Construction of a Nanotube Tip Mounting Workbench for Generation of Nanoscale Probes for Research and Education

9975833 Rinzler该奖项将部分支持建造碳纳米管尖端安装工作台，用于将碳纳米管常规连接到商用原子力显微镜悬臂和其他电极上。工作台将由安装在隔振台上的暗场倒置光学显微镜组成。显微镜平台将进行改装，以接受三个配备电致伸缩驱动器的高精度XYZ平移工作台，以实现精细运动控制。激光光源将允许增强对纳米管的观察，以及为某些拟议的应用加热纳米管的能力。用于培训和记录目的的CCD摄像机和图像捕获系统将允许远程观察显微镜视野。一个专门建造的、有窗的、可抽真空的房间，设计成适合在平台上进行显微镜观察，将允许安装的纳米管在惰性环境中进行进一步处理。作为他们物理培训的一部分，一名研究生和两名本科生(在大学提供两年的配对支持)将参与工作台及其相关硬件的设计和组装的所有阶段。这些学生将学习目前安装纳米管尖端的技术，并在Rinzler教授和Hebard教授的指导下，负责上述尖端的进一步开发。一旦接受培训，这些学生也将分担培训其他用户的责任。工作台产生的纳米管尖端所提供的优势预计将在探针显微镜和其他应用中充分有用，我们预计它将被许多其他研究生、本科生和博士后使用，以产生尖端，用于他们自己的研究。%这对学生来说是一个在设计和使用独特系统方面获得宝贵经验的不同寻常的机会。*

9975833RinzlerThis award will partially support the construction of a carbon nanotube tip-mounting workbench to be used for the routine attachment of carbon nanotubes to commercially available atomic force microscopy cantilevers and other electrodes. The workbench will consist of a dark-field-capable, inverted optical microscope on a vibration isolation table. The microscope platform will be retooled to accept three high precision XYZ translation stages equipped with electrostrictive drives for fine motion control. A laser light source will permit enhanced viewing of the nanotubes as well as the capability to heat these for certain proposed applications. A CCD camera and image capture system will permit remote observation of the microscope field of view both for training purposes and for documentation. A specially constructed, windowed, evacuable chamber, designed to fit on the platform to permit microscopic observation will allow the mounted nanotubes to be further processed in an inert atmosphere.As part of their training in physics, a graduate student and two undergraduate students (provided for in University matching support for two years) will be involved in all phases of the design and assembly of the Workbench and its associated hardware. These students will learn the present techniques for mounting nanotube tips and be responsible, under the direction of Professors Rinzler and Hebard, for the further tip developments outlined above. Once trained these students will also share the responsibility for training other users. The advantages afforded by the nanotube tips generated with the Workbench are anticipated to be sufficiently useful in probe microscopy and other applications that we expect it to be used by a host of other graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs, to produce tips, for use in their own research over years to come.%%%This is an unusual opportunity for students to gain invaluable experience in the design and use of a unique system.***