research that involves submicron dimensions; and 

 to open a center of expertise in submicron struc- 

 tures design which will serve as an information 

 resource for the research community. 



The facility will provide techniques for building 

 structures of submicron dimensions and for analyz- 

 ing the materials problems unique to submicron 

 dimensions. In addition to facilities for electron 

 beam lithography, x-ray lithography. Auger spec- 

 troscopy, and low energy electron diffraction, 

 there will be basic research related to these tech- 

 niques. 



Both permanent staff of the host institution and 

 visiting staff from other universities and industry 

 will carry on research in fabrication techniques 

 and in the problems related to the ultimate limita- 

 tions of the dimensions of electron devices. 



Facilities and Instrumentation 



It was noted at the beginning of this section that 

 support for facilities and instrumentation is among 

 the most important activities of the Directorate for 

 Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Engineer- 

 ing. Of special interest, considered by the Direc- 

 torate to be among the most significant basic re- 

 search projects it has supported in the past 10 

 years, are the examples described below. 



Broadened responsibility for facilities for physics 

 research. The Foundation has assumed support of 

 major areas of physics research formerly support- 

 ed by DOD or the Atomic Energy Commission, 

 such as the elementary particle physics groups at 

 Columbia University, University of Chicago, and 

 Stanford University, and the nuclear physics group 

 at the University of Maryland. Two particle accel- 

 erators of novel and very efficient design — the 

 Cornell Electron Synchrotron and the Indiana 

 Separated Sector Cyclotron — have been completed 

 and placed in operation. 



Assumption of responsibility for the ARPA Inter- 

 disciplinary Laboratories. In mid- 1972, NSF as- 

 sumed responsibility for the Interdisciplinary Lab- 

 oratories (IDL) program previously supported by 

 ARPA, the Advanced Research Projects Agency 

 of DOD. Since then, four new Materials Research 

 Laboratories (MRL's) have been initiated, and two 

 of the inherited MRL's are in the process of being 

 phased out. 



The concept of thrust research has been 

 developed, wherein two or more faculty members, 

 often from different disciplines, work together 

 toward common objectives. Efforts have been 

 developed in areas such as mechanical properties, 

 fracture, fatigue of metals, surfaces and inter- 

 faces, amorphous materials, etc., each of which 

 requires both broad and in-depth approaches. 



As a result of this, and other managerial 

 changes, a good balance between materials science 



and engineering has been achieved, and undue 

 duplication of effort has been eliminated. The 

 MRL's now present a well-coordinated national 

 program. 



Assumption of responsibility for the National 

 Magnet Laboratory. Responsibility for primary 

 support of the National Magnet Laboratory (NML) 

 at MIT was assumed by the Foundation in FY 

 1971. The laboratory had been initiated in 1960 by 

 the Air Force Office of Scientific Research 

 (AFOSR) as a national center for the production 

 and use of high magnetic fields in scientific re- 

 search; by 1971 that Office found it difliicult to justify 

 continued support in terms of its defense mission. 

 As a unique national facility the NML has three 

 major, related objectives: (I) To develop, operate, 

 and maintain the most advanced magnet systems; 

 (2) to provide unique magnet research facilities to 

 visiting scientists; and (3) to carry out in-house 

 basic and applied research using high magnetic 

 fields. Since 1971, the visitors program has been 

 expanded to involve some 75 users of the high-field 

 facilities, including collaborative programs with 

 NML staff and upgrading and improvement of the 

 wide variety of high-field water-cooled magnets 

 comprising the facilities. In a joint project with 

 the Netherlands Government, a hybrid magnet 

 consisting of a superconducting coil with a con- 

 ventional water-cooled insert was recently de- 

 signed, constructed, and successfully operated at a 

 record field (300 Kilogauss). A high homogeneity 

 superconducting magnet is currently under con- 

 struction which will make possible nuclear magnetic 

 resonance studies of biological molecules with high- 

 er resolution than is now available. The in- 

 house research program has developed consider- 

 able, and often unique, strengths in magnetism, 

 high-field superconductivity, magneto-optics, and 

 plasma physics. The plasma physics work, in parti- 

 cular, achieved major experimental improvements 

 in magnetic confinement for fusion and led to ma- 

 jor, independent support from ERDA. 



Chemical instrumentation. The Foundation very 

 early recognized the value of advanced instrumen- 

 tation to research in chemistry and as early as 1957 

 recommended awards for instrumentation to assist 

 chemistry departments in the pursuit of research. 

 Instrumentation grants received increased empha- 

 sis throughout the I960's until 1968 when 

 $4,300,000 was provided as a line item in the budg- 

 et. In 1972, a decision was made to devote an in- 

 creased portion of the general allocation of the 

 Chemistry Section to instrumentation support and 

 this support has been provided both for depart- 

 mental instruments and for specialized supplemen- 

 tary equipment for individual investigators. 

 Instrument grants have been awarded to educa- 

 tional institutions in all 50 States and the District 



NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 



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