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TECH TRANSFER UPDATE

Pact eases partnering

A recently signed umbrella agreement should streamline cooperation on R&D projects between Sandia National Laboratories and member companies of SEMI/Sematech, according to the lab. The cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) shortens the time needed to begin a project once the lab and its industry partner agree on the cost. It will permit the 186 member firms to begin projects within approximately one week after project type and cost are determined by the SEMI/Sematech member and Sandia. The goal of the CRADA is to save both time and legal expenses for the lab and SEMI/Sematech's equipment and materials manufacturing firms. "The negotiation of an umbrella agreement means that after Sandia and member company technologists negotiate cost, performance, and schedule, work can begin without delay," says Al Romig, director of the microelectronics and photonics center at the DOE lab, which has sites in Albuquerque and Livermore, CA. Information: 505/844-8353.

In a related development, Sandia researchers have patented the prototype of an electrostatic chuck with the potential to cool wafers more economically and effectively than similar components on the market. The device, which clamps electrostatically onto the wafer, allows users to regulate temperature with confined helium gas. The chuck project was funded by DOE and Sematech.

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