MRI-RUI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope to Advance Research and Education at Missouri State University

技术摘要：本项目目的是获得一台场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM），以支持密苏里州立大学（MSU）和密苏里州西南部周边机构的材料相关研究和培训活动。目前，学校只有一台19岁的扫描电镜，没有一台正常工作的透射电子显微镜（TEM），这对资助研究的成功造成了很大的阻碍。该项目的智力优势在于，配备了x射线能量色散光谱仪（EDS）和扫描透射电子显微镜（STEM）探测器的FEI量子200 FEG FESEM提供的独特功能，将使研究人员、教育工作者和学生能够获得高分辨率的二次电子和背散射电子图像，表面形貌，空间元素分布（EDS测绘和线扫描）。以及导电或非导电样品的内部结构（STEM）。特别是，该仪器将用于探索各种材料的形态、结构和组成及其电学、光学、磁性和生物学特性之间的相关性。此外，它将改善研究生和本科生在材料特性方面的教育课程，并促进不同部门和不同大学校园的研究人员之间的合作。更广泛的影响反映了这样一个事实，即本科生和研究生通过使用FESEM仪器的研究项目所获得的训练和技能，将很好地为他们的研究生学习和在大学、高科技行业和政府研究实验室等地的就业服务。新仪器还将极大地促进密歇根州立大学现有的推广计划，以激励K-12学生，特别是女性和少数民族学生，追求科学和工程方面的职业。摘要：近年来，密苏里州立大学已经获得了核心的教职员工和一系列令人印象深刻的物理设施和设备，以支持有关电子，光学和磁性材料的物理特性的基础研究。然而，这个小组在他们的研究武器库中缺乏一种重要的分析仪器，即场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM），并且必须依靠老式的传统扫描电子显微镜（SEM）来支持他们的基础研究工作。FESEM是一种高分辨率显微镜，旨在揭示典型光学显微镜无法达到的微小物体的表面细节，以三维方式呈现所获得的图像，并通过从这些表面获得x射线来分析样品表面的元素组成。因此，获得一台配备适当探测器的FEI Quanta 200 FESEM将提高密苏里州立大学的科学研究和教育能力。特别是，该仪器将用于检查各种材料的形态和组成，用于八个具体的研究项目，涉及它们的磁性、光学、电子和生物特性。选定的课程将被修订，以纳入FESEM作为课程的一部分，本科生和研究生将接受使用该仪器进行材料表征的培训。除了加强密歇根州立大学的材料科学项目外，拟议中的仪器还将促进校园内几个科学部门之间的跨学科合作，并鼓励未来与其他大学和研究中心的合作。重要的是，这个工具将有助于现有的大学努力招收不同的学生群体，让学生接触发现科学和各种学习视角。

Technical Abstract:The objective of this project is to acquire a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) to support materials related research and training activities at Missouri State University (MSU) and surrounding southwest Missouri institutions. Currently, there is only one 19-year-old SEM and no functioning transmission electron microscope (TEM) on campus, which imposes significant impedance to the success of funded research. The intellectual merit of this project is that the unique capabilities provided by an FEI Quanta 200 FEG FESEM, equipped with an X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and a scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) detector, will enable researchers, educators, and students to obtain high resolution secondary electron and backscattered electron images of surface topography, spatial elemental distribution (EDS mapping and line-scans), and internal structures (STEM) for conductive or nonconductive samples. In particular, the instrument will be used to explore correlations between morphology, structures, and compositions of various materials and their electrical, optical, magnetic, and biological properties for funded projects. In addition, it will improve the educational curriculum in material characterizations for both graduate and undergraduate students and stimulate collaborations among researchers across different departments and different university campuses. The broader impact reflects the fact that training and skills acquired by undergraduate and graduate students through research projects using the FESEM instrument will serve them well for graduate study and employment in places such as in universities, high-tech industry, and government research laboratories. The new instrument will also contribute greatly toward existing MSU outreach programs to motivate K-12 students, especially female and minority students, to pursue careers in science and engineering.Non-Technical Abstract:In recent years, Missouri State University has been acquiring a core of faculty members and an impressive array of physical facilities and equipment to support basic research concerning the physical characterization of electronic, optical, and magnetic materials. However, this group lacks an important analytical instrument in their research arsenal, a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and must depend on an aged conventional scanning electron microscope (SEM) to support their fundamental research efforts. A FESEM is a high-resolution microscope designed to reveal surface details of minute objects beyond the reach of a typical light microscope, present the acquired images in three dimensions, and analyze sample surfaces for their elemental composition by obtaining X-rays from those surfaces. Therefore, the acquisition of an FEI Quanta 200 FESEM, equipped with appropriate detectors, will enhance the capabilities for scientific research and education at Missouri State University. In particular, the instrument will be used to examine the morphology and composition of various materials for eight specific research projects concerned with their magnetic, optical, electronic, and biological properties. Selected courses will be revised to incorporate the FESEM as part of the curriculum, and both undergraduate and graduate students will be trained in materials characterization using this instrument. In addition to strengthening the materials science program at MSU, the proposed instrument will engender interdisciplinary cooperation among several science departments on campus and encourage future collaborations with other universities and research centers. Importantly, this instrument will contribute to existing university efforts to recruit a diverse student population and expose students to discovery science and a variety of learning perspectives.