Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for a Multi-User Research and Educational Facility

该合同将为采购具有电子背散射探测器和能量色散x射线分析能力的场发射扫描电子显微镜提供部分支持。所选择的仪器将在1kv时提供3nm的分辨率，在20kV时提供1nm的分辨率，几乎比这些研究人员目前可用的现有SEM仪器好一个数量级。这台仪器可以通过互联网与远程计算机连接。这将允许远程站点的合作者和学生参与样品的检查，几乎就像他们实际在场一样。这一功能将特别有价值，为弗吉尼亚州其他机构中历史上代表性不足的群体的学生和教师提供更广泛的乐器使用机会。新仪器将被安置在汉考克霍尔显微镜实验室，这是弗吉尼亚理工大学正在开发的多用户仪器设施。该设施作为大学成本中心运营，包含几种显微镜，配备专业人员，并向大学社区的所有成员收费。新仪器将大大增加VPI和其他机构正在进行的研究和教育活动。该仪器的可用性将改善弗吉尼亚理工大学的研究基础设施，增强校园内许多研究小组的效率，并改善对未来科学家和工程师的培训。

9975678This award will provide partial support for the acquisition of a field emission scanning electron microscope with electron backscatter detector and energy dispersive X-ray analysis capability. The instrument selected will provide a resolution of 3 nm at 1 kV and 1 nm at 20kV, almost an order of magnitude better than existing SEM instruments now available to these researchers. This instrument can be connected to remote computers via the Internet. This will allow collaborators and students at remote sites to participate in the examination of samples almost as if they were physically present. This feature will be of particular value in providing wider access to the instrument by students and faculty from historically under-represented groups at other institutions in Virginia. The new instrument will be housed in the Hancock Hall Microscopy Laboratory, a multi-user instrument facility being developed at Virginia Tech. This facility is operated as a university cost center that contains several varieties of microscopes, is professionally staffed, and is available on a fee basis to all members of the university community. The new instrument will significantly augment the on-going research and education activities at VPI and other institutions.&&&The availability of this instrument will improve the research infrastructure at Virginia Tech, augment the effectiveness of many research groups on campus, and improve the training of future scientists and engineers.