabilities of these

facilities as well as their availability. Individuals or organizations who wish to use an NIST

facility should contact the appropriate facility manager.

We invite you to profit from

our nation's investment in

NIST and to work with us to sustain our country's technological and commercial

leadership.

Frnest Ambler

Director

1
NIST Research

Reactor

The National Institute of Standards and Technology research

reactor is a national center for

the application of reactor

radiation to a variety of problems of national concern. Major program areas at the re- actor include the application

of neutron scattering methods

to research in materials

science, trace analysis by

neutron activation, nondestructive evaluation (via

neutron radiography and scattering), neutron standards and

dosimetry, and isotope production and radiation effects.

Capabilities:

The NIST reactor is a cooled

and heavy-water moderated

reactor operating at 20 MW

and producing a peak thermal

core flux of 4 x 101

neutrons/cm2

. A large cold

neutron source has been in- stalled which will increase the

flux of long wavelength (>1

nm) neutrons by a factor of 3

to 5. Experimental facilities are

available for neutron singlecrystal and powder diffraction

and inelastic scattering studies, small-angle neutron scat- tering (SANS), sample

preparation, irradiation and

post-irradiation processing,

neutron depth profiling,

neutron dosimetry, and re- lated physics.

Applications:

Elastic Scattering. Atomicscale phase structure in catalysts, electronic and dielectric

ceramics, semiconductors,

and biomaterials, for example.

Submicron structure studies including molecular conformations in block copolymers,

characterization of microcracks and porosity damage in

ceramics, creep cavitation in

metal alloys, and characterization of precipitate distributions in high-strength,

low-alloy steels. Phase transition kinetic studies in alloys.

Atomic-level magnetic strucExpetimental Facilities and

Research Areas at the NIST

Reactor

ture and behavior in crystalline and amorphous materials.

Inelastic Scattering. Lattice dynamics and vibrational spectroscopy studies of hydrogen

in metals at low concentrations, vibrational spectra of

molecules adsorbed in heterogeneous catalysts, diffusion

processes for small molecules

in solids, magnetic properties.

Element Analysis. Neutron activation analysis method

development; applications to studies in environmental

chemistry, nutrition, biomedicine, and energy systems.

Neutron capture prompt

gamma activation analysis

method development.

Availability:

There are 25 experimental

facilities at the reactor providing roughly 125,000 instrument hours per year to approximately 300 users. The

users of the facilities represent

17 NIST divisions and offices,

16 other federal agencies, and

approximately 50 university

and industrial laboratories.

Collaborative programs are ar- ranged through NIST staff. Proposals for collaborative or independent use of the facility are reviewed by a committee

which examines the merit and

conditions of each application.

Contact:

Dr. Robert S. Carter, A106 Reactor Building, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301/975-6210.

Trlpl«-Axts Sp*ctrofn*t»r

2
Neutron Depth

Profiling Facility

The neutron depth profiling

(NDP) facility at the National

Institute of Standards and

Technology uses a neutron

beam for nondestructive evaluation of elemental depth distributions in materials.

Working with the Institute's

20-MW nuclear reactor, re- searchers use the technique to provide concentration profiles

for characterizing the nearsurface regime of semiconductors, metals, glasses, and

polymers to depths of several

micrometers. The facility uses

filters and collimators to produce a high-quality neutron

beam with good thermal

neutron intensity and minimum contamination with fast neutrons and gamma rays. An

aluminum target chamber is used to contain the samples in a vacuum, and a full array of

electronic components is available for data acquisition and

analysis.

Capabilities:

With the thermal neutron

beam provided by the reactor,

depth profiling can be carried

out with sensitivities approaching lO

1 ^ atoms/cm2

. The

method is not destructive to the sample and produces negligible radioactivation and

energy deposition in the

sample. A single analysis produces a profile typically 5 to 20 |im deep with a resolution

of better than 30 nm, which is limited at present by the

energy resolution of the sur- face barrier detectors used.

Once calibrated with the appropriate elemental standard,

the concentration scale is fixed independently of the

sample composition. The

depth scale is monotonically

related to the energy scale by

means of the charged particle

stopping power. Elements that

do not produce charged particles under thermal neutron ir- radiation contribute no

interference.

Applications:

Some of the many applications of NDP include range

measurements for boron implanted in Si, GaAs, and MCT;

observations on near-surface

boron in glasses; lithium concentration profiles in lithium

niobates and aluminum alloys; measurement of helium

release in single-crystal nickel

to investigate the He-trapping

phenomena; and measure- ment of high-dose nitrogen

implants in steels.

Availability:

The facility is available to qualified researchers on an independent or collaborative basis

with NIST staff. Contact:

Dr. R. Greg Downing, B125

Reactor Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-6286.

Sample Under Test at the

Neutron Depth Profiling

Facility

3
Small-Angle

Neutron

Scattering

Facility

Small-angle neutron scattering

(SANS) is a technique in

which a highly collimated

beam of low-energy (long

wavelength) neutrons is used

to probe the structure of materials on a size scale from

roughly 1 to 100 nm. The

small-angle diffraction pat- terns produced by structural

features in this size regime

for example, by small precipitates or cavities in metal

alloys, by micropores or

cracks in ceramics, or by poly- mers or biological macromolecules—can be analyzed

to yield important information

about the size and shape of

the scattering centers as well

as their size distribution, sur- face area, and number density. In contrast to a complementary technique

such as electron microscopy,

a relatively large volume (up

to about 1 cc) of material is ex- amined in a SANS measurement. As a result, the

information obtained represents statistical averages

which are characteristic of the

bulk material and which are

related to bulk properties.

Capabilities:

The SANS spectrometer at the

National Institute of Standards

and Technology reactor util- izes a variable speed velocity

selector to provide a beam

whose wavelength is continuously tunable from 0.5 to 1.2 nm. Several choices of pinhole beam collimation are

available, including a unique

converging beam system

which provides the instrument's best angular resolution

(1.6 milliradians). Apparatus is available for maintaining

samples at temperatures from

4 to 700 K and in magnetic

fields up to 15 kilogauss.

For measurements at near ambient temperatures (0 to 80 °C), a multispecimen

sample stage is used to change samples automatically

under computer control. The

neutron detector is a large (65

by 65 cm ), two-dimensional,

position-sensitive proportional counter which, in most

cases, enables an entire scat- tering pattern to be recorded

in a single measurement. The

detector can, however, be ro- tated about the sample position to measure scattering at larger angles when necessary.

An interactive color graphics

terminal is used for imaging

and analyzing completed data

sets. Computer software is available for many forms of

routine data analysis and

model fitting.

Applications:

SANS is becoming an increasingly important tool in materials science and is used, for

example, to study the kinetics

and morphology of precipitate growth in high-strength al- loys, to measure molecular

conformation of polymers and

Small-Angle Neutron

Scattering Facility

4
High-Resolution

Neutron Powder

Diffractometer

biological macromolecular

complexes, to detect and

quantify early stage creep and

fatigue damage in metals and

ceramics, and to study the

magnetic microstructure of

new crystalline and amor- phous magnetic materials. In many of these applications,

especially those involving polymers, biology, and magnetism, the structural

information provided by SANS

cannot be obtained by any

other technique.

Availability:

The SANS facility is heavily

utilized by NIST staff and

others in industry, universities, and government. Proposals for collaborative or independent use of the facility are reviewed by a SANS scheduling committee, which ex- amines the merit and

conditions of each application.

Contact:

Dr. Charles J. Glinka, B106 Reactor Building, NIST, Gaithersburg MD 20899, 301/975-6242.

The high-resolution neutron

powder diffractometer at the

National Institute of Standards

and Technology research reactor, with five detectors for

simultaneous collection of

data from different parts of the

diffraction pattern, is used

widely for studies of the struc- tures of many important crystalline materials that are not

available as large single crystals. Accurate structural information can be obtained at temperatures from 4 to 1200

K, which is often the key to understanding the properties

of technologically important

materials, including catalysts,

magnetic materials, hightemperature alloys, minerals

and ceramics, and ionic

conductors.

Capabilities:

The NIST powder diffractometer system is designed to be

"user-friendly" and highly flexible. For example, a variety of

programs are available and

documented, which allow the use of constrained refinement

procedures to make use of

known structural information

on atomic or molecular units

of the material being ex- amined, along with advanced

procedures for background,

lineshape, and absorption corrections. Structural information can be analyzed at the

NIST reactor using a highspeed, high-capacity superminicomputer or can be

provided in convenient form

on a floppy disk to be analyzed back at the user's own

laboratory. A sophisticated

technicolor graphics system is also available, with appropriate software to allow twoor three-dimensional displays,

including stereographic projections of crystal structures of

materials.

Availability:

This facility is available for use by industry, academia, and

government on either a collaborative or independent

basis under the supervision of

NIST staff. The NIST powder

diffractometer system is heavily utilized; projects are scheduled on a regular basis

by an NIST committee.

Contact:

Dr. Edward Prince, A106 Reactor Building, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301/975-6230.
Synchrotron

Ultraviolet

Radiation

Facility-ll

The Synchrotron Ultraviolet

Radiation Facility-II (SURF-II)

is a 300-MeV electron storage

ring at the National Institute of

Standards and Technology

that radiates synchrotron radiation which is highly colli- mated, nearly linearly

polarized, and of calculable intensity. Seven beamlines are

available, and a user's program is in operation. SURF-II

is well-suited for studies in: radiometry; atomic, molecular, biomolecular, and solid

state physics; surface and

materials science; electrooptics; and chemistry and

radiation effects on matter.

Capabilities:

The typical storage ring electron beam current is 200 mA

at 284 MeV. The photon intensity in the region 60 to 120 nm

is about 3 x 10

12 photons per

second per milliradian of orbit

for an instrumental resolution

of 0.1 nm. Experiments can be

made conveniently

throughout the wavelength

range 4 to 1000 nm, from the

soft x-ray region to the infrared. A normal incidence, a grazing incidence, and several

toroidal grating monochromators are available to disperse

the radiation. A large, ultrahigh vacuum spectrometer calibration chamber, 1.2 m by

1.2 m by 2.5 m, is available for

radiometric applications. A

6. 65-m, normal-incidence

vacuum spectrometer, with re- solving power of about

200,000 is available on a

Synchrotron Ultraviolet

Radiation Facility-ll
Materials

Science X-Ray

Beamlines

beamline dedicated to highresolution vacuum ultraviolet

radiation research.

Applications:

The continuous radiation from

SURF-II is used as a national

standard of spectral irradiance

for radiometric applications

and for fundamental research

in: 1) atomic and molecular

absorption spectroscopy; 2)

optical properties of materials;

3) electron density of states in

solids; 4) surface characterization; 5) photoelectron spectroscopy; 6) molecular

kinetics and excitation and

ionization dynamics; and 7)

radiation interactions with

matter (e.g., lithography, radiation damage, dosimetry,

photobiology).

Availability:

Beam time on SURF-II is available to any qualified scientist

provided beamline vacuum re- quirements are met and scheduling arrangements can be

made. Proposals should be

submitted for NIST review at least 2 months before use of

the facility is desired. Informal

contact is also encouraged.

Contact:

Dr. Robert P. Madden, A251

Physics Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-3726.

The NIST materials science

x-ray beamlines at the National

Synchrotron Light Source are used for advanced microstructure characterization of

materials and for the perform- ance of such measurements in

real time. The spectral range

and small source size of the

radiation, combined with the

high-resolution x-ray optics

and dedicated instrumentation, make possible a large

variety of measurements in

x-ray topography, highresolution microradiography,

and surface and interface

science.

Capabilities:

Experiments can be carried

out in the photon energy

range from 5 to 30 KeV. An

energy durable monochromator provides a broad (3 cm x

3 cm) and parallel (several arc seconds) beam for high-resolution x-ray topography. A

companion energy tunable

x-ray image magnifier system can be used for the real-time

observation and recording of

microstructures down to

1 um. Near-edge and ex- tended absorption fine struc- ture spectra can be taken

using the monochromator in a scanning mode.

Applications:

The radiation from the materials science x-ray beamlines is used: to perform structure determination measurements on

disordered materials and ultrathin films; for the nondestructive evaluation of imperfections and strains in materials;

for the microstructure characterization of high-technology

single crystals; for ultra-sensitive trace element detection;

and for real-time microradiography experiments.

Availability:

Beam time on the materials

science x-ray beamlines is available to any qualified scientist

provided that beamline safety

requirements are met and

scheduling arrangements can be made. Proposals should be

submitted to NIST and the

National Synchrotron Light

Source with ample lead-time

before use of the facility is desired.

Contact:

Dr. Masao Kuriyama, Al63

Materials Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-5974.

7
Magnetic

Microstructure

Measurement

Facility

The magnetic microstructure

of materials can be measured

with a very high spatial resolution by a technique called

Scanning Electron Microscopy

with Polarization Analysis

(SEMPA). An ultra-highvacuum electron microscope

has been modified so that sec- ondary electrons from the

sample can be analyzed for

their electron spin polarization. This allows for a measurement of the surface

magnetism with moments

both in the plane, and perpendicular to the plane, of the

sample.

Capability:

SEMPA allows the simultaneous observation of sur- face microstructure and

surface magnetic domains at a resolution of 0.1 |0.m, using an

innovative, extremely compact electron spin detector in- vented at NIST.

Applications:

This unique measurement

facility can be used for re- search in magnetic thin films,

high-coercivity magnetic materials, high-density magnetic

storage media, and other advanced magnetic materials.

Availability:

These facilities are available

for collaborative research by

NIST and outside scientists in areas of mutual interest and

benefit on a time-available

basis.

Contact:

Dr. Robert J. Celotta, B206

Metrology Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-3710.

Magnetic Microstructw

Measurement Facility

8
Small-Angle

X-Ray

Scattering

Facility

Small-angle x-ray scattering

(SAXS) is a technique in

which a highly collimated

beam of x rays (wavelength

range 0.7 to 3 angstroms) is used to probe the structure of

materials on the size scale of

0.1 to 100 nm. Materials exhibiting structure in this size

range include polymers, biological macromolecules, ceramics, metals, and alloys.

The small-angle scattering patterns can be analyzed to characterize the size and

shape of the scattering centers

as well as their spatial distribution and surface area. Data obtained from these experiments

are complementary to data obtained from other diffraction

studies and from morphological studies using electron

microscopy.

Capabilities:

The NIST 10-meter SAXS

camera uses a 12-kW rotating

anode x-ray generator as a source of x rays. The target is usually copper X(Ka) = 1.54,

but additional wavelengths

are available. The collimation

path is defined so as to permit

a 10" nm"1 resolution in reciprocal space at the surface of a two-dimensional positionsensitive proportional detector.

The collimation path and the

scattered beam path are evacuated and all elements of

vacuum operation, x-ray optical configuration, sample

selection, and calibration are computer controlled. Image

data are collected by a minicomputer and an associated

VAX/730 computer supports a complete repertory of software for displaying, analyzing, and modeling the results. Sample chambers are being

developed for measurements

at high temperatures and to deform specimens during

measurement.

Applications:

The SAXS technique is used to study molecular conformation, microphase domain structures, crystallization

phenomena, network formation, craze initiation, void distribution, and similar

phenomena resulting from

fluctuations in electron density within a material. Such

studies are currently of broad

interest in all areas of materials science.

Availability:

This facility is operated by

members of the NIST staff in

support of their active re- search program in polymeric

materials. It is available for use by researchers from industry, academia, and other

government agencies on

either a collaborative or independent basis.

Contact:

Dr. John D. Barnes, B210 Polymer Building, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301/975-6786.

Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

Facility

9
Ultra-Clean

Ceramic

Processing

Laboratory

The ultra-clean ceramic processing laboratory at the

National Institute of Standards

and Technology is a specially

designed facility for the production and densification of

advanced ceramic powders

under conditions of ultracontrolled chemical composition. The facility is used to elucidate the influence of

controlled chemical composition on all stages of advanced

ceramic processing, particularly sintering science, and on

the subsequent physical properties of such tailored advanced ceramics. Chemical

composition is monitored at various stages of the processing route by neutron activation analysis (gamma-ray

spectroscopy) at the NIST re- search reactor or by induction

coupled plasma spectroscopy.

The modular design of the

laboratory is such that multi- user operations can easily be

performed with a minimum of

cross-contamination.

Capabilities:

The NIST ultra-clean ceramic

processing laboratory was

specially designed for the production and processing of advanced ceramic powders and

samples with controlled levels

of impurities and dopants.

The predominant feature of

the 37-m2 laboratory is the

eight central laminar-flow

work areas. These eight in- dividual modules provide a

total of 7.5 m

2 of laminar-flow

work area, which is equivalent to class 10 or better. The

modules are isolated one from

another to permit multi-user

Ultra-Clean Ceramic

Processing Laboratory

10
Powder

Characterization

Laboratory

operations with a minimum of

cross-contamination. The

laboratory has an additional

1.5 m

2 of laminar flow ex- haust hood work area and a standard chemical hood. The

laboratory water supply is deionized water and further

purification is available from a quartz still. Facilities are available in the laboratory for the

calcination and compaction of

ceramic powders, as well as subsequent sintering under

"clean" conditions.

Applications:

One problem that hinders the

widespread use of advanced

ceramics is their lack of reproducibility during processing.

A major factor contributing to

this irreproducibility is the sensitivity of the microstructure

and properties of these hightechnology ceramic materials

to low levels of impurities. Because of this sensitivity, correlating changes in performance with changes in processing has been difficult due

to concomitant changes in

composition. By producing

and processing ceramics

under ultra-clean room conditions by chemical routes, this

variability in composition can be controlled, thus allowing

the influence of other processing variables (e.g., particle

size and shape, agglomeration, compaction method, and

atmosphere) to be analyzed.

Such control also allows the

influence of trace levels of

dopants to be studied in a more reliable and systematic

way. Such studies will lead to better understanding of microstructural evolution during

processing, which, in conjunction with other ongoing ef- forts for producing unique

compositions and phases, can

lead to new advanced ceramic

materials with unique microstructures and properties.

Availability:

This facility is available for use by industry, academia, and

government on either a collaborative basis or an independent basis under the

supervision of the NIST staff. The design of the laboratory is such that several different proj- ects can be conducted simultaneously with minimal cross contamination. This allows

the facility to be used concurrently by several researchers.

Accordingly, industrial use of

this laboratory is being sought

for collaborative research with

NIST or feasibility studies on

their part.

Contact:

Dr. John E. Blendell or Dr.

Edwin R. Fuller, Jr., A258

Materials Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-5796 or 301/975-5795.

The NIST powder characterization laboratory is equipped

with specialized instruments

to generate, fractionate, and

make physical property

measurements on powdered

materials. Measurements can be made of particle size distributions, surface area, and

zeta potential.

Capabilities:

Particle Generation. The particle generation equipment in- cludes a solution atomizer

system which generates polydisperse aerosols in the size

range 0.01 to 1 (im; a vibrating

orifice system which forms

monodisperse aerosols in the

size range 0.5 to 100 (im;

spray dryers used to form

spherical flowable powders;

and a micro-jet mill for grinding powders to submicron

size without contamination.

Particle Sizing. Powder size

distributions are determined

using a photon correlation

spectrometer for average size

of suspended particles in the

range 0.003 to 3 |im; an x-ray

sedigraph for size distributions of powders in the range

0.1 to 100 |lm; centrifugal photosedimentation apparatus for

size distributions of particles

in the range 0.01 to 10 |im;

and an electrostatic classifier

for particles in the 0.003 to 1.0

|lm range. Size measurement

of particles by direct examination with a scanning electron

microscope/image analysis

system is available on a collaborative basis.

Fractionation. Three riffle splitters are available for division of powder samples into

representative subsamples; a sonic sifter classifies by sieving using electroformed sieves

Sample Preparation in the

Powder Characterization

Laboratory

1

1
Metals

Processing

Laboratory

and a vibrating column of air; a bulk particle classifier separates large powder samples

into narrow size fractions in

the 1.0 to 35 (im range; and an

electrostatic classifier selects

out a narrow size range of particles from a polydisperse

sample with particles in the

0.005 to 0.3 p-m range.

Physical Property Measuremeats. An electrophoresis

meter is used to measure the

zeta potential of particles in a dispersant; a multipoint BET

unit determines specific sur- face area of powders; and a mercury porosimeter can measure pore size distributions in the 0.003 to 300 u.m

range. Additional equipment

includes: HEPA filters to re- move particulates from air entering the laboratory, sterile

benches where the filtered

laboratory air is further

cleaned through HEPA filters,

microbalances, and a controlled atmosphere/humidity

glove box for powder

handling.

Availability:

These laboratory facilities are primarily used in support of

NIST research programs using

ceramic powders. They are

also available for collaborative or independent work by qualified government, industry, or

university personnel with pref- erence given to projects re- lated to ceramics research.

Contact:

Dr. Alan L. Dragoo, A258

Materials Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-5785.

The metals processing laboratory at the National Institute of

Standards and Technology

contains special facilities for

the production of rapidly

solidified alloys, including

equipment for inert gas atomization and electrohydrodynamic atomization to produce

rapidly solidified alloy

powders, melt spinning to produce rapidly solidified alloy

ribbons, and electron beam

surface melting to produce

rapidly solidified surface layers. Hot isostatic pressing

equipment is available for consolidation of the alloy

powders.

Capabilities:

Inert Gas Atomization. The

inert gas atomization system can be used to produce up to 25 kg of rapidly solidified

alloy powder per batch while

maintaining an inert environment throughout the atomizing and powder handling

process. High-pressure inert

gas (Ar, He, or Ar-He mixtures) impinging on a liquid

metal stream breaks up the liquid into small droplets which

solidify rapidly. Cooling rates are up to 10 K/s. The atomized powder, entrained in the

inert gas flow, is collected in

removable, vacuum-tight

canisters.

Electrohydrodynamic

Atomization. In the electrohydrodynamic atomization

system, a liquid metal stream

is injected into a strong electric field. The field causes the

stream to disintegrate into

droplets which solidify rapidly

to produce extremely fine (<1

(im diameter) alloy powder.

Powder produced by this

process is well-suited for

studying solidification dynamics. As the system is presently

configured, small quantities

for microscopic examination can be produced from alloys

with melting points up to 900 °C.

Melt Spinning. Melt-spinning

techniques can be used to produce rapidly solidified alloys

in ribbon form. Because of die

high cooling rates (up to 10

K/s) with this method, amor- phous alloys as well as crystalline alloys can be produced.

Ribbons up to 3 mm wide and

up to 0.05 mm thick can be

produced in quantities of

several grams per batch. Materials with a wide range of melting points, from aluminum

alloys to super-alloys, have

been produced.

Electron-Beam Surface

Melting. An electron-beam sys- tem which provides surface

melting and subsequent rapid

resolidification of surface lay- ers can be operated in either a pulsed or continuous mode.

The electron beam can be focused to a spot less than 1 mm

in diameter and deflected at frequencies up to 5 kHz.

Hot Isostatic Press. A hot isostatic press (HIP) with microprocessor control of the

temperature-pressure-time

cycle is available for consolidation of powder or compacted powder shapes. The

HIP has a cylindrical working

volume 15 cm in diameter and

30 cm high. The maximum

working pressure is 207 MPa.

The molybdenum furnace has

a maximum heating rate of 35

K/min and is capable of maintaining 1500 °C.

Availability:

These facilities are designed

to produce alloy research

samples which are difficult

otherwise for users to obtain.

Typically, industrial companies or universities send workers to NIST to participate in

preparing alloys of special in- dustrial and scientific interest

for further analyses in their

home laboratories and to collaborate with NIST scientists

in investigations of generic re- lationships between processing conditions and

resulting alloy microstructures

and properties.

Contact:

Dr. John R. Manning, A153

Materials Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-6157.

12

s

1'
13
Mechanical

Behavior

Laboratories

Mechanical property measure- ment facilities at the National

Institute of Standards and

Technology permit characterization of all mechanical properties over a wide range of

force levels and temperatures.

Special capabilities include

measurement of strength and

toughness at temperatures

from 4 to 2800 K and tests of

wide plates or special structural elements at force levels

of 50 MN (5000 metric tons) in

compression and 25 MN (2500

metric tons) in tension.

Capabilities:

Conventional mechanical

property measurements including yield and ultimate

strengths, elongation, and re- duction of area can be done at temperatures ranging from 4

K, produced by immersion of

the specimen in liquid helium

in cryostatted test apparatus

specially designed for this purpose, to 2800 K, produced by

testing in a vacuum furnace

heated by tungsten elements.

Equipment for measurement

of fracture toughness over the

same temperature range is in use. Material fatigue resistance can be characterized in a

variety of ways, including

fatigue crack growth, loadand strain-controlled, randomload, or conventional rotating

beam, at temperatures from 4

K to 600 K. Narrow- and wideplate behavior, including

crack arrest characteristics, is studied using computerassisted data acquisition and

reduction for handling of data

from strain gages (up to 75

have been used), capacitance

and strain-gage extensometers, and full-field videooptical strain data. Photoelastic and moire techniques

are used to produce images of

strain fields. High-speed digital oscilloscopes record the

strain patterns produced by

the passage of cracks moving

at hundreds of meters per sec- ond in crack arrest tests. Special test requirements in- cluding dynamic tear, drop

weight, torsion, and impact can be met using existing

facilities. Complete metallographic and hardness characterizations of specimen

materials are available.

Availability:

The high-force-capacity mechanical testing machine has a

force capacity of 50 MN (5000

metric tons) in compression

and 25 MN (2500 metric tons)

in tension. Servo-hydraulic

tension-compression machines are available in a range

of load capacities and actuator

travel rates; the maximum

load capacity of 4 MN (400

metric tons) and the maximum displacement rate is 50

cm/s. The smaller machines

are routinely used for measuring fracture and fatigue properties in liquid helium. Two

screw-driven tensile machines

have capacities up to 100 kN

(10 metric tons) for tensile test- ing in liquid helium. These

facilities are available for

guest researchers or collaborative programs. NIST routinely

performs research on these

facilities for outside sponsors.

Contact:

Dr. Richard P. Reed, 1601 Cryogenics Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-3870.

Fracture Testing in the

Mechanical Behavior

Laboratory

14
Toxic Chemicals

Handling

Laboratory

The toxic chemicals handling

laboratory at the National Insti- tute of Standards and Technology is used to store,

handle, and analyze organic

compounds that are extremely

toxic and/or possess undesirable biological activity.

The laboratory was designed

through the joint efforts of

scientists from NIST and

a private architectural

and engineering firm. Its fea- tures offer special protection

for those using the laboratory.

The facility was specially designed and is used to allow

scientists to perform research

that involves the characterization or analysis of toxic or mutagenic organic materials in a

safe manner. The laboratory is equipped with facilities for

weighing, sample storage,

sample preparation (extractions, etc.), and gas and liquid

chromatographic analyses.

Capabilities:

Laboratory Work Space. The

laboratory has approximately

10 m of bench space for

sample preparation and other

analytical activities. The air

throughout the working area

in the laboratory is recirculated at a rate of 225 rnVmin

(-8000 ft3/min) through charcoal filters to remove organic

vapors and HEPA filters to re- move particulate material.

The air flow is directed so that

scientists using the facility are continuously bathed with

clean air. The air supply to the

laboratory is -llnrVmin less

than the exhaust, thereby preventing diffusion of possibly

toxic vapors from the facility

into the hall and adjacent

laboratories.

Cabinet Space. The laboratory

has 5 m

2 of actively vented

cabinet space for storage of

toxic chemicals. Air flowing

from the storage areas is charcoal filtered and totally ex- hausted to the outside.

Safety Hoods. The laboratory

is equipped with two air barrier fume hoods for manipulations of pure chemicals

(including weighing) or concentrated solutions. All air entering the hoods is exhausted

to the outside after charcoal fil- tration.

Other. The laboratory also has

shower facilities.

Availability:

The laboratory and its facili- ties can be shared with qualified staff from NIST, other

government agencies, universities, and industry. Since

space is limited, preference

will be given to NIST users and to projects that are related

to NIST interests. Due to the

toxic nature of the chemicals

involved in various experiments and stored in the facility, all projects will be

monitored by NIST personnel.

Contact:

Dr. Willie E. May, A113

Chemistry Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-3108.

Toxic Chemicals Handling

Laboratory

1

5
Semiconductor

Processing

Research

Laboratory

; ceiling mounteo 0 5 10 15 20 25

. air supply units i

'— i

j with hep* filters feet

As integrated circuit sizes in- crease to more than 1 cm and

feature sizes within the cir- cuits decrease to less than

1 |J.m, critical demands are placed on the measurement

capability required to control

and monitor the fabrication

successfully. To meet the

demand, research to develop

state-of-the-art measurement

procedures for microelectronics manufacturing is a focus of

the Semiconductor Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The semiconductor processing research laboratory provides a quality physical

environment for a broad

variety of research in semiconductor microelectronics, as well as in other areas of physics, chemistry, and materials

research. The laboratory facilities are utilized for projects

that address many aspects of

semiconductor materials and

processes, including process

control and metrology, materials characterization, and the use of integrated circuit materials and processes for novel

applications.

The laboratory complex oc- cupies about 4,000 square

feet, approximately half of

which is composed of clean

f J AIR M RETURN j y\ WALLS >

rooms. Within the clean

rooms, work areas are maintained at class 10 or better.

The facility is designed so that

the work areas can be easily

modified to accommodate the

frequent equipment and other

changes required by research.

Capabilities:

The semiconductor processing research laboratory has

a complete capability for integrated circuit fabrication. The

principal processing and analytical equipment are listed

below. The capabilities are ex- panded and improved continuously to meet the

technological challenges.

Diffusion, oxidation, and

annealing. Six furnace tubes

for up to 75-mm diameter

wafers and nine tubes for up

to 100-mm diameter wafers.

Photolithography. Research

mask aligner (proximity and

contact) for wafers up to 100

mm in diameter and irregularly shaped samples and lOx

direct-step-on wafer system

for 75-mm diameter wafers.

Photoresist spin coating and

developing and related chemical processing, including oxygen plasma stripping.

Film deposition. Low-pressure chemical vapor deposition systems for depositing

silicon nitride, polysilicon,

and low-temperature silicon

dioxide. Rf and dc vacuum

sputtering of metals and

dielectrics. Electron beam and

hot filament vacuum evaporation of metals.

Etching. Wet and dry etching

processes. Reactive ion beam

etcher capable of ion milling

and chemical etching with

gases such as freon, sulfur

Sem iconductor Processing

Research Laboratory

16
Automated

Manufacturing

Research

Facility

hexafluoride, oxygen, and

chlorine.

Ion implantation. Multipurpose 200-KeV ion implanter.

Analytical measurements.

Thin-film reflectometry and

other thickness measurements, optical microscopy,

and grooving and staining. Automated and manual probe

stations for current-voltage

measurements and capacitance measurements as a function of voltage, frequency,

and time.

Applications:

Small quantities of specialized

semiconductor test specimens, experimental samples,

prototype devices, and

processed materials can be

produced. Also, the processes

and processing equipment

can be monitored during

operation to study the process

chemistry and physics. The ef- fects of variations in operating

conditions and process gases

and chemical purities can be

investigated. The research is performed under wellcontrolled conditions.

Because the work is of a re- search nature, the laboratory

is not designed to produce

large-scale integrated circuits or similar complex structures. Rather, the breadth and flexibility of the laboratory is primarily to support the varied

types of projects performed.

Currently active research

projects address many aspects

of microelectronic processing

steps and materials. A few examples are: metal-oxide-semiconductor measurements;

metal-semiconductor specific

contact resistivity; uniformity

of resistivity, ion implanted

dopant density, surface potential, and interface state density; characterization of

deposited insulating films on

silicon carbide; ionization and

activation of ion implanted

species in semiconductors as

a function of annealing

temperature; electrical techniques for dopant profiling

and leakage current measurements; and processing effects

on silicon-on-insulator

materials.

Availability:

The staff of the semiconductor

processing research laboratory welcome collaborative re- search projects that are consistent with the research

goals of the NIST Semiconductor Program. Work is performed in cooperation with

the technical staff of the

laboratory.

The most productive arrangement begins with the development of a research plan that

includes specific goals. The

commitment of knowledgeable researchers to work

closely with NIST staff and the

provision of equipment and

other needed resources is re- quired. For safety, because

there are hazardous materials

present, laboratory staff must

supervise closely all research

activities.

Contact:

Dr. Donald Novotny, A331

Technology Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-2699.

The Automated Manufacturing

Research Facility (AMRF) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology is a major national laboratory for

technical work related to interfaces and standards for the

next generation of computerautomated manufacturing.

The facility, begun in 1981,

was put into full operation in

1986. A companion installation, located in the adjacent instrument shop, is planned as a

state-of-the-art production

facility, making use of the best

technology from the AMRF

which is production ready.

The workstations of the

AMRF are being used in active

Programming Work Area at

the Horizontal Workstation in

the AMRF

17
To

Material Loading TURNING WORKSTATION

VERTICAL WORKSTATION

HORIZONTAL WORKSTATION

Automated Manufacturing

Research Facility

research programs by NIST re- searchers, industrial research

associates, guest researchers,

university personnel, and

scientists and engineers from

other government agencies.

Capabilities:

The facility currently supports

research in machine tool and

robot metrology, sensors and

sensory processing, robot

safety, robot control, software

accuracy enhancement of machine tools, process planning

and data preparation for machine tools and robots, parts

routing and handling, realtime control of robots and

aggregations of devices, workstation control, cell control,

and materials handling control. It is particularly valuable

for studies of interfaces between control modules and

among data users. The AMRF

is unique in the opportunities

it provides for studies of an integrated system of significant

size.

The facility consists of three

machining centers, a coordinate measuring machine, and

a cleaning and deburring sta- tion, each tended by an in- dustrial robot and served by a materials handling system

based on an automated wireguided vehicle and an internal

buffer storage system for

tools, materials, and work in

progress.

These devices are organized

into workstations consisting of

a major machine tool, its robot, a variety of sensors, and a workstation controller.

Workstation activities are scheduled and coordinated by

a cell controller. Two further

control levels, providing longrange planning and scheduling as well as engineering

services, are projected for implementation during 1988 and

1989. These levels house manufacturing data preparation

functions of geometry modeling, process planning, NC programming, and robot off-line

programming. Data, commands, and status information

are handled over a network

communications system employing a distributed data administration approach.

Availability:

By the nature of the problems

addressed, the AMRF is generally best suited for research

projects of an extended nature. Most fruitful work to date has involved a close

working relationship with

NIST which extends for 6

months to 1 year.

Contact:

Dr. Philip N. Nanzetta, B112

Metrology Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-3414.

18
Near-Field

Scanning

Facility for

Antenna

Measurements

Capabilities:

The automated facility is designed to measure the near- zone phase and amplitude

distributions of the fields

radiated from an antenna

under test. Mathematical trans- formations are then employed

to calculate the desired

antenna characteristics. Nearfield data can be obtained

over planar, cylindrical, and

spherical surfaces, with the

planar technique being the

most popular. Efficient computer programs are available

for processing the large quantities of data required.

When operated in the planar

mode, the facility is capable of

measuring over a 4.5-m by

4.5-m area with probe position errors of less than ±0.01 cm. Improved position ac- curacy is possible with further

alignment, especially over

smaller areas. Antennas with

apertures up to about 3 m in

diameter can be measured

with a single scan and the

facility has been used successfully over the frequency range

750 MHz to 75 GHz. The facility will be enlarged so that

larger antennas can be

measured by scanning in

segments.

Applications:

Antenna Characteristics. The

facility is used primarily for determining the gain, pattern,

and polarization of antennas.

Accuracies are typically ±0.15

dB for absolute gain and

Near-Field Scanning Facility

±0.10 dB/dB for polarization

axial ratio. Patterns can be obtained down to the -50 to -60

dB levels with side lobe ac- curacy typically about ±1.0 dB

at the -40 dB level. (The exact

uncertainties depend on the

frequency, type, and size of

antenna, etc.) The near-field

data can also be used to compute near-field interactions

(e.g., mutual coupling) of

antennas and radiated field

distributions in the near zone. Antenna Diagnostics. Nearfield scanning is also a valuable tool for identifying

problems and for achieving

optimum performance of

various types of antenna sys- tems. It has, for example,

been used to advantage in lo- cating faulty elements in

phased array antennas and for

adjusting feed systems to obtain the proper illumination

function at the main reflector.

Phase contour plots of the

near-field data can also be

used to determine surface imperfections in reflectors used

for antennas or compact

ranges.

Probe Calibrations. A new

spherical probe calibration

facility is used as a far-field

range for measuring the re- ceiving characteristics of

probes used to obtain nearfield data. These measure- ments are required to

19
Mode-Stirred

Chambers

determine the probe coefficients which, in turn, are used

to calculate accurate, probecorrected, far-field gain and

pattern characteristics of an

antenna.

Availability:

Two kinds of arrangements can be made to use this facility. NIST staff can perform

specified tests or measure- ments on a reimbursable

basis. In this case, the cus- tomer has no direct use of the

facility; all measurements are performed by NIST staff and

the customer is issued a test report. As an alternative, work

may be performed on a cooperative basis with NIST

staff. This arrangement permits the user the advantage of

developing first-hand knowledge of the measurement

processes, and the user is re- sponsible in large part for the

accuracy of test results. In

either case, arrangements

need to be made well in advance, and reimbursement is required for the facility use and time of NIST staff involved.

Contact:

Mr. Allen C. Newell, 4083

Radio Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-3743.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have designed and

constructed mode-stirred (reverberating) chambers that are available for use in performing radiated electromagnetic emissions and

susceptibility (EME/S)

measurements of electronic

equipment and shielding effectiveness (SE) measurements of

materials. A mode-stirred

chamber is an electrically

large (in terms of wavelength), high-quality (Q) cavity whose boundary

conditions are varied by

means of a rotating conductive tuner or stirrer. The timeaveraged field inside such a

cavity, when a sufficient number of modes are excited, is formed by uniformly distributed plane waves coming

from all directions. This property causes the polarization of

the field to vary randomly

hence eliminating the need

for, or the utility of, physical

rotation of test objects in the

field. A microwave oven is a simple example of a modestirred chamber without

measurement support

instrumentation.

Capabilities:

The mode-stirred chamber

simulates near-field conditions for tests at frequencies

from 200 MHz to 40 GHz.

High-level test fields (up to

1000 V/m) can be generated

efficiently over a large test volume in the chamber, or the

chamber can be used to measure low-level radiated

emissions (total radiated

power down to -100 dBm)

from equipment under test (EUT) with minor instrumentation changes. Equipment as

large as 1 .5 m x 2.0 m x 3.0 m

can be tested.

Applications:

In addition to use for performing radiated emission or susceptibility measurements of

electronic equipment, the

mode-stirred chambers can be

used to measure the shielding

effectiveness of gasketing,

composites, and other materials used for radio frequency

shielding applications. The

chambers can. also be used for

measuring the shielding effectiveness of wiring harnesses

and electrical cables, connectors, and assemblies.

Limitations:

The usable lower frequency is limited by insufficient mode

density, tuner effectiveness,

and ability to uniformly excite

all modes in the chamber.

These factors are a function of

both chamber geometry and

size. Measurement uncertainties vary from ±10 dB at 200

MHz decreasing to ±4 dB from

approximately 1.0 GHz to 18

GHz. Directional characteristics of an antenna or test equipment placed inside a mode-stirred chamber are lost,

resulting in the need to esti- mate their free-space maximum gain as a function of

frequency in order to correlate

results obtained by open-field

tests. However, tests can be

performed cost effectively in a shielded environment, with

sufficient accuracy to make

these facilities very attractive

for diagnostic testing and for use in minimizing the need

for expensive testing in facili- ties such as anechoic

chambers.

Availability:

Two mode-stirred chambers, a

large (2.74 m x 3-05 m x 4.57

m) and a small (1.16 m x

1.425 m x 1.47 m), are available. NIST staff are available

for collaborative programs or

to advise and interpret

measurement results. Independent testing can also be

arranged.

Contact:

Dr. Motohisa Kanda, 4633

Radio Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-5320.

20
Outdoor

Extrapolation

Range for

Antenna

Measurements

Capabilities:

This unique facility was designed to perform accurate

measurements of absolute

gain and polarization of microwave antennas using the "Extrapolation Method"

developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the early 1970's. It consists of two towers

mounted on a pair of accurately aligned rails. The

towers support all or parts of

the source, receiver, and data

systems as well as the rotators

for supporting and positioning

the antennas.

Both towers are free to move

and the separation distance

between them can be varied

smoothly from 0 to 60 m. The

towers are approximately 6 m

high and the antennas under

evaluation can be mounted 1 to 2 m higher if necessary.

Means are provided for accurately aligning the antennas

and for maintaining that alignment for all separation dis- tances. The rails were

originally aligned using a transit and precision level so that

the maximum angular deviation of the antennas was less

than ±0.02 degrees about any

axis as the towers were

moved the full length of the

rails. Applications:

NIST uses this facility primarily for the accurate characterization of antennas by

measuring absolute gain and

polarization parameters. For

measurements above 1 GHz,

the uncertainty in gain is approximately 0.1 dB for anten- nas with gains between 6 dB

and 45 dB. The uncertainty in

polarization axial ratio is about 0.05 dB/dB. Below

1 GHz, gain accuracies may

degrade to about 0.25 dB for

antennas with gains as low as 10 dB.

The facility is also useful for

some far-field antenna

measurements or for other

types of measurements where

it is important to know how a

transmitted signal varies with

distance—millimeter wave

propagation studies, for

example.

Availability:

Two kinds of arrangements can be made to use this facility. NIST staff can perform

specified tests or measure- ments on a reimbursable

basis. In this case, the cus- tomer has no direct use of the

facility; all measurements are performed by NIST staff and

the customer is issued a test report.

As an alternative, work may

be performed on a cooperative basis with NIST staff, and

the user is responsible in large

part for the accuracy of test results. In either case, arrangements need to be made well

in advance and reimbursement is required for the use of

the facility and the time of

NIST staff involved.

Contact:

Mr. Allen C. Newell, 4083

Radio Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-3743.

Ground Screen

Antenna Range

The ground screen antenna

range is an open area test site

located at the National Insti- tute of Standards and

Technology.

Capabilities:

The ground screen consists of

1/4-in. mesh galvanized hardware cloth stretched over a

level concrete slab. The

screen is 30.5 m wide by 6l m

long and is spring-loaded

around the perimeter to ensure uniform tension, a flat surface, and adequate compensation for thermal expansion. The overall size of the

ground screen permits far- field measurements in the HF

portion of the spectrum while

the mesh dimension provides

for an efficient ground plane

well into the UHF region.

Applications:

Antenna calibrations;

Antenna patterns at any

polarization;

Electromagnetic susceptibility measurements;

Electromagnetic radiated

emission measurements;

Calibration of field intensity

meters; and

Wave propagation studies

in frequency or time domains.

Availability:

This facility is used heavily in

performing calibrations for in- dustry and other government

agencies. The facilities are

available for independent or

collaborative work with NIST.

Contact:

Dr. Motohisa Kanda, 4643

Radio Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-5320.

21
Transverse

Electromagnetic

(TEM) Cells

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has designed and constructed

several transverse electromagnetic (TEM) cells that are available for use. A TEM cell is a device for performing radiated

electromagnetic emission and

susceptibility measurements

of electronic equipment. It is designed based on the concept of an expanded transmission line operated in a TEM

mode. The cell is a twoconductor system with the re- gion between the inner and

outer conductors used as the

test zone. The tapered sections at both ends are re- quired to match the cell to

standard 50 Q coaxial-cable

connectors.

Capabilities:

The cell provides a shielded

environment for testing

without introducing multiple

reflections experienced with

the conventional shielded enclosure. It simulates very

closely a planar far field in

free space and has constant

amplitude and linear phase

characteristics. The external

electromagnetic signals will

not affect the measurement of

low-level radiated emission

from the device under test. The high-level test field

generated inside a cell for

radiated susceptibility tests

Transverse Electromagnetic

Cell

will not interfere with external

electronic systems.

Applications:

In addition to radiated electromagnetic compatibility/interference (EMC/EMI) testing,

other applications of the TEM

cells include the calibration of

antennas and the study of biological effects of radiofrequency radiation.

Limitations:

The usable frequency range is limited by an upper bound determined by the appearance

of the lowest high-order

mode. The volume available

for testing purposes is in- versely proportional to this

upper frequency limit. The

size of the device to be placed

inside a TEM cell for testing

should be small relative to the

available test volume in order

that the field structure as- sociated with the ideal TEM

mode existing in an empty

cell not be significantly

perturbed.

Availability:

Several TEM cells with five

different sizes and five upper

frequency limits in the range

100 MHz to 1 GHz are available. In collaborative programs, NIST staff are available

to advise and interpret

measurement results. Independent testing also can be

arranged.

Contact:

Dr. Motohisa Kanda, 4643

Radio Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-5320.

22
Electromagnetic

Anechoic

Chamber

The electromagnetic (EM) ane- choic chamber at the National

Institute of Standards and

Technology is a facility for

generating standard (known)

electromagnetic fields. Such

fields are fundamental to the

research, development, and

evaluation of antennas, field

probes, and EM material

properties.

Capabilities:

EM fields up to 100 V/m can

be established in the chamber

over the broad frequency

range from 200 MHz to 18

GHz, and up to 200 V/m for

certain frequency bands

above 1 GHz. A majority of

the individual systems which

compose the measurement

system are under computer

control, thus enhancing statisti- cal control of the measurements. Work is under way to extend the frequency range to 40 GHz and to improve the

High-Voltage

Measurement

Facility

computer control of the chamber systems. The chamber dimensions are 8.5 m, 6.7 m,

and 4.9 m in length, width,

and height, respectively.

Applications:

Research, development,

and evaluation of new EM

field generation and measure- ment methods;

Antenna and field probe

development and evaluation;

Calibration of field measure- ment instruments;

Susceptibility testing of electronic equipment;

Shielding effectiveness and

material parameter studies;

and

Special tests for government

agencies, industry, and

universities.

Availability:

This facility is used heavily in

performing calibrations for industry and other government

agencies. The facilities are

available for independent or

collaborative work with NIST.

Contact:

Dr. Motohisa Kanda, 4643

Radio Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-5320.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology maintains a high-voltage

measurement facility in which

it develops and evaluates the

measurement techniques

needed in the orderly delivery

of electric power for defense

and to support industrial and

university research. The major

programs now being pursued

using this facility are the

measurement of transient voltages and currents; the

development of techniques to quantify pre-breakdown and

breakdown phenomena in liquid and gaseous dielectrics;

and the measurement of lowfrequency electric and magnetic fields.

Capabilities:

With existing power sources,

direct voltages of 300 kV, 60-

Hz alternating voltages of 175

kV, and standard lightning impulses of 500 kV can be produced. Selected waveforms,

such as microsecond duration

trapezoidal waveforms up to 300 kV and gated 60-Hz

waveforms up to 100 kV, are

also available. Supporting

equipment includes highvoltage standard capacitors

rated at 200 kV; highaccuracy, current-comparator

bridges for 60-Hz measurements; a precision dc divider

rated at 200 kV; dividers to

measure standard lightning impulses up to 1-MV peak; partial discharge measurement

systems; high-speed cameras and supporting optical equipment; a computer-controlled

system to measure the electric

field in transformer oil; a gaschromatograph/massspectrometer system; a low-speed wind tunnel; and a system to produce a known

electric field and current density in air at atmospheric

pressure.

Measurement systems are

available to measure pulsed

voltages and currents with

characteristic times ranging

from nanoseconds to milliseconds. These systems include

Rogowski coils and capacitive

probes as well as the necessary recording equipment to acquire and store digital rec- ords. These conventional

measurement systems are supplemented by optical sensors and couplers.

Applications:

Instrumentation and

Component Evaluation. Impulse, ac, and dc dividers;

electric and magnetic field me23
Fire Research

Facilities

ters; capacitors; transformers;

lightning arresters; and ion

counters.

Dielectrics Research and

Development. Chemical degradation studies; measure- ment of the fundamental

processes of discharge initia- tion; onset and magnitude of

partial discharges; space

charge measurement;

streamer propagation studies.

Availability:

The high-voltage facility is used by NIST staff and by

guest researchers from in- dustry, universities, and other

federal agencies. Use of the

facilities must be scheduled in

advance. Because of the complexity of the system, it is anticipated that typical use of

the facility will be in the form

of a collaborative investigation with staff from NIST.

Contact:

Dr. Robert E. Hebner, B344

Metrology Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-2403.

High-Volte

Facility

?ment

As the federal government's

principal fire research laboratory, the National Institute of

Standards and Technology

maintains some of the

country's best and most extensive fire testing facilities. A

substantial portion of NIST's

fire tests are performed in a specially-equipped fire re- search building designed for

large-scale fire experiments.

The building is 27 m by 57 m. Smoke abatement equipment

permits large fire tests to be

conducted safely without polluting the environment.

In addition to several in- dividual burn rooms, which

are modified from time-totime to accommodate special

NIST testing requirements, the

facility also houses several

specially designed calorimeters for measuring the rate of

heat release from materials

and large samples, a new

room/corridor facility for

studying smoke and toxic gas

transport, pilot furnaces, and

reduced-scale model enclosures. Also, a two-story "townhouse" is used for studying

fire spread from a burning

room, smoke transport between levels, and sprinkler

performance.

A new computer-based data

acquisition system provides

state-of-the-art data collection

capabilities for all large-scale

fire testing. Up to 300 instruments with scanning rates over 100 channels per second

can be dedicated to a single

test. During an experiment,

real-time, full-color graphics

present the data as they are

collected, with automatic conversion to engineering units

for gas analysis, rate of heat re- lease, temperature, and other

measurements.

A Fire Simulation Laboratory

containing personal computers, state-of-the-art graphics,

video and reference materials,

and associated databases is used to develop, demonstrate,

and apply fire modeling computer programs. The movement of smoke through a building is also simulated by

injecting dyed salt water into a transparent model of the building in a large tank of fresh

water.

Capabilities:

Heat-Release Rate

Calorimeters. NIST pioneered

and developed the oxygen

consumption methodology for

measuring the rate of heat re- lease and has used it longer

and in more devices than any

other laboratory. The major

benefit of this technique is the

independence of the apparatus in measuring enthalpy re- sponses to changes in heat

release rate. NIST has available two calorimeters for measuring the

rate of heat release of freestanding items such pieces of

furniture. The smaller one has

a capacity of 1/2 MW and the

24
larger, 7 MW. Provisions for

measuring smoke production

and gas species yield are available with both instruments.

Room/Corridor Facility. NIST

researchers have constructed

and used a room/corridor

facility to evaluate an analytical model that predicts the

transport of smoke and toxic

gases from the room of fire origin into the corridor and

secondary target rooms. The

design of this facility makes it possible to measure the

hazards associated with the

burning of wall linings or room furnishings by evaluating the rate of heat release,

smoke production, and toxic

gas generation. The facility is available in its present form or with design modifications for

the evaluation of a variety of

building contents and

furnishings.

Burn Rooms. A standard burn

room built to ASTM specifications, 2.4 m by 3.7 m by 2.4 m

high, adjoins a large overhead

hood which collects the ex- haust products from the room

fires. The exhaust collection

system is calibrated to measure the rate of heat re- lease and the generation rates of smoke and other combustion products from the fire. The burn room is available for

developmental and validation

studies of mathematical models and for studies of fire performance of furnishings and

interior finish materials.

The room fire environment

can be characterized in terms

of temperature and pressure

gradients and the spatial distribution of thermal flux,

gaseous combustion products,

and smoke. Other measure- ments permit the calculation

of thermal losses to the room

boundaries and mass and

energy flows from the room. Other smaller burn rooms also are available.

Pilot Furnaces. Two pilot fur- naces for evaluating the fire endurance of wall assemblies

or floor/ceiling assemblies are

available. These furnaces, one

capable of handling specimens 2.4 m by 3 0 m and the

other 1.0 m by 1.0 m, may be

used for research purposes

only and cannot be used for

code acceptance testing. Typically, fire exposure similar to

that specified by ASTM E 1 19,

under carefully controlled conditions of furnace pressure

and oxygen concentration, can be carried out. Depending

on the parameters required, a

variety of other exposure conditions can be applied.

Reduced-Scale Models. NIST

facilities are available for re- duced-scale modeling of full- scale fire configurations.

Physical models offer an

25
Large-Scale

Structures

Testing Facility

economical means of achieving sufficient variation of

physical parameters for a generalized understanding of

fire behavior. Based on the re- sults of reduced-scale experiments, limited full-scale

verification then can be

performed.

Two-Story Structural Steel

Facility. This test structure consists of a two-story, four-bay

structural steel frame measuring 9-75 m by 12.2 m. The

steel frame is sized to reflect

the structure typically found at mid-height of a 20-story building. A manually operated propane burner, with a capacity

of 4.4 MW and requiring a 10

horsepower electric blower, is mounted in a masonry wall

across one end of one of the

bays.

Any of the eight compartments, or combinations

thereof, can be enclosed to serve as a furnace or a burn

compartment. The top of the

structure has a poured concrete deck over steel, while

the second story has a poured

concrete deck over steel in

two of the opposing quadrants. The other two quadrants have no floor. Extensive

instrumentation and data ac- quisition capabilities are available for any part of the

structure. The test frame is available

for use as a burn compartment in which products could

be burned and the resulting

energy and combustion product measured. The bay containing the burner wall can be

used as a fire endurance fur- nace for evaluating walls or

floor/ceiling assemblies.

Fire Simulation

Laboratory. The laboratory

contains four personal computer workstations, two highresolution graphics workstations, a digitizing table for

entering building design data, a plotter, and a printer. The

workstations are connected to NIST's mainframe computers,

a minicomputer, and the

computerized database in

the Fire Research Information

Service.

Computer programs available for use and development

in the laboratory address

room fire growth, fire and

smoke transport through

buildings, building structural

fire protection, escape and res- cue, and sprinkler response.

Special graphic display programs are also available. A

database for use with some of

the programs has been

assembled.

Availability:

Industry, university, and

government representatives

are encouraged to use NIST

fire testing facilities on a collaborative or independent

basis, with certain restrictions.

For safety reasons, NIST staff must closely supervise all use

of such facilities. Contact:

Dr. Jack E. Snell, A247 Polymer Building, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-6850.

The large-scale structures test- ing facility at the National Insti- tute of Standards and

Technology consists of a universal testing machine (UTM)

that may be used with a 13.7-m-high reaction buttress

equipped with a horizontal hydraulic ram of 4.5 MN capacity. A combination of

horizontal and vertical forces

may be applied to large-scale

specimens.

Capabilities:

The universal testing machine

portion of the facility is a hydraulically operated machine

of 53-4 MN capacity and is one of the largest in the

world. It tests large structural

components and applies the

forces needed to calibrate

very large capacity force measuring devices. It can apply

compression forces to column

sections or fabricated members up to 17.7 m in height.

The reaction buttress will resist horizontal forces to 4.5 MN from floor level to 12.2 m high. Flexure and ten- sion specimens may be subjected for forces up to 18 MN

and 26 MN, respectively. Twometer-thick test floors east and west of the machine may

be utilized to tie specimens in

place.

A servo system has been

added to the original manual

controls of the UTM. It may be

programmed by function generator or computer to create

any desired loading function

using force, strain, or displacement as the variable.

Loads may be applied to a specimen by both the UTM

and horizontal ram. A four-rail

26
track system equipped with

low-friction rollers has been

used for concrete column

tests. An "A" frame was used

to resist horizontal reaction

forces generated by the ram

and was attached to the buttress at the desired height.

Applications:

Recently a testing program

was conducted to evaluate the

performance of concrete

columns 1.5 m in diameter

and up to 9.1 m high. Another

test series is evaluating frac- ture propagation in steel

plates 1 m wide and 0.1 m

and 0.15 m thick. A third ex- periment used the servo-control system programming

repeated loads applied to composite specimens.

Low-cycle fatigue tests, destructive or ultimate loads,

earthquake simulation in two

dimensions, and complex

loading of components may

all be accomplished in this

facility. Servo-operation of this

machine creates a unique

potential for precisely controlled very large forces applied

to test components.

Availability:

Collaborative or independent

programs for this test facility are arranged through NIST.

The facility must be operated

by NIST staff. Tests should be

arranged as far in advance as

possible. Special hardware

may be necessary for specimen attachment.

Contact:

Dr. Charles G. Culver, B268

Building Research Building,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

20899, 301/975-6048. Universal Testing Machine in

the Large-Scale Structures

Testing Facility

27
Tri-Directional

Test Facility

The tri-directional test facility

at the National Institute of

Standards and Technology is a computer-controlled apparatus capable of applying cyclic

loads simultaneously in three

directions. It is used in ex- amining the strength of structural components or assemblages under the application of a variety of loading

phenomena such as earthquake or wind. This is one of

the largest such facilities in the

world, both in terms of its high load capacity and its capability to handle large, full- scale specimens.

Capabilities:

The facility can apply forces

and/or displacements in 6

directions at one end of a specimen. The other end of a specimen is fixed. Specimens

up to 3-3 m high and 3 m in

length or width may be tested.

The 6 degrees of freedom are

translations and rotations in

and about three orthogonal

axes. The forces are applied

by six closed-loop, servo- controlled hydraulic actuators

that receive instructions from

a computer. Operating under

computer control, the facility

simultaneously maintains control of the load and/or disTri-Directional Test Facility

28
Calibrated Hot

Box Facility

placements in each of the

three orthogonal directions.

Loads may be applied up to 2000 kN in the vertical and

about 890 kN in each of the

two horizontal directions.

Applications:

The tri-directional test facility

is limited only by the size of

the test specimen. Loads may

be cyclic or unidirectional depending on the type of loading condition being simulated.

Currently the facility is being

used to study masonry shear

walls subjected to reverse cyclic lateral loading and precast

concrete connections also subjected to reversed cyclic

lateral loading. This facility

supports NIST's role in conducting research for seismic

design and construction standards in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction

Program.

Availability:

The tri-directional test facility

is used by NIST staff in a

variety of NIST research projects and collaborative projects

with other agencies. It also is available for independent re- search, but must be operated

by NIST staff. Contact:

Dr. Charles G. Culver, B268

Building Research Building,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

20899, 301/975-6048.

This National Institute of

Standards and Technology apparatus measures the heat

transfer coefficient of full- scale building wall sections.

Designed in accordance with

ASTM standard C-976, it consists of two large heavily insulated chambers—an

environmental chamber and a

climatic chamber—each with

one open side. Indoor and

outdoor conditions are simulated in the chambers. The

open test section measures

3 m by 4.6 m. A well-insulated

frame supports the wall specimen that is clamped between

the open sides of the two

chambers.

Capabilities:

This facility is the only one of

its kind designed to perform

simultaneous dynamic transfer

measurements of air, moisture, and heat during simulated winter and summer

conditions under steady state and dynamic climatic conditions. While the environmental chamber temperature and

humidity are maintained to simulate a relatively steady

and narrow range of indoor

conditions, the climatic chamber can attain temperatures

ranging from -40 to 65 °C.

The apparatus measures the

performance of homogeneous

or composite walls having a range of thermal resistance

from 0.35 to 8.8 m

2

• C/W. It

accommodates wall specimens up to 0.6 m thick and u

to 700 kg/m in weight per

unit area. Applications:

NIST researchers use the facil

ity to develop standard test

Calibrated Hot Box Facility

29
Line

Heat-Source

Guarded Hot

Plate

methods to evaluate dynamic

thermal performance of full- scale walls under cyclic

temperature conditions. These

test methods do not currently

exist. The building industry

and government agencies are seeking reliable evaluation

techniques for wall thermal

mass, especially to predict

energy consumption of buildings with heavy mass effects

in comparison to standard

wood-frame buildings.

NIST has participated in

round-robin test activities with

domestic and overseas thermal insulation laboratories.

Availability:

The facility provides a unique

opportunity to measure simultaneous transfer of air, moisture, and heat through wall

and roof specimens with

openings for windows and

doors. While it is available for use by those outside NIST,

this apparatus must be

operated by NIST staff. Contact:

Dr. A. Hunter Fanney, B322

Building Research Building,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

20899, 301/975-5864.

This lOOO-mm guarded hotplate apparatus at the National

Institute of Standards and

Technology measures the thermal conductivity of building

insulation. NIST researchers use the hot plate to provide

calibration specimens for

guarded hot plates in other

laboratories. It also is used to investigate edge heat loss

from thick thermal insulation

materials. This facility is the

only one of its kind in the

world which will permit lowdensity thick insulation to be

measured with an uncertainty

of less than 0.5 percent.

Capabilities:

This apparatus has a test temperature range of 80 °C for

the hot plates and -20 °C for

the cold plates. The apparatus

permits measurement of vertical and horizontal heat flow to simulate the heat transfer

through ceilings and walls, re- spectively. This apparatus

operates within its own carefully controlled temperature

and humidity environment

shielded by an insulated aluminum enclosure. This facility

provides for absolute measure- ment of thermal resistance of

thick and low-density test specimens used as transfer

standards. These standards

are used to calibrate or verify

heat flow meter (ASTM C508)

or guarded hot-plate (ASTM

C177) equipment.

Availability:

This apparatus is available for use by those outside NIST, but

it must be operated by NIST

staff. Collaborative programs

may be arranged.

Contact:

Dr. A. Hunter Fanney, B322

Building Research Building,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

20899, 301/975-5864.

Line Heat-Source Guarded

Hot Plate

30
Large

Environmental

Chamber

The large environmental

chamber at the National Insti- tute of Standards and Technology is 14.9 m by 12.8 m by

9.5 m high. It has an earth

floor and may be excavated as needed for building construction. The chamber is one of

the largest of its kind, capable

of accommodating two-story

houses under simulated en- vironmental conditions. This

chamber has been used for

thermal performance, heating

and cooling load measurements, and energy consumption of buildings of different

kinds.

Capabilities:

The chamber is capable of automatically maintaining steady

and/or dynamic temperature

profiles from -45 to 65 °C and

humidity from 50 percent RH

at 1.7 °C up to 35 °C dewpoint

at 49 °C. A wider range of relative humidity (15 to 80 percent) may be obtained

manually. Air circulation maintains the temperature variation

within the chamber to within

±1 °C. Damper-control return

ducts in all four corners of the

chamber permit good air distribution. Supply air is furnished by ceiling diffusers.

Applications:

The chamber is used to measure indoor temperature

fluctuation, heat loss and heat

gain through building en- velopes, energy conservation

and moisture condensation

studies, and air infiltration

under simulated and dynamically fluctuating outdoor

temperature cycles. The chamber has been used to test a wide variety of conventional

and special structures and

equipment, including military

hardware (such as inflatable

life rafts, relocatable air-inflatable hospital units, and

portable walk-in coolers)

under extreme climatic

conditions.

Availability:

This facility, along with

several smaller chambers (including one designed for vehicles), has substantial

potential for use by re- searchers in industry and universities. Collaborative

programs and individual re- search can be arranged.

Contact:

Dr. David Didion, B114 Building Research Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-5881.

Large Environmental Chamber

31
Acoustic

Anechoic

Chamber

This NIST facility is used to determine the sound power

emitted by sound sources as well as how much sound

power flows in a given direction. It also is used to calibrate

acoustical equipment such as microphones and loudspeakers. The facility is a

vibration-isolated, shell-withinshell structure 6.7 m by 10.0 m

by 6.7 m, creating a volume of

450 m

3

. The absorptive treat- ment consists of glass wool

wedge modules installed on

all six inner surfaces of the

room. Access to equipment

within the room is provided

by a wire mesh floor. Additional accessories in the room

include communication line

outlets and rigid supports for

equipment on all six surfaces.

Air-conditioning ducts are

acoustically treated. Humidity

control provides 45 percent

relative humidity within ±5

percent.

Capabilities:

The chamber is designed to provide a highly anechoic

sound field. The walls of the

chamber are designed to absorb 99 percent or more of the

normally-incident sound

energy at all frequencies

above 45 Hz. The chamber's

airflow can be cut off if a lower background sound

level is required.

Applications:

The chamber is used to develop procedures for measuring sound power, to determine the direction of sound

intensity, and to calibrate

acoustical instruments. It supports basic research to define

the acoustical parameters re- quired for the development of

mathematical models for predicting acoustical fields.

Availability:

This facility has substantial

potential for use by re- searchers in industry, universities, and other government

agencies. Scheduling arrangements for collaborative programs and individual research

are handled by NIST.

Contact:

Mr. Daniel R. Flynn, B147

Sound Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-6634.

Acoustic Anechoic Chamber

32
Nitrogen Flow

Measurement

Facility

The nitrogen flow measure- ment facility at the National Institute of Standards and

Technology is a mass-based

reference system capable of

both liquid and gas flow

measurement. It is well instrumented for temperature and

pressure, and it is an adaptable facility, capable of a

variety of piping arrangements. Located completely indoors, it is not subject to environmental changes.

Capabilities:

When configured for gas flow

measurements, the facility has

a flow rate range of 0.5 to 2.4

kg/s. In this mode, the nitrogen gas is at pressures of approximately 4 MPa and

temperatures of approximately 288 K. The facility has

a flow rate range of 0.05 to 10

kg/s when set up for liquid

flow measurements. The liquid nitrogen can be at pressures up to 0.7 MPa and

temperatures between 75 and

90 K in this configuration. A

continuous flow facility, it permits dynamic mass flow

measurements. For volume

flow measurements, density is determined by making pres- sure and temperature

measurements and calculating

density from an equation of

state.

Applications:

The nitrogen flow facility can

be used for testing a variety of

flow measurement instrumentation including flowmeters,

Calibration Weights 4

Liquid Test Sections

temperature sensors, pressure

sensors, and densimeters. The

ability to operate the facility at stable conditions for long periods of time permits testing of

instrumentation stability. The

ability to vary system parameters permits testing of instrument sensitivity.

Availability:

Collaborative or independent

programs for this test facility can be arranged. The facility

must be operated by NIST

staff. Contact:

Mr. James A. Brennan, 1003

Cryogenics Building, NIST,

Boulder, CO 80303,

303/497-3611.

Catch Tank

Weigh

^4Boost Pump

Nitrogen Flow Measurement

Facility

33
Water Flow

Measurement

Facility

The NIST water flow measure- ment facilities comprise the

national standards for flowrate. These facilities are used

to establish, maintain, and disseminate flowrate measurements, standards, and data for

the widely ranging flow conditions needed by U.S. industry.

Industry requests for these

facilities include numerous

flow meter calibrations, round

robin testing programs to es- tablish realistic traceability

chains in the form of flow

measurement assurance programs, data generation programs for industrial groups

and trade associations, and

test beds for carrying out industrial research programs focused on flow measurement

topics.

Capabilities:

Water flow facilities enable

flowrates up to 40,000

liters/min in pipe sizes that

range up to 500 mm in diameter. Maximum operating pres- sure is 1 MPa. Flowrate

determination schemes use

static and dynamic gravimetric

systems.

Application:

These facilities are applied to the tasks of establishing and

maintaining the national bases

for the liquid flowrate

measurement systems. The

end result is orderliness in the

marketplace, both domestically and internationally, for

U.S. industries involved in the

custody transfer and/or

process control of valuable

fluid resources and products.

Applications include those of

the National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, the Department of Defense, the oil and gas industries, the chemical and related industries, the

power and energy-generation

industries, etc.

Availability:

These facilities are available

upon request to U.S. industry,

other government agencies,

and academia. Their use can be shared with the requestor,

i.e., calibrations and related re- search projects can be done

collaboratively.

Contact:

Dr. George E. Mattingly, 105

Fluid Mechanics Building,

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

20899, 301/975-5939.

Water Flow Measurement

Facility

34
Information

Systems

Engineering

Facility

The information systems engineering facility at the

National Institute of Standards

and Technology provides

computer hardware and soft- ware to support the research

and development of standards, guidance to federal agencies, and validation tests. The

following areas are included:

graphics; programming languages; database management systems; distributed

database management sys- tems; data dictionary systems;

data administration, especially

database design; data interchange; knowledge-based

and expert systems; and Geographic Information Systems

(GIS).

Capabilities:

The facility contains a variety

of computers, including VAX

11/785, Symbolics 3650 and

3600 LISP machines, COMPAQ 386 and Macintosh II workstations, microcomputers, Silicon Graphics IRIS

workstation, and Chromatics

7900 graphics terminal.

Various other computer systems are accessible, including

the NIST CDC 205 supercomputer. The facility contains a variety of hard-copy output

devices, such as laser printers, camera output systems, and a color ink jet plotter.

Software used in the facility

includes:

Graphical Kernel System

(GKS) and Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics

System (PHIGS) implementations which allow graphics

programmers to design a wide

variety of graphics programs,

ranging from simple passive

graphics to complex real-time

systems;

Computer Graphics Metafile

(CGM) implementations

which allow transfer of graphical pictures among heterogeneous graphic devices;

a variety of programming

language processors and system software;

database management systems for the VAX and microcomputers;

a prototype implementation

of the Information Resource

Dictionary System (IRDS) draft

proposed standard;

LISP and Prolog; and

microcomputer expert system shells.

Validation suites are available for testing conformance to the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) for

COBOL, FORTRAN, BASIC,

Pascal, Ada, GKS, and

database language SQL. Testing services are provided for

COBOL, FORTRAN, Ada, and

GKS.

Applications:

An active area of cooperative

work is the development and

evaluation of tests to validate

the conformance of language

processors and other system

software to FIPS. The major

programs now being pursued

include validation of the programming language processors COBOL, FORTRAN, and

Ada; validation of the GKS,

PHIGS, and CGM graphics systems; and continued work on

SQL.

Possible future work includes the development of

tests and procedures for validating additional programming language systems

including VHSIC Hardware

Description Language

(VHDL), MUMPS, C, LISP, and

Prolog; for validating the Com

Information Systems

Engineering Facility

35
Computer and

Network

Security Facility

puter Graphics Interface

(CGI); and for validating the

following data management

and data interchange soft- ware: IRDS, Data Description

File for Information Inter- change (DDF), and Abstract

Syntax Notation One (ANS.l).

Other areas appropriate to cooperative work include the

development of software

standards and guidance for

GIS and for the application of

knowledge-based and expert

systems to the design and

operation of complex, distributed information systems.

Availability:

The facility is available for collaborative projects in test development. It must be used

under the cognizance of NIST

staff. Contact:

Dr. David K. Jefferson, A266

Technology Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-3262.

The NIST computer and net- work security facility is used

to develop and evaluate

methods for improving the

security of computer systems

and distributed computing net- works. The facility is equipped with mini- and microcomputers, security devices, terminals, personal

identification systems, and

access to large mainframes

and supercomputers through

local-area, national, and

global networks. A variety of

communications technologies

and applications environments are available for re- search efforts, including

OSINET, a global research net- work for developing and test- ing Open Systems Inter- connection (OSI) standards.

Capabilities:

The facility currently supports

research in the application of

methods to protect the

secrecy and integrity of information in computer systems

and data networks; the evaluation of personal identification

and authentication techniques

to control access to information resources; and the

development of computer and

network security architectures

to determine where controls

for integrity and confidentiality of information and authentication of users should be

implemented.

Applications:

The facility is used primarily

to develop and test federal,

national, and international

standards for computer and

network security. Support is provided to the Department

of Treasury and to the NIST

Workshop for Implementors

of Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), a joint government/industry activity that is advancing the implementation

of international OSI standards

in commercial network

products.

Availability:

Collaborative research programs can be arranged.

Contact:

Mr. Stuart Katzke, A216 Technology Building, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-2929.

Computer and Network

Secu rity Facility

36
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

C. William Verity, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Ernest Ambler, Director

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

301/975-2000

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Boulder, CO 80303

303/497-3000

September 1988

NIST Special Publication 732

Supercedes NBS Special Publication 682

Issued September 1984

Prepared by the Public Information Division

A903 Administration Building

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

301/975-2762

Library of Congress

Catalog Card Number:

87-619841

CODEN:NSPUE2

Any mention of commercial products is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the

National Institute of Standards and Technology nor does it imply

that the products mentioned are necessarily the best available

for the purpose.