MRI: Acquisition of a Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope

MRI：购买聚焦离子束扫描电子显微镜

• 批准号: 2018306
• 负责人: Scott Misture
• 金额: $ 49.53万
• 依托单位: Alfred University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-01 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2018306&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Focused; Ion; Beam

This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of a dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB)/scanning electron microscope (SEM). The dual-beam FIB/SEM uses an ion beam to cut and shape solid materials at the nanometer size scale for making small samples for microscopy studies and for micro- and nano-scale property measurements. An electron beam is used in parallel with the ion beam to create scanning electron microscopy images of the material as the ion beam slices and/or shapes the solid. In order to handle the tiny specimens created using the ion beam, the instrument will have a nano-manipulator comprising a fine needle tip that can be welded to the sample, and the sample can then be removed and sent to another microscope for property measurements. The ability to slice, section, and shape solids with nanoscale resolution will enable students to understand microstructures, phases and interfaces in their lab-based courses that use the instrument. Education on campus will be strengthened by incorporating the FIB into three courses including one of the required undergraduate laboratory courses and into senior thesis and graduate-level research. Students, postdocs and faculty from diverse scientific disciplines will make daily use of the FIB, yielding a total user pool of ~150 unique users per year. In addition, the FIB will be professionally marketed for use by industry and is expected to draw additional industrial users to campus. The instrument will also be incorporated into our campus tours and outreach efforts, where nanoscale science may help attract young people’s interest in science and engineering during high school visits and similar on-campus engineering events.The dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB)/scanning electron microscope (SEM) with enhanced backscattered electron detector, gas injection system, and nanomanipulator acquired with this Major Research Instrumentation award will strengthen education and research activities as well as bolster federal, state and industrial research. The FIB will enable versatile sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies as well as opening new avenues to extend current research to include measurement of micro-scale anisotropic properties, interfaces and phase boundaries using FIB-prepared sections. The instrument will support multi-disciplinary research and education programs including ceramic, glass, metal, biomaterials, chemistry and geology/geochemistry studies at Alfred University. FIB sample preparation is key in the study of advanced materials, for example studies of sub-surface and internal defects and localized plastic deformation, linking creation of flaws to additive manufacturing and processing conditions, and tracking subtle changes in microstructure and chemistry at internal and external surfaces and interfaces. As such, the requested FIB will become a centerpiece in making transformational progress in the ceramics-centric areas of education and research at Alfred University.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该主要研究仪器奖支持获得双束聚焦离子束（FIB）/扫描电子显微镜（SEM）。双束FIB/SEM使用离子束在纳米尺寸尺度下切割和成形固体材料，用于制作显微镜研究和微米和纳米级性能测量的小样品。电子束与离子束平行使用，以在离子束对固体进行切片和/或成形时产生材料的扫描电子显微镜图像。为了处理使用离子束产生的微小样品，该仪器将具有纳米操纵器，该纳米操纵器包括可以焊接到样品上的细针尖，然后可以将样品取出并发送到另一个显微镜进行属性测量。以纳米级分辨率对固体进行切片、切片和成形的能力将使学生能够在使用该仪器的实验室课程中了解微观结构、相和界面。 校园教育将通过将FIB纳入三门课程来加强，其中包括一门必修的本科实验室课程，以及高级论文和研究生水平的研究。来自不同科学学科的学生，博士后和教师将每天使用FIB，每年产生约150个独立用户的总用户池。此外，FIB将被专业地营销，供行业使用，预计将吸引更多的工业用户到校园。该仪器也将纳入我们的校园图尔斯参观和外展活动中，在高中参观和类似的校园工程活动中，纳米科学可能有助于吸引年轻人对科学和工程的兴趣。双束聚焦离子束（FIB）/扫描电子显微镜（SEM）具有增强的背散射电子检测器，气体注入系统，和nanomanipulator获得这个主要研究仪器奖将加强教育和研究活动，以及支持联邦，州和工业研究。FIB将为透射电子显微镜（TEM）研究提供多功能的样品制备，并开辟新的途径来扩展当前的研究，包括使用FIB制备的切片测量微尺度各向异性特性，界面和相边界。该仪器将支持多学科研究和教育计划，包括阿尔弗雷德大学的陶瓷，玻璃，金属，生物材料，化学和地质/地球化学研究。 FIB样品制备是先进材料研究的关键，例如研究亚表面和内部缺陷以及局部塑性变形，将缺陷的产生与增材制造和加工条件联系起来，并跟踪内外表面和界面微观结构和化学的细微变化。 因此，所申请的FIB将成为阿尔弗雷德大学在以陶瓷为中心的教育和研究领域取得变革性进展的核心。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。