MRI: Acquisition of Analytical Microprobe Facilities for an Existing Scanning Electron Microscope

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0923047TzolovLock Haven U of PennsylvaniaTechnical Summary: Elemental analysis is widely used in a broad range of physical and life science disciplines. Performing elemental analysis on a submicron scale widens the range of applications and in many cases delivers qualitatively new information, especially when combined with submicron imaging. This project will integrate in one instrument the imaging capabilities of a Scanning Electron Microscope at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania with the analytical power of Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Backscattered Electron Detection. No other methods for direct elemental analysis are now available at the University; this instrument will support a number of ongoing projects at the University including fabrication and investigation of nanoparticles for electronic, optoelectronic, and biomedical applications, synthesis of novel metal-carbon materials, study of geological igneous processes, investigations of insect exoskeletons and fungi, and investigations of aluminum alloys. It will promote interdisciplinary research and break down traditional barriers to interdisciplinary cooperation in applied research between faculty from biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. The new facilities will enhance external collaborations with, inter alia, Penn State University and Hershey Medical Center. New avenues for research will be opened, e.g. measurement of the accumulation of heavy metals and other contaminants in insects and fungi, information which will inform local environmental policies. The compactness of the system allows wide use and supports integration of education and research training of students at the undergraduate level, class demonstrations, and as part of laboratory modules. It will help create and support undergraduate research opportunities for new cohorts of NSF funded Nanoscience Scholars.Layman Summary: Analyzing the elements that make up various materials is essential to the study of biological organisms and physical objects and processes. It is especially valuable to be able to determine how composition varies on a scale smaller than that accessible with an optical microscope but which is accessible by electron microscopy. The electron beam in a Scanning Electron Microscope produces several types of secondary emissions, each of them carrying specific information about the surface structure and the composition of the sample. This project will integrate two additional detectors with a Scanning Electron Microscope at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. This will allow researchers to determine the elements that compose a sample and to correlate composition with the images of the object?s surface; all on a wide scale ranging from objects undetectable by optical microscopy up to the size of regular bolts and nuts. This wide scale and the inherent flexibility of the instrument create new opportunities for research projects in all science disciplines at the University and for interdisciplinary work across disciplines. These instruments will directly support ongoing projects in novel electronic and optoelectronic devices (such as light emitting devices and solar cells), fabrication of new materials and nanoparticle synthesis, biosensors, studies of geological igneous processes, and insect and fungi studies. Several of these projects involve ongoing collaborations with Penn State University, Hershey Medical Center, and industry. New avenues for research will be opened, such as. analyzing the accumulation of heavy metals and other contaminants in insect exoskeletons and fungi, which can inform local environmental policies. The compactness of the system allows wide use for integrating education and research training of undergraduate students, class demonstrations, and as part of laboratory teaching modules. It will help us create and support undergraduate research opportunities for our new cohorts of NSF funded Nanoscience Scholars.