Acquisition of a Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope for Multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Research and Education

购买可变压力扫描电子显微镜用于多学科纳米技术研究和教育

• 批准号: 1229129
• 负责人: Constantin Solomon
• 金额: $ 44.46万
• 依托单位: Youngstown State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1229129&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; Variable; Pressure; Scanning; Electron

This award to Youngstown State University (YSU) is for the acquisition of a variable pressure scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with high resolution imaging detectors, an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, nanometer pattern generation system, electron backscatter diffraction, and remote control capabilities. This instrument will enhance existing novel materials research programs, promote STEM education at regional northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania institutions, facilitate and enhance multidisciplinary research, and expand academic-industrial collaborations at YSU. The proposed SEM will be used for multidisciplinary research from several science and engineering disciplines, including: Material Science, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geology, and Forensic Sciences. The instrument will be used in more than 10 research projects involving over 30 graduate students and postdocs, and more than 300 undergraduate students per year will have access to it. Proposed interdisciplinary research projects include: mono-crystalline ferromagnetic shape memory alloy micro-particles for energy and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) applications; synthesis and characterization of rear-earth oxide nanocatalysts; grain orientation and grain boundary microstructure in ceramic-metal composites; nanolayered ceramic precursors; nanofabrication and study of wide bandgap semiconductor devices; e-beam lithography of polymer microlenses and 2-D/3-D photonic crystals on multilayer polymeric systems; characterization of collagen deposition in scar tissue; design of commercially important rare earth materials; fuel cell electrolyte membranes; and, bio-chemical detection properties of carbon nanotubes.The new SEM will support the educational and outreach goals of the university and will be fully integrated into undergraduate and graduate research programs, and into modules and dedicated courses in electron microscopy. The integration of the instrument with the YSU CyberInstrumentation Consortium (STaRBURSTT@YSU) will ensure sophisticated access to the SEM and other lab instruments for a large number of external users, most of whom are at community colleges (CC), or other primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI) - an outreach activity for which YSU is well known. The SEM will provide training and education opportunities to K-12, undergraduate and graduate students, to high school science teachers, and to CC and PUI faculty through: (1) collaborative STEM projects between YSU, Westminster College, Eastern Gateway Community College, Poland Seminary High School and LaBrae High School, Trumbull Career & Technical Center, and Mahoning Valley Historical Society; (2) Summer Materials Camp for High School Science Teachers; and (3) YSU Engineering Explorers and related programs. Thanks to its relative ease of use and impressive imaging capabilities at nanoscale resolution, the SEM will be one of the core attractors in YSU's outreach programs for K-12 & community college students and teachers, especially those at minority serving institutions that often have the desire but lack opportunities to pursue STEM careers.

该奖项授予扬斯敦州立大学(YSU)，以表彰其购买配备高分辨率成像探测器、能量色散X射线光谱仪、纳米图案生成系统、电子背向散射衍射和远程控制能力的可变压力扫描电子显微镜(SEM)。该仪器将加强现有的新材料研究计划，促进俄亥俄州东北部和宾夕法尼亚州西北部地区机构的STEM教育，促进和加强多学科研究，并扩大YSU的学术与产业合作。拟议的扫描电子显微镜将用于来自几个科学和工程学科的多学科研究，包括：材料科学、机械和电气工程、化学、物理、生物学、地质学和法医学。该仪器将用于10多个研究项目，涉及30多名研究生和博士后，每年将有300多名本科生使用它。拟议的跨学科研究项目包括：用于能源和微型机电系统(MEMS)的单晶铁磁形状记忆合金微粒；稀土氧化物纳米催化剂的合成和表征；陶瓷-金属复合材料中的颗粒取向和晶界微结构；纳米层状陶瓷前驱体；宽禁带半导体器件的纳米制造和研究；聚合物微透镜和多层聚合物系统上的二维/三维光子晶体的电子束光刻；疤痕组织中胶原沉积的表征；重要商业稀土材料的设计；燃料电池电解质膜；新的扫描电子显微镜将支持大学的教育和推广目标，并将完全融入本科生和研究生研究计划，以及电子显微镜模块和专门课程。该仪器与YSU网络仪器联盟(STaRBURSTT@YSU)的整合将确保大量外部用户获得扫描电子显微镜和其他实验室仪器的复杂途径，这些用户大多在社区大学(CC)或其他主要是本科生机构(PUI)--YSU以推广活动而闻名。该机构将通过以下方式为K-12、本科生和研究生、高中理科教师以及CC和PUI教师提供培训和教育机会：(1)耶鲁州立大学、威斯敏斯特学院、东门社区学院、波兰神学院和拉布雷高中、特朗布尔职业与技术中心和马霍宁山谷历史学会之间的STEM合作项目；(2)高中理科教师夏令营；以及(3)耶鲁州立大学工程探索者和相关项目。由于其相对易用性和令人印象深刻的纳米级成像能力，扫描电子显微镜将成为YSU面向K-12和Amp；社区大学学生和教师的外展项目的核心吸引力之一，特别是那些在少数族裔服务机构的学生和教师，这些机构往往有追求STEM职业生涯的愿望，但缺乏机会。