Corning IntelliSense Corporation Awarded $2 Million from NIST Advanced Technology Program; Research to advance development of digitally controlled MEMS.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2002 Corning IntelliSense Corporation, a subsidiary of Corning Incorporated (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : GLW GLW Glasgow Airport (UK) GLW Gross Laden Weight GLW Good Lady Wife (Australia) ), has been awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Advanced Technology Program (ATP ATP: see adenosine triphosphate. ATP in full adenosine triphosphate Organic compound, substrate in many enzyme-catalyzed reactions (see catalysis) in the cells of animals, plants, and microorganisms. ) to develop embedded digital interface and control circuits for MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) Tiny mechanical devices that are built onto semiconductor chips and are measured in micrometers. In the research labs since the 1980s, MEMS devices began to materialize as commercial products in the mid-1990s. ). As part of the two-year program, Corning and the ATP will allocate a total of $5.6 million to this research. "This groundbreaking technology can be applied to a broad segment of MEMS actuators. By applying the digital control schemes developed during this program we will be able to bridge the gap between analog MEMS and digital electronics," commented Dr. Carlos Mastrangelo, vice president of engineering at Corning IntelliSense. "We are really pleased to have ATP recognize the importance of this technology and its ability to accelerate MEMS proliferation." Many actuators, such as those associated with micromirrors, require accurate positioning and precision control under significant external variations. The project will apply a robust algorithm able to handle these variations using an application-specific integrated circuit (hardware) Application-Specific Integrated Circuit - (ASIC) An integrated circuit designed to perform a particular function by defining the interconnection of a set of basic circuit building blocks drawn from a library provided by the circuit manufacturer. (ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. ) chip with ultrahigh ul·tra·high adj. Exceedingly high: an ultrahigh vacuum. control bandwidth density for precise control of the MEMS actuators. "This technology will reduce the size and cost of high-speed, high-precision control for MEMS actuators by an order of magnitude A change in quantity or volume as measured by the decimal point. For example, from tens to hundreds is one order of magnitude. Tens to thousands is two orders of magnitude; tens to millions is three orders of magnitude, etc. over anything currently available," commented Dr. Navid Yazdi, director of electronics at Corning IntelliSense. Corning plans to apply MEMS digital control technology to next-generation MEMS devices including optical switching actuators, beam steering antennas, high-density storage devices, and mass flow control. About Corning IntelliSense Corporation For more than a decade, Corning IntelliSense Corporation, a subsidiary of Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) has been the leading supplier of Design, Development, and Volume Manufacturing services as well as CAD for MEMS(TM) software. Corning IntelliSense develops and manufactures advanced MEMS devices for many sectors, including the optical, RF, laboratory equipment, and life sciences industries. Leveraging its expertise by selling the market-leading device-level MEMS software, IntelliSuite(R), Corning IntelliSense provides Total MEMS Solutions(TM) to customers today in seventeen countries on three continents. Corning IntelliSense's headquarters and manufacturing facility are located in Wilmington, Massachusetts. More information about the company can be found at www.CorningIntelliSense.com. About Corning Incorporated Established in 1851, Corning Incorporated creates leading-edge technologies for the fastest-growing markets of the world's economy. Corning manufactures optical fiber, cable and photonic products for the telecommunications industry; and high-performance displays and components for television, information technology and other communications-related industries. The company also uses advanced materials to manufacture products for scientific, semiconductor and environmental markets. About ATP The Commerce Department's Advanced Technology Program (ATP), managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology National Institute of Standards and Technology, governmental agency within the U.S. Dept. of Commerce with the mission of "working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards" in the national interest. (NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology, Washington, DC, www.nist.gov) The standards-defining agency of the U.S. government, formerly the National Bureau of Standards. It is one of three agencies that fall under the Technology Administration (www.technology. ) provides cost-shared funding to industry-led teams which can include non-profits and universities to help advance particularly challenging, high-risk R&D projects that have the potential to spark important, broad-based economic or social benefits for the United States. The program supports projects that industry cannot fully fund on its own because of significant technical risks. |
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