Polysilicon Micromachining Technique Integrates MEMS Processes

DERA has prototyped MEMS devices for a wide variety of application areas including use in microfluidic, inertial, optical and infrared, rf, acoustic and ultrasonic fields. The agency says that its polysilicon sacrificial micromachining process produces stable, well-engineered devices with state-of-the-art features. Special variants include the ability to employ very thin polysilicon (20 nm). •

Chemists Share Nobel Prize for Work on Conductive Plastics

The Nobel Prize for chemistry has been awarded to three scientists from U.S. and Japanese universities for the discovery and development of electrically conductive polymers. Alan Heeger of the University of California, Alan MacDiarmid of the University of Pennsylvania and Hideki Shirakawa of Tsukuba University will each receive about $300,000.

Shirakawa opened a new field in polymer science in the early 1970s when he converted the normally insulating polyacetylene into a conductor. In 1975, he discussed his results with MacDiarmid, who had been working toward a polymeric material with metallic conductivity.

The resulting collaboration resulted in the first chemical doping of polyacetylene at the University of Pennsylvania. Heeger joined them, working to understand polymer conductivity. This led to the conclusion that doping introduces carriers. The polyacetylene was modified by oxidation with halogen vapor.

New NSF Centers to Explore Innovative Materials

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF, Arlington, Va.) plans to establish four new Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) to explore innovative materials and stimulate the integration of research and education in materials science. Over a five-year period, the NSF will invest $24M in the centers, which will be located at the California Institute of Technology, the University of Oklahoma/University of Arkansas, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Virginia.

Although the awards are for five years, continued NSF support is possible via competitive review, with substantial support for these centers also coming from state governments and industry. The NSF now supports 29 MRSECs with a total annual investment of $52.5M.

The MRSECs work closely with industry to identify and address key obstacles to future materials development. The centers address fundamental science and engineering issues, providing students with interdisciplinary educational opportunities.

For more information, look at www.nsf.gov/mps/dmr/mrsec.htm and www.mrsec.org. •