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The Role of

SENSING & SENSORS

Micromachinesand Sensors: the Road Ahead

Sandia’s µChemLabTM

Quickly Identifies Hazards

A QUARTERLY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT JOURNALVOLUME 4, NO. 3

S A N D I A T E C H N O L O G Y

Sandia Technology is a quarterly journal published bySandia National Laboratories. Sandia is a multiprogramengineering and science laboratory operated by SandiaCorporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for theDepartment of Energy. With main facilities in Albuquerque,New Mexico, and Livermore, California, Sandia has broad-based research and development responsibilities for nuclearweapons, arms control, energy, the environment, economiccompetitiveness, and other areas of importance to the needsof the nation. The Laboratories’ principal mission is tosupport national defense policies, by ensuring that thenuclear weapon stockpile meets the highest standards ofsafety, reliability, security, use control, and militaryperformance. For more information on Sandia, see ourWeb site at http://www.sandia.gov.

To request additional copies or to subscribe, contact:Michelle FlemingMedia Relations Communications Dept.MS 0165Sandia National LaboratoriesP.O. Box 5800Albuquerque, NM 87185-0165Voice: (505) 844-4902Fax: (505) 844-1392e-mail: [email protected]

Sandia Technology Staff:Laboratory Directed Research & Development Program Manager: Chuck MeyersMedia Relations and Communications Department Manager: Bruce FetzerEditor: Will Keener, Sandia National LaboratoriesWriting: Chris Burroughs, Nancy Garcia, John German, Nigel Hey, Neal SingerPhotography: Randy J. Montoya, Bud Pelletier, Sandia National LaboratoriesDesign: Douglas Prout, Technically Write

ON THE COVER: Sandia Researcher Darren Branchconducts an experiment with the lipid bilayer biosensor,a device with the promise of rapidly detectinga variety of biological agents, including viruses,anthrax and other bacteria.

Photo: Randy J. MontoyaDesign: Doug Prout

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Dear Readers:

If you get the impression fromthis issue that “Sensors R Us,” weat Sandia won’t be disappointed.Sandia has shown leadership in anumber of areas involving sensordevelopment and we’ve tried toshowcase some of them here. Weowe a special thanks for this issueto our subject-matter champion,Marion Scott, who helped us byspinning off a number of fruitfularticle topics and followed up bybeing a key reviewer. As Director ofSandia’s Microsystems Science andTechnology, and ComponentsCenter, Marion was already toobusy, but his help and that of hisstaff have been invaluable. Nigel Hey, retired SeniorAdministrator and former Managerat Sandia, was also an importantcontributor. He did the tough workof outlining an approach to thesensor topic, which pervades manyorganizations within the Labs. Hisoverview essay, which begins onpage 2, helps provide perspectivefor other work under way. Making sensors tiny, givingthem capabilities to be morepervasive, and extending the reachof their potential uses will becontinuing activities at the Labs. Thestories here represent only a portionof an expanding area of expertisefor Sandia researchers.

Will KeenerEditor

F R O M T H EE d i t o r

T A B L E O FC o n t e n t s

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7

10

10

11

13

19

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The Role of Sensingand Sensors

Palm-top µChemLabTM


Sensor-MEMS workshrinking µChemLabTM

Available Power forRemote Uses

Analyzing Hazardsfrom a Distance

Micromachines and Sensors:the Road Ahead

Biosensors Defend at Home,on Battlefield

A Tale ofTwo Companies

NEWS NOTES

t Sandia, sensor technology pervadesmuch of what we do. Need a sensor tomeasure the temperature of glass duringits manufacture? To detect pollutants ingroundwater? To analyze smokestackemissions? To sniff out biotoxins in subwaystations? To trigger an alarm when hydrogenleaks from a booster rocket engine? Sandiahas devised all of these and more. This issue outlines some of theaccomplishments and attempts to providea sense of where this research is going.Mostly, it is going smaller and cheaper. Tomore broadly disperse sensors, they mustbe smaller and more easily manufactured.To succeed in this area, Sandia draws froma host of core competencies — in particular,

silicon semiconductor technology,compound semiconductor technology,micromachining, and integrated circuitdesign. These competencies, translatedinto a diversity of sensor devices, serve avariety of Labs’ missions, says MarionScott, Sandia’s Director for MicrosystemsScience, Technology and Components.Among them are protection of the publichealth, safe and secure weapons, and non-proliferation. A single sensor is almost never sufficientin itself. More often, the solution to aproblem lies in precise calibration, carefulpackaging, and the addition of electronicsthat will gauge an electrical current, equateit with a given indicator — and then sound

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Sensors. They’reeverywhere, all

around us and eveninside us, offering anenormous amount of

information. Byconverting infor-mation about ourenvironment into

impulses that can beread by a machine,

sensors can functionas our eyes, nose,

ears and senseof touch.

by Nigel Hey


The Role of Sensing andSensors

A

an alarm, while generating a set of numbersthat can be read and understood at amoment’s notice. Add electronics to a sensor, then buildin an alarm and a readout, and you’veintegrated a system that is more complexand more useful than the sensor alone. Fordecades, systems integration has been oneof Sandia’s best-known trademarks. “Our job at Sandia is to present policymakers with a set of tools,” says Scott.Complex, miniaturized integration of sensor-based systems is epitomized by theµChemLabTM, a program that began as a“Grand Challenge” Laboratory DirectedResearch and Development effort and hasgrown to include several external customers.The basic device — presented as theµChemLabTM – contains two sets of sampleconcentrators, separators, and detectors,through which a sample material moves viaa complex of micromachined tubes, pumps,

and valves. The whole system, includingpower supply and readouts, can be heldeasily in the hand, and will deliver a sampleanalysis in 30-60 seconds. This gas-phaseapparatus detects and identifies chemicalspecies. A liquid-phase version also has beendeveloped to detect and identify biologicalcompounds. Other examples are portal technologiesfor use at US borders. Devices are underdevelopment that won’t slow crossings, butwill sense chemical and radiologicalcomponents and report them to properauthorities. “The kind of technological creativitythat goes into the design of smart sensors isa dynamic force that will help maintain U.S.primacy in national security, as well as itsleadership in commercial markets,” saysSandia President C. Paul Robinson. “I stressthe word ‘dynamic.’ Continuingtechnological innovation is the lifeblood ofthis nation. It must keep moving if we areto stay ahead of our competitors and ourfoes. Just as importantly, we must match ourtechnologies with the organizational geniusthat enables ever more complex systemsintegration, in order to ensure that we usethose technologies to the best possibleadvantage.”

3


Complex, miniaturized integration of sensor-based systems isexemplified by Sandia's µChemLabTM. This field-portable device

moves a sample through a maze of micromachined tubes,pumps and valves to identify it. Two modules fit in the

back of the device (inset) for easy access.

“Continuingtechnological

innovation is thelifeblood of thisnation. It mustkeep moving ifwe are to stay

ahead of ourcompetitors and

our foes.”

4

Micro-chemical sensors now underdevelopment at Sandia will reduce the needfor labor-intensive manual sampling forprotection of public health and theenvironment by establishing a system thatconstantly monitors for contaminants in soilsand water. Sandia researcher Cliff Ho ishelping to develop this new system thatchecks for various toxins and givescontinuous readings to help individualsdetermine if there are significant changes inthe condition of soils or groundwater. Ho describes the device that he, Sandiacolleague Bob Hughes, and others have builtas a robust package that can be put directlyunderground — in water or in soils wherethe humidity reaches nearly 100 percent —to detect toxic chemicals and transmitinformation about them. “It has the capabilityof detecting undesirable chemicals in situand in real time,” Ho says. The system could be used to monitor avariety of sites, including undergroundstorage tanks, chemical spills, and wastedumps without taking samples to an offsitelaboratory. There are thousands of these sitesrequiring monitoring for protection ofresources and to help determine what cleanupmeasures might be required. Traditional sampling methods involvephysically collecting water, gas, or soil

samples, documenting them and taking themto a laboratory for analysis. This process canbecome expensive, with each sample analysisalone costing from $100 up to $1,000. The “sniffer” approach is designed toleave sensors at the site. The system transmitsinformation about specific contaminants andtheir concentrations to a data collectionstation. Information can be downloaded andanalyzed to determine if follow-up is needed.

Chemiresistor Arrays

The heart of the system is an array oftiny sensors that can detect different volatileorganic compounds. These compounds,called VOCs, comprise a family ofcontaminants including solvents, degreasers,


America’s watersupply faces twokey challenges in

the 21st Century — one from terrorism

and the otherfrom pollution. Acontinuous water

monitoring system,now being

developed atSandia, may

provide a key toolin efforts to protect

this nationalresource.

Protecting our Precious Water Supplies

Sensor package with cable, showing white GoreTex®

membrane in center.

hydrocarbons, and alcohols. Because of pastcommercial use, they are often found ascontaminants in groundwater. Each sensor, called a chemiresistor, isa polymer-absorption device fabricated bydissolving commercial polymers in a solventwith conductive carbon particles. The ink-like fluid is deposited and dried on wire-likeelectrodes on a specially designedmicrocircuit. When contaminants, such asVOCs, are present, they absorb into thepolymers. This causes polymer swelling,which changes the electrical resistance ofthe material. These resistance changes can

be measured and recorded. They can be usedto calculate the concentration of acontaminant in the vapor that is in contactwith the polymer. The polymers shrink if the chemical orcontaminant of interest is removed, causingthe material to revert to its original state andelectrical resistance. An array of different sensors can be usedto identify various VOCs by comparingresulting chemical signatures with thosefrom known samples. “By using fourdifferent kinds of polymers — one for eachsensor — we think we can detect and identifyall solvents of interest,” says Hughes, whodeveloped the sensors for the project.

Waterproof Housing

To allow the array to get to a place whereit is needed, Ho and his colleagues designeda tough package that can be used in wateror underground. The package is small —just an inch in diameter — but allows thechemiresistors to be exposed to contaminantsin both gas and liquid phases. A small spacewithin the package allows liquid phase to

In contaminatedwater, VOCs willmove across the

membrane into gasphase, where theyare detected by the

chemiresistors.

5


VOC detection by a thin-film chemiresistor: (a) Electrical current flows across a conductive thin-film carbon-loaded polymerdeposited on a micro-fabricated electrode; (b) VOCs absorb into the polymer, causing it to swell (reversibly) and break someof the conductive pathways, which increases the electrical resistance.

Left: Sensor package taken apart, exposing chemiresistor sensor chip inside.Right: Sensor package with penny for scale.

ConductiveCarbon Particles

Solid Substrate Metal Trace

Current Polymer

~ 0.1 mm

VolatileOrganicCompound

(a) (b)

6

pass into gas phase across a GORE-TEX®

membrane. Like clothing made with GORE-TEX®, the material repels liquids but allowsvapors to “breathe” or diffuse across themembrane. In contaminated water, VOCswill move across the membrane into gasphase, where they are detected by thechemiresistors. “The package is modular, like a small,water-tight flashlight, and is fitted with o-rings, so it can be unscrewed, allowing foreasy exchange of components,” Ho explains. “We needed a rugged housing and this onehas worked out in our lab and field testing.” Inside the package the chemiresistorarray chip is placed on a 16-pin dual inlinepackage connected to a long weatherproofcable. The cable, in turn, can be connectedto a data logger. Measurements are madewith DC voltages, allowing the cables to bealmost any length.

Durability Testing

Data was logged for several months ata remote Sandia chemical waste landfill totest the robustness of the sensor package.Later tests were also conducted at the DOE’sNevada Test Site, north of Las Vegas, usingcontrolled exposures to a VOC. “At this stage, the system isn’t goingto replicate EPA sampling method quality,”

says Ho. “But it has the potential toreach the reliability and quality that woulddo that.” Current challenges include learning andresponding to how sensors will react tohumidity, temperature, and barometricpressure changes. Researchers must alsolearn how the various polymers in thechemiresistors will react to unknownchemicals. The electronic sniffer approach began atSandia with internal Laboratory DirectedResearch and Development funding. Now,Ho and Hughes see the next step aspartnering with a company to work onmanufacturing and quality control issues.“An interested company could commercial-ize the technology by working with Sandia,”Ho says.

The electronicsniffer approachbegan at Sandia

with internalLaboratory

Directed Researchand Development

funding. Now,Ho and Hughes

see the next stepas partnering

with a companyto work on

manufacturing andquality control

issues.


Sensor package being tested underwater duringair sparging, a remediation method to stripcontaminants from the water by injecting air intothe water.

Bubbles accumulating on Gore-Tex® membraneduring underwater sparging. Bubbles dissolve asthe gas partitions through membrane.

Thanks toSandia research —begun by the largestDepartment of Energy(DOE) investment of its kind—a growing list of hazards cannow be quickly detected for the first timewith a palm-top device . The µChemLabTM

invention places the capability of a fullystaffed chemistry lab at the fingertips of atrained operator. Initiated in 1996 through Sandia's first"Grand Challenge" Laboratory-DirectedResearch and Development project, the multi-million µChemLabTM research effort shrinksand speeds standard chemical analysisequipment that has occupied lab benches asfar back as the 1950s. The capability to rapidly detect suspectedagents was a key feature of antiterrorism

briefings that HomelandSecurity Director Tom Ridgereceived after the September11, 2001 attack. "It's that kindof creative genius that I thinkwe can count on in makingour homeland more secure,"Ridge said. Rather thanwaiting hours forconfirmation from a

distant lab, emergency responders shouldsoon test prototypes of µChemLabTM to sniffout danger in minutes. Sandia’s John Vitko, Terry Michalskeand Al Sylwester led the Grand Challengethat merged Sandia California and NewMexico proposals. "It's a tremendousexample of what Sandia does best, which issystems integration," John said. "We had 40to 80 people on the project, and making itwork involved not just one miracle but many.It's a prime example of what can be donewith microelectromechanical systems(MEMS) to create a fully integrated hybriddevice. (See related story on page 10.) "It's proved to be a tremendous success.We're really just beginning to take off. It'sready for commercialization in its own right,with applications to water quality, medicalresearch and biotechnology." With a market study to guide investmentdecisions, DOE funders soon saw the valueof devoting "critical mass" to such a project,said Laboratory Directed Research &

Like the uniquewhirls and ridges

of fingerprints liftedby an evidence

technician toidentify a suspect,

chemical andbiological agentstip their presence

through distinctivesignatures.

7


Palm-top µChemLabTM


by Nancy Garcia

This view of the sensor shows the microfluidic chip (seen from the bottom up) where thedetection-system laser shines on the separation channel. The laser light is a slightly shorterwavelength than that used for DVD players.

8

Development program manager ChuckMeyers. An external review panel alsogave high-level credibility and exposure tothe work. Researchers first demonstrated detectionof chemical warfare agents on a system thatanalyzes gases. In liquid analysis, the teamspotted biotoxins (poisons from plants ormicrobes) and traces of explosives (importantfor environmental restoration). Next maycome evidence of disease-causing virusesin liquids, while the gas-phase applicationis also being broadened to detect toxicindustrial chemicals. "That's probably the bigger threat," saidRichard Kottenstette, one of the investigatorswith the gas-phase detection team centeredin New Mexico, "and if it's not just forchemical warfare agents, first responderswill be more likely to use it, keep it calibratedand keep the batteries fresh." The gas-phase µChemLabTM has beenfield-tested at the U.S. Army's Chemical andBiological Center in Edgewood, Marylandand with simulated contaminants (mixedwith concrete dust) at the Nevada Test Site."We tracked the plume as it drifted over theinstrument trailer," Kottenstette said.

A prototype (in temperature-enclosedhousing) was installed this summer in anairport air-handling system. This precededtrials in a subway setting, complicated byiron track-dust and heat and humidity swings. The compact, simple gas chromatographidentifies about a dozen agents. Their tell-tale mass is measured when they impingeon a quartz crystal bearing a coated surfaceacoustic wave detector. When the coatingabsorbs the compound, a wave traveling thesurface changes frequency, much like a drumwill change tone if a hand is placed on thevibrating surface. "It's like a little massbalance that ultimately becomes an electronicsignal," Kottenstette said. The chip's mass detection snugly employson-chip application-specific integratedcircuits created by Sandia. It also compresses

The gas-phaseµChemLabTM has

been field-tested atthe U.S. Army's

Chemical andBiological Center

in Edgewood,Maryland and

with simulatedcontaminants

(mixed withconcrete dust)at the Nevada

Test Site.


Both speed and sensitivity are enhanced by analyzingsmall sample quantities; here a module is shownnext to a 25-cent piece for scale.

Two modules fit in the back of the sensor, wherethey are easily accessible to the user.

9

an 86 cm-long separation column into a coilabout 1 cm per side. The column, just400x100 microns wide, has a chemical liningthat essentially sifts mixtures intohomogenous clumps that emerge over time.Time of appearance and mass indicatetheir identity. "Tuning" especially enhances the micro-device's efficiency. A pre-concentrator retainspotential chemical agents and excludesvolatile organics. The concentrated sampleis released into the column, whereseparations need no special carrier gas."It's very, very sensitive," says programmanager Duane Lindner. Research anddevelopment partnerships for the gas-phasesystem are already under way in both thepetroleum and pharmaceutical industries,while aspects of the liquid-phase work arealso subject to partnership agreements. As he negotiated a memorandum ofunderstanding last fall between the DOEand Britain's Ministry of Defence, Gen. JohnGordon (then National Nuclear Securityadministrator) walked through the DefenceScience and Technology Laboratory at

Porton Down, England and shook handswith Julie Fruetel, who led a field trialdetecting ricin strains there. Fruetel headsa 20-member team on the liquid-phaseseparation work in California. "It's a flexibleresearch platform," Fruetel said. A second-generation prototype to separateproteins in liquids, released in June, runseight hours on lithium camera batteries. Itsredesigned light-tight optical detectionsystem boosted sensitivity about 10 times;a molecule as dilute as one in a million canbe spotted. The new system carries twoseparations modules in which proteins taggedwith a green dye are separated in just a fewminutes, then illuminated by an ultravioletlaser diode and visualized through a greenfilter. A variety of electrophoresis schemesquickly sort on the basis of charge and sizeto identify protein toxins. Employing morethan one scheme at the same time is a uniquefeature that increases reliability andspecificity. The group plans next to focuson identifying viruses. When pre-concentration is added, sensitivity shouldincrease up to 500 times. "You'd like to see a thousand times lessthan the hazardous limit, to detect well belowlethal concentrations," said Art Pontau,Microfluidics department manager.Developed in parallel, the gas and liquid-phase systems will be combined into onetool by 2008 – possibly as soon as 2005.

A second-generation

prototype toseparate proteins inliquids, released in

June, runs eighthours on lithium

camera batteries.Its redesigned

light-tight opticaldetection system

boosted sensitivityabout 10 times; a

molecule as diluteas one in a million

can be spotted.


The sensor systemis field-portable.

10


An important example of microsensor andmicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS)cooperation at Sandia is recent successful workon miniaturization of the µChemLabTM. Acollaboration between several researchers andgroups at Sandia has produced a hand-heldanalysis tool constructed with integrated, micro-fabricated devices built in cooperation with twodifferent micro-fabrication laboratories. In the caseof the µChemLabTM , a sampling device (called apreconcentrator), a gas chromatograph columnand two sensors (called flexural plate wavesensors) needed to be fabricated at themicron scale. The ongoing work combines the threeelements into a single monolithic crystalline device.“We use technologies adapted from integratedcircuit manufacturing to create these devices,”

explains Ron Manginell, of the Labs MicroAnalytical Systems department. The performanceof MEMs for handling tasks at the micro-scalehas made the sensors very sensitive, he says.After preconcentration of the sample, gasmolecules selectively adhere to coatings on thesurface of the chromatograph column and thenrelease. Testing of the flexural plate wave sensorsshows good performance so far. The current version involved a cooperativeprocessing approach using both Sandia’sMicroelectronics Development Laboratory and thenearby Compound Semi-conductor ResearchLaboratory. This combined approach is importanttechnologically and because of the cross-labcoordination it demonstrates, Manginell explains.While testing is still under way on many aspectsof this micro-scale version, the potential for usesof the µChemLabTM is even greater as its size andmanufacturing costs are reduced.

Sensor-MEMS work shrinking µChemLabTM

As remote applications become more andmore feasible in terms of sensor capability, theproblem of powering sensors in faraway anddifficult locations is gaining more attention fromSandia researchers. Two recent innovations illustrate progress inthis area:• Sensors that use natural vibrations from thebuildings and bridges they are located in to makeelectrical power, and• Glucose-powered micro fuel cells, which convertsugar in plants or even human skin intolow-level power. Sensors aren’t the only potential uses forthese new power sources, but they are an importantpossibility. A Sandia team led by Kent Pfeiffer (photo atleft) has designed and demonstrated the conceptof a wireless, battery-free sensor and data-storagedevice, powered by structural vibrations. Thedevice uses piezoelectric materials attached to thestructure to generate current. These materialschange crystalline alignment under stress andproduce an electrical charge. With his Sandia colleagues, Pfeifer created thedevice in cooperation with Sandia’s Architectural

SuretyTM Program. Microsensors could be usedto measure stresses, strains, temperature changes,and other data on beams, buttresses and otherkey building features to check the structure’soverall health, says Pfeifer, who works in the Labs’Microsensor Science and Technology department.Work on integrating and testing a complete self-powered microsensor system is planned. As part of a Laboratories Directed Researchand Development “Grand Challenge,” Sandiaresearchers are also working to demonstrate anintegrated glucose-fueled micropower system bythe end of 2004. To date, the program team, ledby Doug Loy of Sandia’s Chemical and BiologicalTechnologies department and Kent Schubert, ofthe Labs’ Microdevice Technologies group, hasdemonstrated the feasibility of converting glucoseto electricity. Researchers from the Labs’Microsensors Research and Development,Biosystems Research, and Integrated Micro-systems departments are involved in the project. The team has created a polymer electrolytemembrane that has particular promise for silicon-based micro fuel cells, and even conventionallarge-scale fuel cells. Work is under way to developa fuel harvesting interface and enzyme catalyststo replace conventional precious-metal catalysts.In its final form, the system is expected to be onlythe size of a matchbox.

Available Power for Remote Uses

Scientists at Sandia,Honeywell, andMassachusetts

Institute ofTechnology are

moving ahead on a sophisticateddevice, called aPolychromator,

which combinesoptical and micro-electromechanical

systems (MEMS) toidentify plumes

of hazardouschemicals safelyfrom a distance.

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An environmental engineerassays the types of gasesescaping from an industrialsmokestack. A soldier eyes acloud of battlefield smoke todetermine if chemical weaponsare in use. A firefighter checksthe black cloud pouring out ofa blazing industrial warehouseto see if it is safe to enter.Hazardous materials respondersanalyze vapors from a railcar spillto determine if harmful chemicals are present. With a device now under development bya team from Honeywell, Massachusetts Instituteof Technology, and several Sandiaorganizations, these determinations will bemade safely from afar — possibly miles away.The device, which can remotely analyze andidentify a gas in a matter of seconds, is nowfeasible in a highly portable form. And scientists at the three institutions aremoving ahead jointly on an even moresophisticated version, called a Polychromator,which combines optical and microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) to expandthe number of possible gases and speedthe identification. The Polychromator is at a critical time indevelopment, explains Mike Sinclair, of theLabs’ Microsystem Materials, Tribology andTechnology department. Funding from theDefense Advance Research Projects Agencyhas wrapped up and Sandia with itspartners are concluding work on three workingprototype devices (photo above). Laboratorytesting comes next.

“Our goal is to show that chemical sensingwith the Polychromator is useful and worthdoing,” says Sinclair. “We’ve characterized thechip, the electronics and the optics individually,but now we’ve put them together and we needto test their ability to see different gases.”

Infrared Analysis

The concept of remotely identifying variousgases is based on a process where infrared lightpasses through a gas sample. Each gas createsa distinct pattern of colors in the light that canbe used to identify it. “The idea to use infraredsignatures to detect chemical species has beenaround for years,” explains Sinclair. When heand a colleague started thinking about theremote detection concept in 1994, Sinclairworked out a computer program to link theseknown patterns with a series of microscopicreflective ribbons, called diffraction gratings,deposited on a silicon chip. One gas analysis technique involvescarefully reading each wavelength and intensityin a spectrum and consulting known values toidentify it. A faster approach is to compare the

Analyzing Hazards From a Distance

patterns without the detailed wavelengthinformation and simply determine if there isa match. “With this approach you can look atdozens of gases in seconds and it scales downto a smaller size more easily,” says SteveCasalnuovo, manager of Sandia’s MicrosensorsScience and Technology department. The system works when the light from agas plume or sample is gathered by an opticalsystem — such as a binocular set — to strikea chip. The research team first proved that byetching patterns, or gratings, for a specific gastype on a silicon chip, gases could be identified.Thus, using a series of chips and a movingwheel or similar device, an operator couldquickly compare light from a gas in the fieldwith a dozen or so known patterns. This short-term solution could be brought forward towardmarket now, Casalnuovo believes.

Moveable Gratings Approach

In a more sophisticated Polychromatorversion, a microprocessor within a chipmanipulates movable gratings (diagram above)through a series of configurations. Thisprocessing, accomplished by changing theheights of each ribbon, makes the identificationfaster than a configuration with individualchips for each comparison, Sinclair explains.

“It should be sensitive and able to discernquickly between chemicals with similarinfrared spectra.” Microelectromechanicalsystems, or MEMS, made possible the conceptof up-and-down moving gratings, allowingmultiple configurations. The chips aremanufactured with standard microlithographytechniques of masking and etching used inintegrated circuit manufacturing. An extensive effort by Honeywell resultedin a chip about the size of a dime with morethan a thousand MEMS gratings, each about10 microns wide and one centimeter long.Quality has improved with each new batch,Sinclair says. Sandia took the chip and surrounded itwith a design for the optics system assemblytasks and will be responsible for testing, alongwith other potential customers. These tasks are posing a number ofchallenges. For example, the electronicconfiguration, used to control voltage of eachof the 1024 gratings, is presently much largerthan the chip. While the electronics are moredifficult to scale down, Sandia is currentlyworking on approaches to make the electronics-MEMS interface compatible during chipmanufacture, explains Kent Pfeiffer, also ofSandia’s Microsensors Science and Technologydepartment. He worked with Honeywell onthe massive job of electronically bondingeach of the gratings during the prototypeconstruction. Researchers generally agree that integratedoptics and electronic miniaturization isachievable in the future with a developmenteffort. Once the feasibility of the system isdemonstrated, Sinclair believes, funding andinterest will follow for the third phase of theproject — miniaturization and increasing theproduct’s ruggedness.

12

The system workswhen the light from

a gas plume orsample is gathered

by an opticalsystem — such asa binocular set —

to strike a chip.


Si Wafer

BroadbandLight In

PolychromaticSpectrum

Out

DeflectableMicromirror Grating

Elements

Individually Addressable Array of Driver Electrodes

The combination of microelectro-mechanical (MEMS) structures, ormicromachines, with other sensing devicesis opening up a variety of possibilities, saysJay Jakubczak, deputy director forMicrosystems Applications at Sandia. UsingMEMS — in the form of tiny machinesthat handle samples, separate chemicals,switch signals, and do other tasks — providesgreater versatility in increasingly smallerpackages, Jakubczak notes. In addition to Sandia’s work with itsmicro-chemistry lab, or µChemLabTM, (seepage 7) and the Polychromator (page 11),the examples here show some ways Sandiais bringing MEMS and sensor technologiestogether to address customer needs.

Analyzing modes of failure in criticalwarfighting components

There’s a reason Bob Cranwell’s officeat Sandia in Albuquerque is filled withmodels and photos of F-16s, the new JointStrike Fighter, and Apache attack helicopters.Cranwell and his staff in the SystemsSustainment Program department are helpingto keep these birds in the sky. As manager of a team of mathematicians,statisticians, modelers and simulation experts,Cranwell is far from the flight-line, but at

the forefront of an innovative approach toaircraft maintenance, called Prognostics andHealth Management, or PHM. “This is thenext step in preventative maintenance,” saysCranwell, “instead of waiting for thingsto fail.” One key to this approach is the use ofminiature sensors to provide the PHM data.“The idea is to use sensor technology oncritical components or parts of a system todetermine if things are out of the ordinary,like vibrations, fluid quality, oil contaminants,electromagnetic fields,” says Cranwell. “Youwant miniaturization so as not to add costand weight.” Cranwell’s team uses sensor data todetermine abnormal performance, and thengoes to the next step. “The sensor providesthe diagnostic information. We take the dataand do a prognosis to provide an estimate ofremaining useful life. We say, given a certainmission profile, here is the optimalmaintenance strategy. That’s the healthmanagement part of the work.” For an example, consider the F-16accessory drive gearbox. Located directly infront of the engine, this complex systemliterally keeps the F-16 from dropping outof the sky. It operates a variety of wing andtail surface controls and provides an enginestarter, among other things. Similar gearboxes

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Usingmicromachinesthat can handle

samples, separatechemicals, switch

electrical andoptical signals, andconduct other tasks

in combinationwith sensors, is

providing greaterversatility and

surprising newapplications in

increasinglysmaller

packages.

Micromachines and Sensors:the Road Ahead

14

can be found in other high performancemilitary aircraft, including the Joint StrikeFighter, now in development. Presently the gearbox manufacturerrecommends the equipment be replaced aftera certain amount of flight time. But theexperience of Air Force maintenancepersonnel shows that some gearboxes failearlier than the recommended time changeinterval and many others look almost newat changeout. “We need to get smarter andput in sensors to determine vibration,hydraulic contamination and other factorsto get a longer life out of these parts andsave money,” says Cranwell. “To replace agearbox, you have to pull the engine. It’s abig expense.” The PHM team develops mathematicalformulas to manipulate sensor data to answerthe question “What is the health of thiscomponent and what is the best thing to do?”in a variety of situations. Consider ahypothetical situation where data fromrefueling and re-arming an F-16 shows thegearbox is likely to fail in ten hours.Maintenance workers can look at the missionprofile and make a determination. Is it aone-hour sortie without any “high g”maneuvers? Is evasive action likely that will

put stress on the plane’s systems? “Amaintenance team can run the simulation ina wartime scenario and make a determinationabout the safety of the aircraft.” Researchers have begun work on thePHM concept by attaching microsensors toshop instruments in Albuquerque and at aDOE facility in Kansas City and have usedthe data to develop life prediction algorithms.Applications extend in many directions,Cranwell notes. Naval aircraft carrierdesigners are interested in the PHM approachas a way of improving safety and reducingpersonnel.

Arming conventional weapons in anunconventional way

For America’s conventional weaponsstockpile, the term “safe, arm, fuze and fire”bespeaks technology designed to keep aweapon safe until it’s readied for detonation.Now Sandia is working to make thesedevices more robust and at the same timemicro-sized. Darren Hoke, project manager for thiseffort, carefully spills a small handful ofparts across his desk. They comprise thesafe, arm, fuze and firing mechanism for amortar shell. They easily fit into an egg-sized dome atop the shell. Components likethese are manufactured by a small anddeclining number of vendors, he explains.They are assembled by hand. Dissimilarmaterials used for different parts of themechanism create worry in terms of thedevice’s shelf life. Next, Hoke, from Sandia’s Electro-mechanical Engineering department, picksup a quarter-inch cube. “We want to replacethese parts with this,” he says. The cube isthe first generation of what researchers arecalling MicroFuze — a MEMS safety andarming device. The cube has three silicon wafer layersetched or treated using techniques adapted


The PHMteam developsmathematical

formulas tomanipulate sensordata to answer thequestion “What isthe health of thiscomponent andwhat is the best

thing to do?”

from the manufacture ofintegrated circuitry. “Thedevice has to react to theacceleration of being shotout of a gun barrel, whichis very different from beingdropped on the floor or othershocks,” Hoke explains.This acceleration releases abar, unlocking a slidingplate. “The device also hasto sense the spin created bythe rifling in the barrel andreact to it.” Spin forces slidethe plate until it snaps intoa new location, which alignsfuzing and firing mini-explosives. In addition to theseaspects of weapon controlin a high-gravity (1000g’s),high spin (2000 rpms)

environment, the US military now is lookingfor smarter weapons as well. “We learnedin Desert Storm that we need weapons thatwill go to very deeply buried targets,” saysHoke. Reaching these targets means evenhigher acceleration levels. “One of the thingsin favor of MEMS technology is that thesmaller the mass of an object the higherits tolerance.” Weapons that can sense where they arein a building or structure are a new goal fordesigners. Existing accelerometers help withthis awareness, but have limitations.Researchers are looking at a way to replacethese accelerometers with un-poweredMEMS sensors. The sensors would use asliding mechanism, similar to the MicroFuze,to sense shocks. Multiple sensors couldwork together to determine where in a targetenvironment the weapon is. Processing these MEMS devices is farfrom routine, says Hoke. “Getting the

mechanical structure to do things in a certainway was very difficult.” A second problemarea involves starting a series of successivelylarger blasts beginning with a hole on theorder of several hundred microns in diameterfilled with explosives. “We are pushing thesize and control boundaries for materials inmicroprocessing,” says Hoke. While many laboratories are looking atMEMS solutions to these weapon issues,Sandia’s Microsystems expertise gives it anedge. “We hope to prove the MicroFuzeprinciple by 2003 and test it at the systemslevel at one of the Department of Defensefuze laboratories,” Hoke explains. By usingartillery shells for proof of principle, a hugedatabase on device reliability can be builtmore quickly. “These shells aremanufactured by the tens of thousands,”Hoke notes. “Then we can move to otherweapons.”

Micro-sizing a provenintelligence-gathering device

The value of synthetic aperture radar(SAR) has literally soared in recent years.With Sandia’s development of the Lynxsystem in 1999, the 120-pound radar wasfitted to both manned and unmanned aerialvehicles (UAVs). From these platforms itprovides photographic-like images throughclouds, in rain or fog, and in day or nightconditions. The real-time SAR systemproduces fine resolution images at ranges ofup to 50 miles. “SAR has proven its value for intelligenceand reconnaissance,” says George Sloan, aresearcher in Sandia’s SAR program. “We’vedone some good things in terms of fieldingthese instruments and making contributionsto soldiers in the field.” But the pressure is on, Sloan explains,to make a new generation of SAR that’s

15


“The devicehas to react to

the accelerationof being shot out

of a gun barrel,which is verydifferent from

being droppedon the floor orother shocks.”

MEMS Safe and Arm Device fabricated at the Compound SemiconductorResearch Laboratory

16

smaller and lighter. Thesmaller version is being called mini-SAR.“Our customers need systems that are smallerwithout sacrificing quality,” says Sloan.Customers want to use SAR in guidedweapons, tactical (smaller) UAVs, or as partof multiple sensor platforms that are gettingmore and more crowded. Working toward goals of a 30-poundsystem and eventually a 20-pound version,Sloan believes that microwave frequencyMEMS may offer attractive enhancementsto next-generation SAR subsystems. “There are several technologies that mayhelp reduce size and weight to enhancemini-SAR,” says Charles Sullivan, whomanages Sandia’s Radio Frequency (RF)Microsystems Technology department. Oneis an RF switching device, using MEMS,that can create phase shifts or time delaysalong an array of antennas. These phaseshifters have the affect of “tilting” the phase,which alters the direction of the array’s beam,Sullivan explains. Unlike current dishantennas with mechanical gimbals that directit, the active phased array does not require

actual movement of theantenna, only programming of the

switches to change the phase tilt, or direction. Among the many advantages of thisapproach are the facts that the phased arraycan be put in a smaller space, even a curvedspace, and it does not require a “front-end”location on a platform. Also, it offers thepotential for novel radar modes, since thebeam can be steered much quicker thanstandard gimbaled versions. “We have morefreedom to put it where we want and reducethe size of the overall system,” Sullivan says.RF MEMS offers the potential for asubstantial reduction in microwave loss withwide bandwidth, compared to conventionalapproaches used today in phase shifters. Also being studied are solid-state poweramplifiers built with materials, such asgallium nitride (GaN). The goal of thesedevices is to realize high output microwavepower at high efficiency to replace thevacuum tubes and modules currently used.This should also reduce the size of the radar.MEMS technology approaches, such asmicro-channel heat-pipes, are being lookedat to help manage the heat spread from thesesolid-state devices. Sullivan’s group is now using micro-fabrication techniques at Sandia’s CompoundSemiconductor Research Laboratory to

“SAR has provenits value for

intelligence andreconnaissance.

We’ve done somegood things in

terms of fieldingthese instruments

and makingcontributionsto soldiers in

the field.”


BridgeSwitchPlate

AnchorSpring

Actuation Pad

Actuation Metal CPW SignalLine

CPW GroundLine

Contact DimplesMEMSRF Switch

“There are severaltechnologies thatmay help reducesize and weight

to enhancemini-SAR.”

17


develop MEMS RF switches and poweramplifiers to provide micro-systemreplacements and enhancements for existingSAR components. “These are in the earlystages right now. We are still asking whatcan be done, how do you do it, what are theproblems and how do you fix them? Whilelaboratory demonstrations have been veryencouraging, a product in the field may beyears away,” Sullivan notes. The first version of mini-SAR is expectedwithin the next 18 months. As RF MEMS

and GaN technologies become available,they will be integrated into even smallerversions of Sandia SARs.

Bringing new technology fromthe lab to the field

As Sandia researchers move ahead withapplications for microsystems combiningMEMS and sensor technologies, a majorunresolved issue looms over the work. “Willthese devices work in the field twenty yearsfrom now and work on demand?” asks DuaneDimos, deputy director for operations andplanning in Sandia’s Materials and ProcessSciences Center. “We are concerned thatthese systems are as reliable as they need tobe, and how do we determine that?” Sandia must address microsystemreliability if this technology is to be adaptedby weapons users and designers for the Labs’primary mission. Microsystem reliability is

also a concern in industriesand applications such as spaceand conventional munitions.“So this is an opportunity towork with industry onproblems genericallyimportant to all of us. Wethink there are some realcontributions Sandia canmake to move forward towardconfidence in microsystemreliability.” With encouragement fromMarion Scott, director for theLabs’ Microsystems Science,Technology and ComponentsCenter, several key managersand staff got together to

The perspective view (facing page) along with theprocess diagram (below) illustrate the complexityof creating microswitches like the oneshown at left.

18

develop a program to understand reliabilityissues. “We brought together experts froma lot of organizations with differentbackgrounds — design, modeling,microsystem technology, manufacturing — to determine the key questions that need tobe studied and resolved,” Dimos says. The result is an effort that has been puttogether with funding from multipleLaboratory Directed Research andDevelopment projects and pieces of theNuclear Weapons Science & Technologyprogram, to create a coherent approach tothe science and engineering issues. “We already had some prototype devices,so our thought was why don’t we take lessonsfrom what has been previously done withlarger systems and isolate microsystemcomponents within controlled environmentsso we can protect against some environ-mental variations they might encounter,”explains Fred Sexton, manager of Sandia’sReliability and Radiation Physics department.“This would be a much quicker path toproving reliability for national securityapplications.” “If a chip will only see a certaintemperature range or shock profile, insteadof the entire range of possibilities, it will be

much easier to qualify a new technologyfaster and cheaper. Right now qualificationcycles can be in the multi-year range,” addsJay Jakubczak, deputy director in theMicrosystems center. This “micro-packaging” could even allow devicedesigners to use commercial technologiesin some cases, instead of developing customcomponents, he notes. “We’re not starting from scratch. A lothas already been done to understand thephysics of failure in microsystems at thecomponent level, but now we need tounderstand reliability issues at the assemblylevel,” says Sexton. In some cases, up tofive years of reliability data is alreadyavailable. Sexton outlines a four-part attackon reliability:• Develop a controlled environment for

microdevice packaging, using active andpassive methods;

• Work to gain a better scientificunderstanding of device aging andreliability issues;

• Find ways to measure internal microsystemenvironments and surfaces to betterdescribe and resolve reliability problems;and

• Develop test structures to test at the micro-fabricated chip level, after micro-packaging, and in field-ready devices.

“We cannot just test, test, test,” saysSexton. “We need a scientific approach tounderstand how to test and what to test andhow to develop and validate models.” “In the next three to five years, we haveto figure out if these systems are going tohave the kind of reliability that is demanded,”says Dimos. Maybe we won’t have completeanswers, but we need to develop answersthat will allow our system designers andengineers to move microsystem technologiesforward for use in critical applications.”

“We broughttogether experts

from a lot oforganizationswith different

backgrounds —design, modeling,

microsystemtechnology,

manufacturing —to determine the

key questions thatneed to be studied

and resolved.”


This molecular dynamics simulation of an interaction of aluminum on alumina is an exampleof how Sandia scientists are working to understand aging and reliability issues in microsystems.

19

New types of biosensors are underdevelopment as part of Sandia’s emergingrole in defending against bio-threats at homeand on the battlefield. “The biosensor is apart of our anti-terrorist strategy,” says AlRomig, vice president for Science Technologyand Partnerships at Sandia. “One aspect ofthis strategy is prompt and accuratedetection of a biological threat.” Sandia’s unique contribution will be inthe integration of physics, engineering, andchemistry with biology by way of applyingmaterials science, microsystems andinformation technology to the problem,Romig believes. Here are some examples ofcurrent Sandia approaches.

Burning Bacon –the pyrolization approach

Curtis Mowry, of Sandia’s Micro-Analytical Systems department, is leadingan effort to develop an anthrax detector usingmicrofabricated components that canrecognize the deadly biotoxin in only a fewminutes. Identification of anthrax in fiveminutes, rather than the hours currentlyneeded, is a critical step in alerting buildingoccupants to flee the deadly threat.

The technique involves pre-concentratingairborne particles on a tiny heating elementthat vaporizes fatty acids within the anthraxcell walls to derive fatty acid methyl esters,or FAMEs, for analysis. FAMEs provide aunique fingerprint for bacteria, Mowryexplains. Like burning bacon to the humannose, FAMEs contain gases from the heatingelement that are distinctive to a detector, hesays. A computer program compares the massof each FAME in the gas at a particular timeto known data indicative on anthrax or otherpathogens, seeking a match. Fatty acids are found in all living organismswith cell membranes. Gases derived fromthese acids have been used to identify anumber of pathogens. Efforts are now under way, usingLaboratory Directed Research andDevelopment funds, to miniaturize theprocess using micro-fabrication techniques.“The focus is on increasing the speed ofanalysis in the micro-fabricated systems,while retaining enough information todistinguish between microorganisms,”Mowry says.

Biologicalagents — viruses,

anthrax andother bacteria —

have becomethe targets of

several sensorsnow under

developmentat Sandia.


Biosensors Defend at Home, on Battlefield

“Right now we are shooting for a prototypethe size of about two footballs —one for thesample collection and the other to do theanalysis,” Mowry says.

Sample Handling – a key to success

Although Mowry’s team is presentlylooking at a commercial sample collectionapproach, other Sandia researchers, such asMark Derzon, of the MESA Microfabricationdepartment and Eric Cummings of theMicrofluidics department, are working onthis important aspect of the bio-detectionproblem. “Often pathogens are very low inconcentration and we need to concentrate asample to identify them to take actions,”Derzon explains. “You need to rapidlyseparate pathogens from a raw sample toenhance the signal and reduce the noise.Many tools for diagnosis now get resultsafter treatment has started, or even after thedeath of a victim. This is not acceptable. Ourgoal is to develop sample handlingcapabilities appropriate for pre-clinicaldiagnosis of disease.” Derzon and Cummings’s approach isunique in its use of high flow rates to enhancethe analysis. Electrodynamic andhydrodynamic forces cause different reactionsand are used to concentrate and separatedifferent types of particles from a fluid. “Ourgoal is to add a component to concentrateand separate target pathogens at the frontend of the analysis to make it more effective,”he explains.

Lipid biosensorin a dime-sized device

Another Sandia approach to detectionmakes use of ultra-thin double layers of fatmolecules, which resemble and act muchlike soap bubbles. This dime-sized sensorunder development by Bob Hughes, of theLabs’ Microsensor Science and Technologydepartment, and a team of researchers hasthe potential to identify a number of virusesand bacteria. Hughes is adapting electrical impedancedetection technology, which he has usedsuccessfully in chemical sensors to biologicalsensing. “Developing biosensors is a naturaloutgrowth of Sandia’s chemiresistorprogram,” Hughes says. “They couplesensitivity and selectivity of biological

20


“Many tools fordiagnosis now

get results aftertreatment has

started, or evenafter the death of avictim. This is not

acceptable. Ourgoal is to developsample handling

capabilitiesappropriate for pre-

clinical diagnosisof disease.” Curt Mowry deposits bio-materials to be rapidly analyzed.

“Now we have toshow we can detectdifferent biological

agents. This laststep may be our

most difficultwork yet.”

21

systems to the simplemeasurement of changein electrical resistance.” Chemiresistors havea base of wire-likeelectrodes on a speciallydesigned microfabricatedcircuit. In the case ofdetecting volatile organiccompounds (see page 4),Hughes deposited thinpolymer films to detectspecific compounds byabsorbing them, whichin turn changed theelectrical resistance ofthe film. Instead of usingpolymers as sensingmaterials, the new sensoruses organic lipidbilayers, described asself-assembled, soap-

bubble-like fat molecules. “Scientists have studied these moleculesfor many years and understand theircharacteristics,” Hughes says. But workingwith the lipids is still tricky because of theirfragile nature. “We had to come up with away to make them rugged enough to lastthrough experiments and for eventual use inthe field.” Researchers used sol-gel, a durable glass-like film, in one approach to this problem.Darren Branch, of the Microsensors Scienceand Technology department, found anothersolution using a hybrid material that attachesa lipid layer to the metal of an electrode toprovide support. To date, the researchers have been ableto build rugged lipid bilayers that last up tothree weeks, Hughes reports. Others on theteam are creating “ion channels,” or voids inthe lipid bilayers that open and close in

response to the presence of a specificbiological agent. This reaction of the targetagent with the ion channels causes a changein the bilayer’s electrical properties. “Now we have to show we can detectdifferent biological agents,” says Hughes.This last step, involving making the ionchannels receptive to specific bio-agents andthen measuring the electrical change, “maybe our most difficult work yet,” he says.

Other sensor platforms – and beyond

Yet other bio-sensing work at Sandia isproceeding using acoustic wave sensors andphotonic sensor platforms. In the case of theacoustic sensors, a thin layer of material thatselects specific target agents is painted on apiezoelectric substrate. Acoustic waves aregenerated in this substrate when it is excitedelectrically. The selective binding ofmicroorganisms to the thin layer of materialcreates changes in wave properties, whichcan be measured and used to determine thetype and concentration of the agent present.


Darren Branch conducts an experiment with lipid bylayers.

Two companies, geographically separatedbut closely intertwined with Sandia technology,have suffered ups and downs in a difficulteconomy but continue to make headway. Thefollowing is the story of how they work withthe Labs and how Sandia works with them.

Sensor Synergy Inc.

Jamie Wiczer left Sandia and Albuquerqueeight years ago to join an on-going softwareconcern. After five years of custom softwaredevelopment work, he was presented with anexciting sensor-related startup opportunity thatbetter utilized his skills. Wiczer’s interests inthe sensor field have evolved and his company,Sensor Synergy Inc., based in the Chicagosuburb of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, now focuseson smart sensor networking. “Smart is one ofthose words, like ‘lite’ or ‘professional,’ thatdescribes a product and gives certainexpectations,” explains Wiczer, who foundedSensor Synergy and is Chief Executive Officer.“It’s the product everyone wants, a smartwasher or a smart toaster. But in the case ofsensors it isn’t enough to have a smart sensorproduct. You need to have a smart sensor thatwill interface to your systems without requiringa difficult and expensive custom effort. Youneed to have industry-wide standards thataccommodate many diverse needs but allowthe use of a common hardware and softwareinterface technology.” Wiczer’s work with the Institute of Electricaland Electronics Engineers to develop standardsis focused on “common ways to talk to sensorsand ways to create self-documenting devices.” This activity attracted the attention of formercolleagues at Sandia who invited him to presentthese ideas at a seminar. Follow-up discussions

with several Sandians ultimately resulted in anew collaboration. Many sensor concepts atSandia and elsewhere involve grids of sensors,explains Wiczer. They may be used in airports,factories, or environmental settings. “Mycompany is developing the technology toimplement these concepts.” Sensor Synergyoffers custom and off-the-shelf products withsmart sensor interfaces for these types ofnetworking situations. Wiczer credits his work at Sandia in helpingto prepare him for his current position. “Igained a vast amount of knowledge aboutmicrosensors, automation and key technologiesunderlying these fields, which helped merecognize needs and potential solutions forindustry,” he says. His contacts at Sandiacontinue to express great interest inunderstanding the private sector and the trialsand tribulations of an entrepreneurial venture.Wiczer in turn shares his views about theprivate sector with Labs colleagues. “As a Sandia employee coming directlyfrom the university, I didn’t fully appreciatethe special environment at Sandia,” saysWiczer. “The Labs’ concentration of the verybest scientists and engineers in the world with

22

Two sensor-relatedbusinesses

working withSandia offer

examples of howthe Labs partnerwith the private

sector. Thispartnering brings

technologies tothe marketplace,

improves USeconomic competi-

tiveness andstimulates more

research anddevelopment at

the Labs.


A Tale of

Two Companies

Dr. Jamie Wiczer

23


Butler andhis colleagueschose to adaptan electrically

programmablediffraction gratingtechnology used atSandia for remotechemical sensing

for the opticalcommunications

field.

a can-do attitude and a willingness to collab-orate – has no parallel in industry today.” Sandia has recently purchased a licensefrom Sensor Synergy for use of a companysoftware product. “These software programswere developed exclusively with privatefunding at an estimated cost of $1.6 million,”explains Wiczer. “Sandia will use it in smartsensor work for only a fraction of thosedevelopment costs.”

Polychromix

For Mike Butler, taking the step fromSandia researcher to entrepreneur began at adinner in 2000 at an Albuquerque restaurant.Dining with colleagues, including SteveSenturia, of the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT), the discussion turnedfrom the current application of a technologyfor the Defense Advanced Research ProjectsAgency to other possible applications inprivate industry. Senturia, who recently retired from MIT,took the lead in setting up a company to pursueother applications. He negotiated a licensingagreement with Sandia for the technology andsoon Butler found himself living in Woburn,Massachusetts as the key product developerfor Polychromix, an opticaltelecommunications equipment company. “We started out in a room we sublet froma dot com company in the process of rapidlydownsizing,” says Butler. Now his companyhas prototype devices that are in testing andhas grown from three to 15 employees. Butler and his colleagues chose to adaptan electrically programmable diffractiongrating technology used at Sandia for remotechemical sensing (see Polychromator, page11) for the optical communications field. Thechoice was good but the timing presented achallenge, Butler explains. An economic slumpin optical telecommunications, made fund-raising more difficult, but it also provided thesmall company an extended time window forits product development work.

“When you put light signals in an opticalfiber cable you want to get as much informationin as you can. You use different wavelengths,or colors, to carry different signals. ThePolychromix technology lets us manage datastreams on a wavelength basis, by changingpower levels, blocking, or switching them.”Polychromix builds subsystems for largesystem manufacturers, who in turn serveInternet providers, phone companies orinstitutions wanting to establish opticalcommunication systems. “Sandia has been very supportive ofcommercializing technologies like this. Mymanagement was very supportive of my goingahead. We also have a Work-for-Othersagreement with Sandia that allows us to accessexpertise at Sandia and to help us developproducts. From our viewpoint, it’s been veryhelpful,” says Butler. In return Polychromix offers a pathwayfor commercialization to Sandia. “We arefocused on optical telecommunicationsright now, but if Sandia is interested incommercializing a remote chemical sensor inthe future, for first responders or for the defensedepartment, we will have the knowledge,capabilities and resources to build that kindof product.”

For more information aboutthese companies:Sensor Synergy Inc.Dr. Jamie [email protected]

PolychromixDr. Mike [email protected]

Dr. Mike Butler

24

Typically, industrialpartners can obtain

exclusive rightswithin a specified

field of use fortechnologies

developed undera CooperativeResearch andDevelopment

Agreement.

“Collaborative research and developmentwith industry contributes to strong Labsdevelopment programs, with benefits toindustry and to Sandia and the Departmentof Energy (DOE),” says Kevin Murphy, ofSandia’s Licensing and Intellectual PropertyManagement group. “Our objective at Sandiais to help the line advance its technology forthe benefit of Sandia’s business units and theDOE’s mission.” Sandia has a number of tools availableto help with industry interactions, includingwork-for-others and user facilities agreements.The standard approach, however, is theCooperative Research and DevelopmentAgreement, or CRADA. “We work with apotential partner to determine if there is anoverlap of technology and business interests,which usually leads to a scope of workdescription for a CRADA.” Typically, industrial partners can obtainexclusive rights within a specified field of usefor technologies developed under a CRADA,Murphy explains. This leads to negotiationsabout the market scope of the technologyapplication and financial considerations thatmay be paid as upfront fees, annual minimumfees or royalties rates, or some combination. In licensing technologies, Sandia typicallyoffers non-exclusive rights to its “background”intellectual properties so that the Labs canpartner with different companies using thesame technology, but in different application

areas. Obviously, negotiating skills areimportant in forging these agreements andSandia currently employs five licensing andintellectual property management staffmembers, with help and advice of the Labs’legal staff and others in technical fields. Royalties at Sandia are used in accordancewith federal laws and regulations with theobjectives of rewarding researchers andproviding investment for further success,such as maturing immature technology tothe point where industry can see a futureapplication, Murphy explains.

For more information:Kevin D. Murphy505-844-7195mailto:[email protected]

Working with Industry


Brinker was honoredfor innovations inmaterials science

that creatednanostructuredmaterials with

applicationsin energy,

manufacturing,defense and

medicine.

Sandia’s C. Jeffrey Brinker was awarded theDepartment of Energy’s E.O. Lawrence Award in aceremony in October in Washington, D.C. He was oneof seven scientists to receive the award — consideredone of the highest honors bestowed upon researchersby the DOE. Brinker is a senior scientist at Sandia and professorof chemical and nuclear engineering and chemistryat the University of New Mexico. He was honored forinnovations in materials science that creatednanostructured materials with applications in energy,manufacturing, defense and medicine. The award, established in 1959, is named inmemory of physicist Ernest Orlando Lawrence, whoinvented the cyclotron — a particle accelerator —and received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1939. “In addition to his pioneering work in sol-geltechnology, which made possible the lowest-densitystructures ever created, Brinker’s leadership inmastering nature’s secrets are extraordinary,” said C.Paul Robinson, Sandia president. “His developmentof materials that mimic the structure of abaloneseashells makes it possible to build tough, lightweightstructures or coatings that, because of their inherentmicrostructures, can resist cracking.” Brinker’s first work at Sandia involvedsol-gels — gelatin-like solutions heated at relativelylow temperatures until they solidify into material similarto glass. This early work culminated in 1990 with thepublication of a book he co-authored that remains themost highly cited reference in the field. In the 1990s, Brinker moved from creating sol-gels into creating aerogels — materials extremelylight because of extensive cave-like tunnels. He devisedroom-temperature techniques that were simple andinexpensive. Done in collaboration with UNMresearchers, the work overcame the 60-year-old barrierto commercial aerogel production and enabled thefirst preparation of aerogels as thin films. In addition to an inexpensive aerogels, Brinkerwanted better control over the size of its interiorchambers, or pores. In the mid-1990s, he devisedtechniques to cheaply, easily, and precisely controlpore size of films for use as membranes, adsorbents,concentrators, and electrically insulating materialscalled dielectrics. He used simple evaporative methods

to organize two-sided detergent-like molecules intointricate patterns as regular as the knitting on a blanket(only more so). This pattern served as a mold aroundwhich silica solidified. Removal of the detergents thencreated a predictable series of holes. Brinker extended his techniques to organicmaterials. He created nanocomposites that mimic thehard and soft laminated construction of naturalmaterials like sea shells, with hardness, toughness,and strength advantages for materials designand construction. Next he set out to control the overall architectureof these materials. The starting point was a solutionor colloidal suspension like that used to form films.Evaporation of aerosolized droplets (like those formedusing a simple humidifier) causes self-assembly toproceed inwardly. Any additives introduced into thesolution are inevitably incorporated within the self-assembling droplet, enabling “ship-in-the-bottle” typeconstructions. This approach has implications in adiverse range of technologies including drug delivery,cosmetics, chromatography, and custom-designedpigments. Brinker demonstrated the direct writing of functionalself-assembled nanostructures applied throughcomputer-driven pens and ink-jet printers. Thisapproach, dubbed “intelligent ink,” formed functionalorganized structures in seconds and established thefirst link between computer-aided design and self-assembled nanostructures. He followed this with workon photosensitive films with ultraviolet-sensitivemolecules within the nanostructures. By varying theintensity of ultraviolet light shone upon the material,researchers are able to control wetting behavior, porevolume, pore size, and refractive index. This capabilityshould enable standard lithographic methods to beused to pattern and define the structure and functionof nanomaterials. Brinker and his colleagues most recently turnedattention to encapsulating organic, electron-transmitting molecules within self-assemblednanostructures.

Jeff BrinkerWins E.O. Lawrence Award

NEWSNOTES

SAND 2002-4234P

PRSRT STDU.S. PostagePAID

Albuquerque, NMPermit NO. 232

Media Relations & Communications Dept.MS 0165Sandia National LaboratoriesP.O. Box 5800Albuquerque, NM 87185-0165

"The kind of technological creativity thatgoes into the design of smart sensors

is a dynamic force that will helpmaintain U.S. primacy in nationalsecurity, as well as its leadershipin commerical markets. I stress

the word 'dynamic.'"

C. Paul RobinsonPresident

Sandia National Laboratories

the role of sensing & · pdf filethe role of sensing & sensors ... sandia’s...

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