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

技术总结：该奖项使西弗吉尼亚大学能够获得脉冲激光沉积（PLD）系统，以生长各种氧化物薄膜，多层膜和纳米结构，并应用于物理，化学，生物学，工程和健康科学。PLD系统将用于研究极性半导体上的多铁性氧化物薄膜的磁电特性，有源铁电结的隧穿效应，新型可逆生物传感器的制造，新的光伏和MEMS器件，生物医学应用的涂层，以及固体氧化物燃料电池材料等项目。PLD被认为是一种以所需化学计量生长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施。该系统不仅将使用激光烧蚀沉积来生长氧化物，而且还将能够使用电子束烧蚀靶材料，用于不能用激光烧蚀的材料，并且将包括用于金属沉积的两个溅射枪。通过分析由反射高能电子衍射（RHEED）枪发射的X射线荧光以提供原位结构和化学计量信息，将提供额外的功能。PLD系统将提供给大量的学生，博士后和教师，无论是在西弗吉尼亚大学和其他大学，并在该地区的私营公司，通过将该仪器纳入WVNano倡议的共享设施。该工具还将配合WVNano倡议的本科生和研究生研究，教育和推广计划，目标是来自西弗吉尼亚州和阿巴拉契亚地区的大部分（超过50%）代表性不足的少数民族和妇女。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有用的技能。由于与外部研究人员的合作，该仪器所实现的研究将对区域、国家和国际各级产生影响。通俗概述：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可以成为具有广泛研究和技术应用的强大工具。由于西弗吉尼亚大学目前还没有这样的系统，该仪器将使研究人员能够探索新的途径，这将对未来能源和医疗保健技术的发展产生重大影响。特别是，该仪器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和更高效的燃料电池。PLD系统将由WVNano倡议在WVU的共享设施基础设施运营，这将使该仪器可供WVU和其他大学的大量学生，博士后和教师以及该地区的私营公司使用。该工具还将配合WVNano倡议的本科生和研究生研究，教育和推广计划，目标是来自西弗吉尼亚州和阿巴拉契亚地区的大部分（超过50%）代表性不足的少数民族和妇女。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有用的技能。由于与外部调查人员的合作，该工具所支持的研究将在区域、国家和国际各级产生影响。

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.