MRI: Acquisition of a Pulsed Laser Deposition System for Applications in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Health Sciences, and Engineering.

技术概述：该奖项使西弗吉尼亚大学能够获得脉冲激光沉积(PLD)系统，以生长在物理、化学、生物、工程和健康科学中应用的各种氧化物薄膜、多层膜和纳米结构。PLD系统将用于研究极性半导体上多铁氧化物薄膜的磁电性质、有源铁电结隧道效应、新型可逆生物传感器的制造、新型光伏和光催化器件、生物医学应用涂层和固体氧化物燃料电池材料等项目。PLD被认为是一种生长具有理想化学计量比的纳米结构的有效方法，但目前西弗吉尼亚大学还没有PLD系统。该仪器将补充现有的溅射和分子束外延生长设备。该系统不仅将使用激光烧蚀沉积生长氧化物，还将能够使用电子束烧蚀目标材料，用于无法用激光烧蚀的材料，并将包括两支用于沉积金属的溅射枪。通过分析反射高能电子衍射(RHEED)枪发射的x射线荧光来提供现场结构和化学计量信息，将提供额外的功能。通过将PLD系统整合到WVNano倡议的共享设施中，将向西弗吉尼亚大学和其他大学的大量学生、博士后和教职员工以及该地区的私营公司提供PLD系统。该仪器还将与西弗吉尼亚州和阿巴拉契亚地区的本科生和研究生研究、教育和外联计划相结合，这些计划针对的是来自西弗吉尼亚州和阿巴拉契亚地区的很大比例(超过50%)代表不足的少数族裔和妇女。由于用户接受了操作WVNano仪器的培训，因此将培养对学生未来职业生涯有用的技能。由于与外部研究人员的合作，该仪器实现的研究将对地区、国家和国际层面产生影响。莱曼摘要：脉冲激光沉积(PLD)是一种多功能技术，旨在制造具有高化学和结构精度的纳米结构。当与其他先进的制造和诊断工具相结合时，PLD可以成为一种强大的工具，具有广泛的研究和技术应用。由于西弗吉尼亚大学目前没有这样的系统，该仪器将允许研究人员寻找对未来能源和医疗保健技术的发展产生重大影响的新途径。特别是，由该仪器实现的研究将导致更节能的电子设备、更小和更可靠的数据存储设备、用于实时监测的生物分子传感器、更好的生物医学植入物涂层、改进的太阳能转换设备以及更高效的燃料电池。PLD系统将由西弗吉尼亚大学的WVNano Initiative共享设施基础设施运营，这将使西弗吉尼亚大学和其他大学的大量学生、博士后和教职员工以及该地区的私营公司都可以使用该仪器。该仪器还将与西弗吉尼亚州和阿巴拉契亚地区的本科生和研究生研究、教育和外联计划相结合，这些计划针对的是来自西弗吉尼亚州和阿巴拉契亚地区的很大比例(超过50%)代表不足的少数族裔和妇女。由于用户接受了操作WVNano仪器的培训，因此将培养对学生未来职业生涯有用的技能。由于与外部研究人员的合作，该仪器促成的研究将在区域、国家和国际层面产生影响。

Technical Summary: This award enables West Virginia University to acquire a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system to grow a variety of oxide thin films, multilayers, and nanostructures with applications in physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and health sciences. The PLD system will be used to study the magnetoelectronic properties of multiferroic oxide films on polar semiconductors, the effects of tunneling through active ferroelectric junctions, the fabrication of novel reversible biosensors, new photovoltaic and photocatalysis devices, coatings for biomedical applications, and solid oxide fuel cell materials, among other projects. PLD is recognized as an efficient way of growing nanostructures with desired stoichiometry, but there is presently no PLD system at West Virginia University. The instrument will complement existing sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy growth facilities. The system will not only grow oxides using laser ablation deposition, but will also be able to ablate target material using electron beams, for materials that cannot be ablated with the laser, and will include two sputtering guns for deposition of metals. Additional functionality will be provided by analyzing the x-ray fluorescence emitted by the reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) gun to provide in-situ structural and stoichiometric information. The PLD system will be made available to a large number of students, postdocs, and faculty, both at WVU and at other universities, and to private companies in the region, by incorporating the instrument into the WVNano Initiative's Shared Facilities. The instrument will also tie into the WVNano Initiative's undergraduate and graduate student research, education, and outreach programs that target a large proportion (greater than 50%) of underrepresented minorities and women from the State of WV and the Appalachian region. Because users are trained to operate the WVNano instruments, skills useful for the students' future careers will be developed. The research enabled by the instrument will have impacts the regional, national, and international levels because of collaborations with external investigators.Layman Summary: Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a versatile technique designed to fabricate nanoscale structures with high chemical and structural precision. When combined with other advanced fabrication and diagnostic tools, PLD can be a powerful tool with a wide-range of research and technology applications. Because there no such system currently exists at West Virginia University, the instrument will allow researchers to pursue new avenues that will have a significant impact on the development of future energy and health care technology. In particular, the research enabled by the instrument will result in more energy-efficient electronic devices, smaller and more reliable data storage devices, biomolecular sensors for real-time monitoring, better coatings for biomedical implants, improved solar energy conversion devices, and more efficient fuel cells. The PLD system will be operated by the WVNano Initiative's shared facilities infrastructure at WVU which will make the instrument available to a large number of students, postdocs, and faculty, both at WVU and at other universities, and to private companies in the region. The instrument will also tie into the WVNano Initiative's undergraduate and graduate student research, education, and outreach programs that target a large proportion (greater than 50%) of underrepresented minorities and women from the State of WV and the Appalachian region. Because users are trained to operate the WVNano instruments, skills useful for the students' future careers will be developed. The research enabled by the instrument will have impacts at the regional, national, and international levels because of collaborations with external investigators.