MRI: Acquisition of a 50 nm Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Instrument

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This MRI grant is for the acquisition of a nano-scale resolution X-ray computed tomography (nano-CT) instrument that provides 3D volumetric imaging within opaque structures at 50 nm resolution. Nano-CT offers a unique set of capabilities compared to other imaging techniques and other available X-ray CT instruments. The particular nano-CT provides visualization inside materials and devices with 50 nm or 150 nm resolution with large 3D fields of view of 15 µm and 60 µm, respectively. This is the highest X-ray CT resolution available outside of large-scale synchrotron facilities. The high resolution is obtained even with soft materials, such as polymers, through a combination of a Fresnel zone plate objective and Zernike phase contrast imaging. Compared to techniques using sectioning, nano-CT is non-destructive and sample remains intact. Furthermore, the imaging is done in ambient or controlled environments without vacuum. These features combined with the nano-CT?s long working distance enable in-situ, in-operando, and time-history (4D) imaging. The nano-CT will be used in a wide array of projects across the colleges of science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon, with the enabled research falling into the major themes of: a) Energy and the environment, b) Micro/Nano materials and fabrication, and c) Biomedical and life sciences.The nano-CT will be a unique resource at Carnegie Mellon and at the regional and national levels, attracting external users from academia, industry, and national labs. The nano-CT will be installed alongside an existing custom micro-CT that offers a maximum resolution of 0.5-1 µm and large fields of view. These combined instruments will form a versatile multi-scale CT imaging facility, with imaging length scales ranging five orders of magnitudes, O(10 nm) to O(1 mm). This comprehensive facility will be advertised through a dedicated website and an annual user group meeting will be held to promote information exchanges and collaborations between the diverse set of users. In addition, workshops will be held to introduce industry to X-ray CT and nano-CT. The nano-CT will result in the training of a large number of student researchers from diverse areas, inspiring interdisciplinary collaborations. The nano-CT and its data will be integrated into existing outreach efforts and classes. To support this effort, a fixed number of zero user cost scans will be made available annually for education and outreach activities.