Acquisition of Instrumentation for Development of Reliable Technologies for Harsh Environments

对爱达荷大学（UI）研究的竞争性奖励支持从1996财年的3500万美元稳步增长到2001财年的6300万美元。这一增长部分是由于几个多学科研究机构和小组的研究活动。例如，美国宇航局的大挑战团队提供了探测外星生命的顶级概念。这个概念将在太空中使用微机电系统（MEMS）技术来完成。目前，UI根本没有在自己的实验室中实现和测试MEMS设计以确保恶劣环境下的可靠性所需的能力。此外，UI研究人员正在进行其他项目，预计将导致小型化串联质谱系统，微型谐振器，微型泵，自动车辆导航系统，磁性随机存取存储器和用于小型单片微波集成电路的磁性薄膜。所有这些研究活动都将受益于主要研究仪器计划所要求的附加功能。由于目前资助的研究项目取得了进展，并且在大学管理部门的支持下，pi寻求获得制造，测试和评估新技术稳健性的仪器。该请求包括等离子体增强型化学气相沉积系统、电子束蒸发器、振动/冲击台、非热真空室和激光振动计。获得这些仪器也将提供更多的机会将研究训练与研究生和本科教育相结合。爱达荷大学向国家科学基金会申请了大约29万美元，项目总成本超过61.1万美元。这些设备将补充邻近的华盛顿州立大学现有的设备，并提供目前西北内陆地区无法获得的研究设备，从而为他们的地区增加重要的能力。它还将为爱达荷州的HOIST项目（帮助印度学生和教师学习科学和技术）的参与者提供额外的机会，让他们获得工程研究方面的实践经验。该项目将由经验丰富的pi管理，他们将使用成熟的仪器管理方法来确保设备的有效运行和维护。一名合格的工程技术人员将协助他们。该设备将被安置在UI主校区的一栋建筑内，该MRI奖将得到UI微电子研究与通信研究所主任和工作人员的全面行政支持。

Competitively awarded support for University of Idaho (UI) research has steadily grown from $35 million in FY'96 to $63 million in FY'01.This increase is due, in part, to the research activities of severalmultidisciplinary research institutes and groups. For example, UI'sNASA Grand Challenge team provided the top-ranking concept fordetecting extraterrestrial life. This concept would be accomplishedin space using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Atpresent, UI simply does not have the capabilities needed to implementand test MEMS designs in their own laboratories for reliability inharsh environments. In addition, UI researchers are conducting otherprojects expected to result in a miniaturized tandem mass spectrometersystem, miniature resonators, micro pumps, autonomous vehicle guidancesystems, magnetic random access memories, and magnetic films for small monolithic microwave integrated circuits. All of these research activitieswill benefit from the added capabilities requested through the MajorResearch Instrumentation Program. As a result of current progress in funded research projects, and withthe support of the university's administration, the PIs seek to acquireinstruments to fabricate, test, and evaluate the robustness of newtechnologies. This request includes a plasma enhanced chemical vapordeposition system, an e-beam evaporator, a vibration / shock table, athermal vacuum chamber, and a laser vibrometer. Acquisition of theseinstruments will also provide more opportunities to integrate researchtraining with graduate and undergraduate education. The University ofIdaho is requesting approximately $290,000 from the National ScienceFoundation from a total project cost of over $611,000. This equipmentwill add significant capabilities to their region by complementingexisting equipment at neighboring Washington State University and byproviding research equipment that is currently unavailable in the inlandNorthwest. It will also provide additional opportunities for participantsin Idaho's HOIST program (Helping Orient Indian Students and Teachers toScience and Technology) to get hands-on experience in engineeringresearch. The project will be managed by experienced PIs who will use proveninstrument management approach to ensure efficient operation andmaintenance of the equipment. A qualified engineering technician willassist them. The equipment will be housed within a single building onthe main UI campus, and this MRI award will receive full administrativesupport from the Director and staff of the UI Microelectronics Researchand Communications Institute.