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

9975678该奖项将为购买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。 所选仪器将在 1 kV 下提供 3 nm 的分辨率，在 20kV 下提供 1 nm 的分辨率，几乎比这些研究人员现在可用的现有 SEM 仪器好一个数量级。该仪器可以通过互联网连接到远程计算机。这将使远程站点的合作者和学生能够参与样本检查，就像他们亲自在场一样。这一功能对于让来自弗吉尼亚州其他机构历史上代表性不足的群体的学生和教师更广泛地使用该工具具有特别的价值。新仪器将安装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，包含多种显微镜，配备专业人员，并向大学社区的所有成员收费。 新仪器将显着增强 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.