MRI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Gun Energy Filtered Transmission Electron Microscope

MRI：场发射枪能量过滤透射电子显微镜的采集

• 批准号: 1229302
• 负责人: Samuel Gido
• 金额: $ 105万
• 依托单位: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 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: 2012-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1229302&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Field; Emission; Gun

This award to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst is for the acquisition of a 200kV, field emission gun, in-column energy filtered transmission electron microscope (FEG-EFTEM). Energy filtering enables superior image contrast by zero-loss filtering and element specific imaging, representing the state-of-the-art in electron microscopy characterization. The hardware and software components of the proposed FEG-EFTEM include electron tomography capabilities for 3D-reconstruction of nanoscale structures. Moreover, the instrument includes capabilities for examining cryogenically prepared samples from aqueous solution, appealing for biologically-derived nanostructures and synthetic soft materials in water. The FEG-EFTEM will impact a broad range of researchers at UMass and partner institutions, and will be available broadly for U.S. and international researchers in numerous disciplines, including polymers, nanocomposites, soft materials, biology, and related topics. Graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral researchers at UMass, representing well over 30 different research groups, will use the FEG-EFTEM in numerous projects, including: characterizing ordered block copolymers as templates for nanostructured materials; imaging polymer aggregation and phase behavior directly in non-volatile ionic liquids; studying helical morphologies of polymer nanorods and wires; understanding phase separation in conjugated polymers and nanocomposites for photovoltaics; imaging bacterial-based fuel cells; and direct imaging of DNA replication. The new FEG-EFTEM will have extensive impact across numerous communities. The instrument will be accessible broadly to researchers across the UMass campus, as well as to the local undergraduate Colleges, including all-women's Mt Holyoke and Smith Colleges, and to partner institutions such as Howard University and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras. Through the NSF-funded Materials Research Facilities Network (MRFN), the instrument will be accessible to researchers across the U.S., significantly enhancing accessible TEM capabilities of the MRFN. The instrument will enhance education greatly by serving as a central teaching tool through its integration into core courses in Polymer Characterization and Polymer Morphology, while allowing expansion of curricula with the introduction of a graduate course in Electron Microscopy with extensive hands-on training on the FEG-EFTEM. Moreover, the FEG-EFTEM will benefit K-12 and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) outreach activities of various NSF and DOE centers at UMass, with electron tomography for 3D-image reconstruction providing an engaging and instructive view of materials that is suitable for integration into classroom instruction for young students. ASPIRE (A Student-led Program In Research and Education), which brings high school students to campus on Saturdays for a laboratory-based program on polymers, will showcase the 3D-tomographic capabilities of the FEG-EFTEM, thus greatly enhancing the long standing electron microscopy unit for this program.

该奖项授予马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校，用于获得一台200kV场发射枪，柱内能量过滤透射电子显微镜（fg - eftem）。能量滤波通过零损耗滤波和元素特定成像实现卓越的图像对比度，代表了电子显微镜表征的最先进技术。提出的eeg - eftem的硬件和软件组件包括用于纳米级结构3d重建的电子断层扫描功能。此外，该仪器还包括检测从水溶液中低温制备的样品的能力，这对生物衍生的纳米结构和水中合成软材料很有吸引力。FEG-EFTEM将影响马萨诸塞大学和合作机构的广泛研究人员，并将广泛地为美国和国际研究人员提供许多学科，包括聚合物，纳米复合材料，软材料，生物学和相关主题。麻省理工学院的研究生、本科生和博士后研究人员，代表了30多个不同的研究小组，将在许多项目中使用fg - eftem，包括：表征有序嵌段共聚物作为纳米结构材料的模板；非挥发性离子液体中聚合物聚集和相行为的直接成像聚合物纳米棒和纳米线的螺旋形貌研究共轭聚合物和纳米复合材料的相分离研究细菌燃料电池成像；以及DNA复制的直接成像。新的eeg - eftem将对许多社区产生广泛的影响。整个麻省大学校园的研究人员，以及当地的本科学院，包括全女子霍利奥克山学院和史密斯学院，以及霍华德大学和波多黎各大学- b里约热内卢Piedras等合作机构，都可以广泛使用该仪器。通过nsf资助的材料研究设施网络（MRFN），该仪器将对美国各地的研究人员开放，显著提高MRFN的可访问TEM能力。该仪器通过将其整合到聚合物表征和聚合物形态学的核心课程中，作为中心教学工具，将极大地提高教育水平，同时允许通过引入电子显微镜研究生课程来扩展课程，并提供广泛的FEG-EFTEM实践培训。此外，FEG-EFTEM将有利于K-12和各个NSF和DOE中心的教师研究经验（RET）推广活动，用于3d图像重建的电子断层扫描提供了一个引人入胜和有指导意义的材料视图，适合于年轻学生的课堂教学。ASPIRE（学生主导的研究和教育项目）每周六将高中生带到校园，参加一个以聚合物为基础的实验室项目，该项目将展示fg - eftem的3d层析成像能力，从而大大增强了该项目长期存在的电子显微镜单元。