MRI: Acquisition of An FEI Helios NanoLab G3 CX Dual Beam FIB System for Research, Education and Outreach at Vanderbilt University

该主要研究仪器奖支持范德比尔特大学获得并调试FEI Helios NanoLab G3 CX双光束聚焦离子束（FIB）系统，用于纳米科学和工程的多学科研究、教育和推广。FEI赫利奥斯纳米实验室G3 CX双电子和离子束系统为田纳西州中部的一组研究人员提供了这种能力，包括范德比尔特、菲斯克和奥斯汀皮伊州立大学的研究人员。这些研究项目解决了一些重要的技术问题，比如用于高效率直接热能到电能转换的纳米线，创造用于操纵光的新型人造材料，用于更好的太阳能电池设计，以及表征复杂的人造血管系统。重要的是，当与范德比尔特大学现有的扫描透射电子显微镜系统集成时，收购NanoLab G3 CX系统将有助于建立田纳西州中部急需的原子分辨率显微镜基础设施。科学研究与教育工作紧密结合，包括研究生的实践培训。除了利用范德比尔特大学的各种外展项目，这个项目的影响将通过展示独特的纳米结构的制造和操作扩展到高中生。此外，范德比尔特大学与FISK大学（一所历史悠久的黑人大学）之间的密切合作将促进代表性不足的群体的参与。这台强大的仪器将能够高精度地制造纳米级特征，制备特定位点的TEM样品，以及三维（3D）纳米级成像。这些新能力将导致研究活动解决广泛的纳米科学和纳米工程挑战：从高性能热电纳米线到3D全介电超材料，从纳米复合光伏材料到复杂的3D微/纳米流体网络。作为一种支持工具，双光束FIB系统也将为范德比尔特大学和田纳西州中部的纳米科学研究人员提供新的机会和催化新的合作。与最近安装的FEI Tecnai Osiris S/TEM一起，该项目将在田纳西州中部建立急需的高分辨率显微镜研究基础设施，这将对范德比尔特大学和附近六所大学的许多研究人员产生重大影响

This Major Research Instrumentation award supports Vanderbilt University with the acquisition and commissioning of an FEI Helios NanoLab G3 CX dual beam focused ion beam (FIB) system for multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach in nanoscale science and engineering. The FEI Helios Nanolab G3 CX dual electron and ion beam system provides such capability for a group of researchers across Middle Tennessee, including those at Vanderbilt, FISK, and Austin Peay State Universities. The research projects address problems of technological importance such as nanowires for high-efficiency direct thermal to electrical energy conversion, creating novel man-made materials for manipulating light, for better solar cell design, and characterizing complex artificial vascular systems. Importantly, when integrated with the existing scanning transmission electron microscopy system at Vanderbilt, the acquisition of the NanoLab G3 CX system will help to establish an atomic-resolution microscopy infrastructure that is urgently needed in Middle Tennessee. The scientific research is tightly integrated with educational efforts, including hands-on training of graduate students. In addition leveraging various outreach programs at Vanderbilt, the impact of this project will be extended to high school students through demonstration of fabrication and manipulation of unique nanostructures. Moreover, the close collaboration between Vanderbilt and FISK Universities, a historically black university, will facilitate participation of underrepresented groups. This powerful instrument will enable fabrication of nanoscale features with high precision, preparation of site-specific TEM samples, and three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale imaging. These new capabilities will lead to research activities addressing a broad range of nanoscience and nanoengineering challenges: from high performance thermoelectric nanowires to 3D all-dielectric metamaterials, from nanocomposite photovoltaic materials to complex 3D micro/nanofluidic networks. As an enabling tool, the dual beam FIB system will also open new opportunities and catalyze new collaborations among nanoscience researchers at Vanderbilt and across the Middle Tennessee. Together with the recently installed FEI Tecnai Osiris S/TEM, this project will establish the much-needed research infrastructure for high resolution microscopy in Middle Tennessee, which will produce significant impacts on many researchers at Vanderbilt and six nearby universities