U.S. DELEGATION

Michael Gaitan, Ph.D.

Contact Information Email: gaitan@nist.gov Phone: (301) 975-2070 Fax:(301) 948-4081 Address: 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8124 Gaithersburg, MD20899-8124

Michael Gaitan received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1988 from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is the Project Leader of the MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) Project, Semiconductor Electronics Division, Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory, NIST. He directs the MEMS Project activities in providing industry with standardized MEMS test structures and test methods for characterizing the thermo-electro-mechanical properties of thin-films used in IC and MEMS technologies; works with IC foundries to improve accessibility of MEMS manufacturing; and heads research and development of novel measurement applications of MEMS technology for our new programs in BioElectronics and Single Molecule Manipulation and Measurement (SM3). The measurement standardization effort at this time is primarily focused with the ASTM subcommittee E.08.05. Three new standards have just been published: E2244-02 Standard Test Method for In-Plane Length Measurements of Thin, Reflecting Films Using an Optical Interferometer, E2245-02 Standard Test Method for Residual Strain Measurements of Thin, Reflecting Films Using an Optical Interferometer, and E2246-02 Standard Test Method for Strain Gradient Measurements of Thin, Reflecting Films Using an Optical Interferometer. Dr. Gaitan has been active in developing standard manufacturing practices and is recognized for developing the cif-MEMS (CMOS Integrated Circuit Foundry MEMS) process with the MOSIS service, one of the first MEMS foundry services in the US. He is also active with international standardization activities for MEMS including the SEMI MEMS effort, is the chief US delegate to the International Micromachine Summit, and is active with the International Micromachine Standardization Forum organized by Japan's Micromachine Center (MMC). Locally, Dr. Gaitan has worked to establish the MEMS Alliance, an alliance of companies, universities, and government laboratories in the Washington DC metropolitan area whose mission is to create a group that networks expertise, capabilities, and research to facilitate the development of new applications and commercialization of miniaturization technologies. In December 2002, Dr. Gaitan received the Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award for "spearheading the development of new measurement capabilities and novel technologies for the microelectromechanical systems industry." Dr. Gaitan is a member of Tau-Beta-Pi, Eta-Kappa-Nu, Sigma-Xi, is a senior member of the IEEE, and serves as treasurer of the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM).