 |
Performance
of 50 Completed ATP Projects
Status
Report - Number 2
NIST SP 950-2
APPENDIX
A
|
|
Development
of New Knowledge and
Early Commercial Products and Processes
|
Advanced
Materials and Chemicals | Biotechnology | Electronics/Computer
Hardware/Communications | Information Technology
| Manufacturing
Table
A1. Advanced Materials and Chemicals (Chapter 2)
|
Awardee
Name
(A) |
Technology
Developed
(B) |
Product
or Process Commercialized
(C) |
| AlliedSignal,
Inc. |
Near-net-shape
gelcasting process that is safer and less costly than conventional
gelcasting based on acrylamide, a cumulative neurotoxin - demonstrated
by making structural ceramic parts for very high-temperature applications.
|
Commercialization
likely. |
| BioTraces,
Inc. |
Multiphoton
detection (MPD) technology — demonstrated in enhanced immunoassay,
chromatography and nucleic acid analysis |
Licensee
PetroTraces: applications of the technology in the petrochemical field.
Marketed directly by BioTraces: ssMPDTM, for clinical diagnostics
applications.
|
| Geltech
Inc. |
Room
temperature net-shape gelcasting method—demonstrated in the production
of high-quality, silica glass micro-optics.
|
Materials
processing and mold fabrication methods used to develop a porous-glass
product which is a component of a home sensor for toxic gases. |
| IBM
Corporation |
Nonlinear
optical polymeric waveguides— demonstrated in the development
of inexpensive optoelectronic switches for computers and communications
systems. |
Commercialization
not likely. |
| IBM
Corporation |
Low-polymer
foams — demonstrated as potentially feasible for microelectronics
insulators. |
Commercialization
not likely until follow-on research takes it further. |
| Michigan
Molecular Institute |
Fundamentals
of polymer compatibilization — targeted at demonstrating that
mixed plastics (either from waste streams or virgin) can be successfully
combined into materials with high performance characteristics.
|
Prefabricated
wall units using plastic panels made compatible, made by Eagle Plastics
Systems of Florida in collaboration with University of Florida researchers.
|
| Westinghouse
and SGS Tools |
Higher
power hot cathode plasma torch technology and integrated gas recycling
process technology
|
Commercialization
likely by a newly formed company. |
Table
A2. Biotechnology (Chapter 3)
|
Awardee
Name
(A) |
Technology
Developed
(B) |
Product
or Process Commercialized
(C) |
| Aastrom
Biosciences, Inc. |
Bioreactor
technology for expansion of stem and other cells outside the patient’s
body—used in tests and clinical trials for more than 60 cancer
patients. |
Commercialization
likely. |
| Amersham
Pharmacia Biotech |
Reengineering
of thermophilic enzymes and methods for isolation and genomic characterization
of hyperthermophiles from deep-sea vents. |
ThermoSequenase,
DNA polymerase for DNA sequencing. |
| Aphios
Corporation |
Viral
deactivation procedures based on critical fluid technology —
demonstrated in cleaning contaminated blood supplies.
|
Commercialization
possible. |
| Integra
LifeSciences |
A
scaleable process for manufacturing a new bioabsorbable polymer. |
Tyrosorb
Synthetic Polymers, a new material for making implantation devices
for musculoskeletal surgical applications in clinical trials. |
| Molecular
Simulations, Inc. |
Incorporation
of density functional theory (DFT) into easy-to-use software —
targeted toward the clinical and biotechnology communities for calculating
molecular structures and energies.
|
Enhanced
TurbomoleTM, a software tool that enables researchers to design new
target molecules for drugs and other substances at much lower costs.
|
| Thermo
Trilogy Corporation |
Genetic
engineering processes—demonstrated in the production of pyrethrin,
a natural insecticide that is nontoxic to mammals.
|
Commercialization
not likely. |
| Tissue
Engineering, Inc. |
Techniques
and procedures for enhancing tissue growth, including processing tissue,
extracting and storing collagen, and spinning and weaving collagen
fibers into fabrics for rebuilding lost tissues — demonstrated
in production of human prostheses.
|
Commercialization
likely. |
Table
A3. Electronics/Computer Hardware/Communications (Chapter 4)
|
Awardee
Name
(A) |
Technology
Developed
(B) |
Product
or Process Commercialized
(C) |
| Accuwave
Corporation |
A
process for producing photorefractive materials based on holographic
technology — demonstrated in fiber Optics telecommunications
applications. |
Wavelength
division multiplexing components; wavelength controllers, wavelength
lockers and fiber-optic collimators.
|
| American
Display Consortium |
Tape
Automated Bonding (TAB) process for mounting ICs on a display surface |
TAB
process used in production |
| AstroPower,
Inc. |
Improved
liquid-phase epitaxial growth methods and a high-throughput manufacturing
technology—demonstrated in the fabrication of high-performance
optoelectronic devices such as ultra-bright light-emitting diodes
(LEDs).
|
New
epitaxy technology incorporated in all company production processes,
including the Silicon-FilmTM solar cell.
|
| Calimetrics,
Inc. |
Pit
Depth Modulation and Multilevel Technology
|
Licensed
for commercialization |
| Cree
Research, Inc. |
Methods
for increasing the quality and size (to two inches or more) of silicon
carbide single crystals—demonstrated in the fabrication of LEDs
and other electronic and optoelectronic devices. |
Less
expensive blue light-emitting diodes, and improved silicon carbide
wafers that permit fabrication of electronic devices that deliver
more power, last longer, and can withstand very high temperatures.
|
| Cynosure,
Inc. |
A
fault-tolerant optical system — demonstrated for a diode-laser
array in a laser surgical
application.
|
Commercialization
possible. |
| Diamond
Semiconductor Group, LLC |
Compact
high-current broad beam ion—implantation technology for altering
the electrical properties of materials—enabling production of
larger semi-conductor wafers and also useful for other applications.
|
A
new high-current ion implanter, produced by Varian Associates, which
incorporates the new techniques developed in the ATP project for implanting
dopants on large silicon crystal wafers measuring 300 mm or more in
diameter. |
| ETOM
Technologies, Inc. |
Techniques
for writing and reading more than one bit of information at the same
spot of an optoelectronic disk, and new optoelectronic disk materials.
|
Commercialization
not likely. |
| FSI
International, Inc. |
A
dry gas wafer cleaning method—demonstrated in the cleaning of
computer-chip wafers during manufacturing (which traditionally has
used wet chemical processing), and suitable for the ever smaller features
on new generations of chips.
|
Commercialization
possible. |
| Hampshire
Instruments, Inc. (Joint Venture) |
Techniques
for laser pumping of high-power laser (Joint Venture) systems —
demonstrated using a laser-diode array to pump a neodymium-doped gadolinium
gallium garnet laser for producing low-cost x-rays.
|
Commercialization
not likely. |
| Light
Age, Inc. |
Broadly
tunable laser source of ultraviolet (UV) light based on alexandrite
laser technology—aimed at applications in science, medicine,
and photolithography. |
Three
laser products - nUVoTM, PAL/UVTM, and PAL/PROTM - for laser surgery
and potentially for other applications, including next-generation
chip fabrication and investi- gation of weather conditions in the
upper atmosphere (70 miles above earth). |
| Lucent
Technologies, Inc. |
Fabrication,
testing, and alignment techniques for extremely precise aspherical,
multilayer- coated mirrors—essential for extreme ultraviolet
(EUV) technology, a contender for future lithography systems.
|
Subcontractor
Tinsley Laboratories: application of improved fabrication methods
learned in the project to all its aspherical mirror production.
Subcontractor Tropel: a specialized interfer ometer it now uses in
other contract work.
Commercialization
possible for lithography systems.
|
| Multi-Film
Venture (Joint Venture) |
Procedures
for interconnecting thin-film integrated circuits—targeted at
complex, multi-film module (MFM) electronic device applications and
suitable for use when the films are arranged either side by side for
flat- panel displays or in layers for compact processor units.
|
Commercialization
possible. |
| NCMS
(Joint Venture) |
Advanced
processes for making printed wiring boards. |
Single-ply
fiberglass boards; thin copper plating; test procedures; plasmas monitoring
device; imidazole treatment. |
| NetOptix
Corp (formerly Galileo) |
New
processes for fabricating micro-channel plates (MCPs) using photon
detectors and other types of electron multipliers—demonstrated
in night vision applications.
|
Commercialization
possible. |
| Nonvolatile
Electronics, Inc. |
New
procedures that enhance the producibility, circuit density, and signal
strength of giant magneto-resistance (GMR) materials—demonstrated
in random access memory (RAM) and highly sensitive sensor applications.
|
Highly
sensitive sensors based on giant magneto-resistance materials that
could be used in brakes, pacemakers, and many other applications.
|
| Spire
Corporation |
Feedback-controlled,
chemical vapor deposition processes—demonstrated in a reactor
in a high-throughput mode for fabricating low-cost, high-quality metallo-organic
laser diode arrays and other optoelectronic devices.
|
A
prototype reactor being used for limited production of epitaxial wafers.
|
| Thomas
Electronics, Inc. |
A
high-efficiency electron source to enable development of new classes
of efficient, bright, flat fluorescent lamps—with wide applications
in computer and instrument displays and in high-definition TV screens. |
Prototypes
and pilot models of flat fluorescent lamps placed with more than a
dozen companies for further evaluation and field testing of the new
technology in cockpit and other applications. |
| Vitesse
Semiconductor |
GaAs
design innovations.
|
H-GaAs
IV-based transceivers and ATE. |
Table
A4. Information Technology (Chapter 5)
|
Awardee
Name
(A) |
Technology
Developed
(B) |
Product
or Process Commercialized
(C) |
Communication
Intelligence
Corporation #1 |
New
data-entry software technology that recognizes each user’s natural
handwriting without “training” the computer of the user—intended
to allow a pen and tablet to be used instead of a keyboard.
|
Enhanced
Handwriter(r) MXTM — a stylus-and-pad system that recognizes
hand-printed text. |
Communication
Intelligence
Corporation #2 |
A
recognition system for hand-written Chinese —Intended to replace
a cumbersome data-entry system that uses a keyboard.
|
Commercialization
likely.
|
| Engineering
Animation, Inc. |
Core
algorithms to enable the creation of 3D images from sets of 2D cross-sectional
images, with an initial application targeting animated visualization
of the entire human body.
|
Three
CD-ROMS (The Dissectible HumanTM, The Dynamic HumanTM, and CardioViewer
3DTM), plus two medical textbooks that are used to train medical personnel.
|
| Mathematical
Technologies, Inc. |
Mathematical
methods for managing successive digitized video images—with the
purpose of removing defects from one or more individual frames of
new or archived movies. |
Digital
Restoration ServicesTM, integrated into post-production movie processing
at a number of facilities in the entertainment industry. |
| Torrent
Systems, Inc. |
Component-based
software and user interface for building parallel processor applications—a
tool for the professional programmer. |
OrchestrateTM
- an innovative component software prototype system that enables a
variety of hardware systems to handle massive amounts of data and
increase processing efficiency. |
| Union
Switch and Signal, Inc. |
Distributed
Multi-agent-based optimization technology.
|
“Real-time
Control Traffic Controller”and “Offline Railroad Operations
Planner” in testing for possible commercialization. |
Table
A5. Manufacturing (Chapter 6)
|
Awardee
Name
(A) |
Technology
Developed
(B) |
Product
or Process Commercialized (C) |
| American
Superconductor |
Wire
fabrication and winding techniques for high-temperature superconducting
materials, with primary applications in the development of extremely
efficient large motors. |
CryoSaverTM—electrical
wires that carry current into and out of cryogenically cooled devices,
which reduces electrical resistance and helps users achieve better
operating efficiencies. |
| Armstrong
World Industries, Inc. |
Process
technology for controlling the microstructure of aerogel insulation
materials —targeted toward cost-effectively enhancing its thermal
insulating properties.
|
Commercialization
possible through licensing.
|
| Auto
Body Consortium (Joint Venture) |
Measurement
and process control technology —demonstrated in reduction of
dimensional variation in auto body assembly to two millimeters or
less.
|
New
measurement and process control systems in auto assembly plants that
cut dimensional variation to a world-class standard of two millimeters
and below, being implemented in 22 assembly plants in the United States
and Canada. |
| E.I.
Dupont de Nemours & Company |
Thin-film
fabrication processes for high-temperature superconducting materials
—targeted toward low-cost electronics components. |
New
thin-film components, incorporated into magnetic resonance imaging
equipment for use in hospitals and clinics.
|
| HelpMate
Robotics, Inc. |
Specialized
lidar (light direction and range) scanner and related locating technologies
— demonstrated in the development of an intelligent autonomous
mobile robot capable of maneuvering around on a factory or hospital
floor. |
HelpMate
Robots in use as delivery devices in about 100 hospitals in the United
States and Canada. |
| Illinois
Superconductor Corp. |
Fabrication
process for thick-film, high-temperature superconducting materials—demonstrated
in the production of radio-frequency components for wireless
applications.
|
Two
products— SpectrumMaster® and RangeMaster®—installed
in 22 cell phone base stations in 12 cities. |
| Microelectronics
Center of North Carolina |
Integrated
Force Array technology, based on electrostatically driven membranes.
|
Commercialization
possible but not imminent. |
| Perceptron,
Inc. |
Image
processing techniques and algorithms electrostatically driven membranes.
|
Commercially
demonstrated in lumber mill and steel mill.
|
| PreAmp
Consortium (Joint Venture) |
A
knowledge-based software system that can extract process “rules”
from manufacturing process data—demonstrated in test automations
for designing and manufacturing electronics components.
|
STEP
Tools, Inc., an informal participant in the project, has incorporated
the project’s data application interface in its ST-DeveloperTM
software tool. Future commercialization possible for the complete
system. |
| SAGE
Electronchromics, Inc. |
Electrochromic
technology for producing large-area electronic devices.
|
Commercialization
of electrochromic windows underway. |
| Saginaw
Machine Systems, Inc. |
Intelligent
thermal-error correction technology, based on a generic mathematical
model of thermal errors — demonstrated in high precision machine
tool applications.
|
Accu-System—a
new intelligent process controller for increasing the accuracy of
machine tools. |
Return to Table
of Contents or go to next section.
Date created: April
2002
Last updated:
April 12, 2005
|
