Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Nanotechnology Research, Training, and Education

路易斯安那理工大学用于纳米技术研究、培训和教育的场发射扫描电子显微镜本项目提供了一台场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM），以加强路易斯安那理工大学（LaTech）的纳米技术研究、培训和教育。并允许邻近的格兰布林州立大学（GSU）以及路易斯安那州北部和该地区的其他用户使用该仪器进行研究，教育和工业需求。LaTech和GSU （HBCU）有3个与微制造研究所（IfM）相关的联合教员任命教员（JFAP）职位。该提案的PI和co -PI与IfM。PI （Varahramyan）是IfM主任，两位Co-PI （Lvov & McShane）是IfM纳米技术的领导者，一位Co-PI (Dobbins)，她是纳米技术专家和JFAP教员，直接将IfM和GSU的纳米技术研究和教育工作联系起来，另一位Co-PI （Gunasekaran）领导IfM的测量和表征部门，并具有广泛的纳米尺度测量仪器（包括SEM）的经验。IfM，已经存在超过12年，并致力于微/纳米级系统的研究，教育和商业化。它为其教师和外部合作伙伴/用户提供微/纳米制造资源，用于生物医学，化学，信息技术和其他应用的微/纳米系统的开发。IfM拥有超过30名科学和工程博士后，15名员工，占地65,000平方英尺。包括现代化的4.1万平方英尺的办公空间。6英尺的研发大楼，以容纳新的FESEM，在测量和表征部分。知识优势：广泛的研究/培训工作将受益于FESEM，包括NSF主要项目资助的工作：用于封装和控释的纳米工程外壳NSF NIRT，用于微悬臂生物传感器的多层改性NSF- ecs，以及微/纳米技术先进物理、化学和生物传感器NSF/EPSCoR RII。作为这些努力的一部分，高度依赖纳米结构材料成像的一个主要领域是开发自组装纳米材料，用于药物、蛋白质、核酸和细胞的封装和控制定位，用于药物输送、组织工程和传感应用。美国国家科学基金会最近资助的第二个项目是利用多层改性微悬臂为化学战剂或模拟物开发极其敏感和高选择性的微传感器。在开发这些化学传感器时，需要对光束和纳米涂层进行纳米分辨率的检测。另一个重点关注的领域是生物传感器和组织工程，这是IfM的生物工程领域，这些技术结合了微纳米制造和分子的生物界面，没有纳米分辨率的计量设备就无法分析或评估。目前的IfM成像能力无法满足这些工作的要求。包括GSU在内的其他几个正在进行的新项目的研究需求，为FESEM的要求提供了基础，在FESEM中，需要高分辨率的SEM来表征纳米尺度的材料和结构，并能够确定化学信息和元素的空间分布（现有的SEM不能分辨小于~35 nm的特征）。更广泛的影响：新的FESEM与现有的IfM资源相结合，使LaTech和合作机构有可能在国家历史上处于不利地位的地区促进纳米技术的研究、培训和教育。计划的教育工作包括在拉特理工大学的课程中教授FESEM理论和实践（例如微/纳米尺度材料测量和分析），吸引来自纳米技术专业的学生，从工程博士和生物医学工程博士到分子科学和纳米技术硕士和微系统工程硕士。在549名（2004年秋季）工程和科学专业的硕士和博士学生中，大约有一半的人专门从事研究，并学习与IfM相关的课程。在128名博士生中，超过一半的人在IfM，他们的研究和课程工作将受到FESEM可用性的高度影响。本科生也将如此，包括LaTech在工程与科学学院新开设的纳米系统工程学士学位（计划于2005年秋季开设），以及GSU在科学与技术学院开设的物理与化学学士学位。Dobbins（联合研究员）和Derosa（联合研究员）在JFAP与IfM相关的教职岗位上，将领导其中的一些工作。FESEM还将为LaTech的NSF-REU资助项目（2003-06）提供服务，该项目名为“微纳米工程的本科体验”，为10名学生（包括代表性不足的群体）在夏季进行研究。此外，FESEM将显著影响北路易斯安那州和该地区的经济发展和工业需求，并将支持IfM在NSF PFI资助（2003-06）中的努力，“北路易斯安那州农村新兴技术的投资”。

CTS-0520863-MRI Varahramyan Louisiana Tech UniversityField Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Nano-technology Research, Training, and Education This project provides for acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) to enhance nano-technology research, training, and education at Louisiana Tech University (LaTech), and to allow neighboring Grambling State University (GSU) and other users in north Louisiana and the region to have access to this instrument for research, educational, and industrial needs. LaTech and GSU (HBCU) have 3 Joint Faculty Appointment Faculty (JFAP) positions associated with the Institute for Micro-manufacturing (IfM). The PI and Co-PIs of this proposal are with IfM. The PI (Varahramyan) is the IfM Director, two Co-PIs (Lvov & McShane) are IfM nano-technology leaders, one Co-PIs (Dobbins), she is a nano-technologist and a JFAP faculty directly linking the IfM and GSU nano-technology research and educational efforts, and another Co-PI (Gunasekaran) heads IfM's Measurements & Characterization Section, and has experience with wide range of instruments (including SEM) for nanoscale measurements. IfM, has existed for over 12 years, and is dedicated to micro-/nano-scale systems research, education, and commercialization. It provides its faculty and external partners/users with micro-/nano-manufacturing resources, for development of micro-/nano-systems for biomedical, chemical, information technology, and other applications. IfM, with over 30 science & engineering faculty & post-docs, and a staff of 15, consists of 65,000 sq. ft. of facilities, including a modern 41,000 sq. ft. R & D building, to house the new FESEM, in the Measurements & Characterization Section.Intellectual Merit: A wide range of research/training efforts will benefit from FESEM, including work sponsored by major NSF projects: Nano-engineered Shells for Encapsulation and Controlled Release NSF NIRT, Multilayer Modification for Micro-cantilever Biosensors NSF-ECS, and Micro/Nano-technologies Advanced Physical, Chemical, and Biological Sensors NSF/EPSCoR RII. As part of these efforts, a major area heavily relying on imaging of nano-structured materials is the development of self-assembled nano-materials for encapsulation and controlled localization of drugs, proteins, nucleic acids, and cells, for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and sensing applications. A second project recently funded by NSF is to develop extremely sensitive and highly selective micro-sensors for chemical warfare agents or simulants, by using multilayer modified micro-cantilevers. In developing these chemical sensors, the beams and nano-coatings need to be inspected with nanometer resolution. Another key focus area is biosensors and tissue engineering, which are in IfM's bioengineering area, where the techniques use a combination of micro and nano-fabrication with a biological interface of molecules that cannot be analyzed or evaluated without metrology equipment with nanometer resolution. Current IfM imaging capabilities are unable to meet the requirements of these efforts. Research needs on these and several other ongoing and new projects, including at GSU, give the basis for the FESEM request, where high resolution SEM is needed to characterize nano-scale materials and structures at 1 nm resolution, with ability to determine chemical information and spatial distributions of elements (existing SEM can not resolve features at less than ~35 nm).Broader Impact: A new FESEM coupled with existing IfM resources makes it possible for LaTech and collaborating institutions to promote nano-technology research, training, and education in a historically disadvantaged region of the nation. Planned educational efforts include teaching FESEM theory and practice in courses at LaTech (e.g. Micro/Nano Scale Materials Measurements & Analysis), attracting students from programs with nano-technology emphasis, ranging from Ph.D. in Engineering and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, to MS in Molecular Science & Nano-technology and MS in Microsystems Engineering. About half of 549 (Fall 04) engineering and science M.S. and Ph.D. students are specializing in research and taking courses associated with IfM. Of 128 Ph.D. students, over half are with IfM, and their research and course work will be highly impacted by the FESEM availability. Same will be for undergraduate students, including in LaTech's new B.S. in Nano-systems Engineering (planned for Fall 05) in College of Engineering & Science, and in GSU's B.S. degrees in Physics and Chemistry, in College of Science & Technology, where Drs. Dobbins (a Co-PI) and Derosa (a Co-Investigator) are in JFAP faculty positions associated with IfM and will be leading some of these efforts. The FESEM will also serve LaTech's NSF-REU funded-project (2003-06), on "Undergraduate Experiences in Micro- & Nano-Engineering," for 10 students (including underrepresented groups) to pursue research during summer. Moreover, the FESEM will noticeably impact economic development and industrial needs of north Louisiana and the region, and will also support IfM's efforts in the NSF PFI grant (2003-06), on "Ventures for Emerging Technologies in Rural North Louisiana."