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

这项主要研究仪器奖支持范德比尔特大学收购和调试FEI Helios NanoLab G3 CX双束聚焦离子束（FIB）系统，用于纳米科学和工程的多学科研究，教育和推广。FEI Helios Nanolab 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Austin Peay州立大学的研究人员。这些研究项目解决了具有技术重要性的问题，例如用于高效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，以及表征复杂的人工血管系统。重要的是，当与范德比尔特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迫切需要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的各种推广计划外，该项目的影响将通过演示独特的纳米结构的制造和操作扩展到高中学生。此外，范德比尔特和菲斯克大学（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。这款功能强大的仪器将能够高精度地制造纳米级特征，制备特定位置的TEM样品，以及三维（3D）纳米级成像。这些新的能力将导致研究活动解决广泛的纳米科学和纳米工程的挑战：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。作为一种使能工具，双光束FIB系统还将开辟新的机会，并促进范德比尔特和整个田纳西州中部的纳米科学研究人员之间的新合作。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