MRI: Consortium Proposal: Acquisition of a Dual Beam Focused Ion Beam System to Support Transformative Device and Materials Research in the Greater Houston Area

这项研究的目的是加强大休斯顿地区的科学和工程项目，大休斯顿地区是美国最大的大都市综合体之一，主要研究型大学，德克萨斯州医学中心，美国宇航局和活跃的工业研究的存在刺激了充满活力的经济。双束聚焦离子束系统将支持从能源研究到纳米科学到纳米电子学到天体生物学的一系列研究计划。这些包括用于信息技术的先进数据存储系统;用于医疗诊断、快速药物开发和生物防御应用的生物传感器;硅基药物输送系统;以及外星物质中生物标志物的识别和表征。此次收购的智力价值是利用现有的制造工具集，在纳米制造以及设备和材料计量方面获得极大的灵活性。该仪器将能够显著增强广泛的材料和设备程序，包括电阻存储器，燃料电池，高温超导体，纳米线互连，纳米级光源，生物传感器，药物输送系统，纳米机电系统和自旋电子学的研究。该计划的更广泛影响是将不同的机构聚集在一起，包括休斯顿大学，一所著名的城市大学，德克萨斯大学健康科学中心，一流的医学研究机构，莱斯大学，一流的私立学校，以及NASA，联邦资助的中心。这种伙伴关系和新的技术能力将有助于开发新的合作项目，使探索新的科学前沿，否则将是不可能的，并提高有关学生的教育经验。

The objective of this research is to enhance science and engineering programs in the Greater Houston area, one of the largest metropolitan complexes in the US with a vibrant economy stimulated by the presence of major research Universities, the Texas Medical Center, the NASA, and active industrial research. The dual-beam focused ion-beam system will support a range of research programs from energy research to nanoscience to nanoelectronics to astrobiology. These include advanced data storage systems for information technologies; biosensors for medical diagnostics, rapid drug development, and biodefence applications; silicon-based drug delivery systems; and identification and characterization of biomarkers in extraterrestrial matter.The intellectual merit of the acquisition is to leverage the existing fabrication toolset to gain great flexibility in nanofabrication and in device and materials metrology. The instrument will enable significant enhancements to a wide range of materials and device programs including studies of resistive memories, fuel cells, high-temperature superconductors, nanowire interconnect, nanoscale light sources, biosensors, drug delivery systems, nanoelectro-mechanical system, and spintronics. The broader impact of the program is to bring together a diverse group of institutions including the University of Houston, a prominent urban university, the University of Texas Health Science Center, a premier medical research institution, Rice University, the top-tier private school, and NASA, a federally funded center. The partnership and new technical capabilities will aid in the development of new collaborative programs, enable exploration of new scientific frontiers that otherwise would not be possible, and to enhance the educational experiences of the students involved.