Acquisition of an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope for Undergraduate Education in Materials Characterization

为材料表征本科教育购买环境扫描电子显微镜

• 批准号: 0116075
• 负责人: Trevor Harding
• 金额: $ 29.99万
• 依托单位: Kettering University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-08-15 至 2004-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0116075&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; Environmental; Scanning; Electron; Microscope

AbstractThe research equipment being acquired through this grant is an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) with analytical accessories and sub-stages. Modern ESEMs offer more flexibility than conventional scanning electron microscopes in obtaining qualitative and analytical results for a wider variety of applications. The system to be acquired will combine high vacuum, low vacuum and gaseous environment operation to support a wide array of research projects. The ESEM will permit examination of non-conducting, contaminated, hydrated and even living samples, which will in turn promote a greater degree of cross-disciplinary research. Standard secondary and back-scatter electron detection can be used in high vacuum mode for conventional operation or low vacuum mode for low overview magnifications. These detectors are also compatible with gaseous environments allowing for examination of hydrated or solvent-based samples. They are also tolerant of elevated temperatures making examination of samples at temperatures up to 1000 C possible. The microscope's capability can be further improved by adding a x-ray detector for energy dispersive spectroscopy. The overall system will be integrated with several sub-stages as well. These sub-stages allow for dynamic experiments (mechanical and thermal) under any of the environments compatible with the microscope.The microscope is to be used to support various research activities at Kettering University. While the majority of research at Kettering University has focused on more applied industrial projects, an ESEM permits more fundamental research of material characterization and behavior. The research conducted using the ESEM will include in-situ characterization of the mechanical behavior of metallic samples, phase transformations in polymeric systems, biomedical research in musculoskeletal pain and bone/implant interfaces and anti-oxidative mechanisms in cancer resistant cells, to name a few. The ESEM will also be used for undergraduate education and training in materials behavior and characterization. The intuitive, computer-based interface permits rapid training and ease of use. Students at Kettering University are required to participate in a co-operative employment program. Giving students the skills needed to operate an ESEM could have direct benefit to their co-op employers, possibly resulting in industry-sponsored research for faculty and an increase in external users of the equipment. Further, the potential to interface with the ESEM control software over the network will make remote control of the microscope from a classroom environment an important aspect of the educational benefits of the instrument.

通过这笔赠款获得的研究设备是一台环境扫描电子显微镜(ESEM)，带有分析附件和子阶段。与传统的扫描电子显微镜相比，现代电子扫描显微镜在为更广泛的应用获得定性和分析结果方面提供了更大的灵活性。将获得的系统将结合高真空、低真空和气体环境操作，以支持广泛的研究项目。环境扫描电子显微镜将允许对非传导、受污染的、水合的甚至是活的样本进行检查，这反过来又将促进更多程度的跨学科研究。标准二次和背向散射电子检测可以在高真空模式下用于常规操作，或在低真空模式下用于低放大率。这些检测器还与气体环境兼容，允许检查水合或溶剂型样品。它们还能耐受高温，使得在高达1000摄氏度的温度下对样品进行检测成为可能。通过增加用于能量色散光谱的X射线探测器，可以进一步提高显微镜的性能。整个系统还将集成几个子阶段。这些子阶段允许在与显微镜兼容的任何环境下进行动态实验(机械和热)。显微镜将用于支持凯特琳大学的各种研究活动。虽然凯特琳大学的大部分研究都集中在更实用的工业项目上，但环境扫描电子显微镜允许对材料特性和行为进行更多的基础研究。使用环境扫描电子显微镜进行的研究将包括金属样品机械行为的现场表征、聚合物系统中的相变、肌肉骨骼疼痛和骨/植入物界面的生物医学研究以及抗癌细胞中的抗氧化机制等。环境扫描电子显微镜还将用于本科生的材料、行为和特性方面的教育和培训。直观的、基于计算机的界面允许快速培训和易于使用。凯特琳大学的学生被要求参加合作就业计划。向学生传授操作环境扫描电子显微镜所需的技能，可能会直接造福于他们的合作社雇主，可能会导致教师进行行业赞助的研究，并增加设备的外部用户。此外，通过网络与环境扫描电子显微镜控制软件接口的可能性将使从教室环境远程控制显微镜成为该仪器教育效益的一个重要方面。