Acquisition of a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope for Electron Channelling Contrast Imaging

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9302040 Crimp It is proposed to purchase a field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEG SEM) equipped with digital image processing which will be dedicated to support research in materials engineering. This equipment will be fitted with a electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI) imaging system currently being constructed in conjunction with a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award. The FEG-SEM equipped with the ECCI system, which will be the first facility of its type in the United States, will be used for several research projects which require microcrystalline analysis, but are not possible with conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in particular: Intrinsically brittle materials, including intermetallic alloys will be examined using bulk samples deformed in-situ to determine the nature of the dislocation generation and motion at and near the crack tip zone. Other research programs will also use the ECCI capability for a wide range of materials investigations including microstructure morphologies in polymer matrix composites, interfacial characterization of intermetallic matrix composites and compliant layer coatings, and damage accumulation studies at fracture surfaces. Additionally, the FEG SEM has advantages over conventional W and LaB6 electron source SEMs, such as greater resolutions (1.5 nm) and the ability to examine non-conducting materials at low voltages without the need to apply a conductive coating. Numerous researchers throughout the Department of Materials Science and Mechanics, and Michigan State University will use these advantages to enhance their materials research. ***