MRI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope to Advance Multidisciplinary Research and Education

MRI：购买场发射扫描电子显微镜以推进多学科研究和教育

• 批准号: 2116612
• 负责人: Mahua Biswas
• 金额: $ 40.39万
• 依托单位: Board of Trustees of Illinois State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2116612&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Field; Emission; Scanning

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports the acquisition of a variable-pressure field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with secondary electron (SE), backscatter electron (BSE), and cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) capabilities at Illinois State University (ISU). The instrument benefits research and teaching activities across five departments at Illinois State University (ISU) and four nearby institutions in central Illinois (Illinois Wesleyan University, Millikin University, Bradley University, and University of Illinois – Springfield). The new capabilities of the instrument such as as high-resolution low-voltage and low-vacuum imaging, EDS, and CL allow the users to enhance and expand cutting-edge research activities in physics, material sciences, biology, chemistry, and geology. Research experiences for undergraduates (majorly), and masters and PhD students will be facilitated. There is a plan to integrate the FESEM-EDS-CL in several courses annually, attended by over 150 undergraduate students. The project also includes outreach efforts to engage the general public, including partnering with local K-12 educators and students in the community. The high-resolution variable pressure FESEM with EDS and CL capabilities will facilitate problem-driven cutting-edge research projects in nanoscience, materials science, physics, biology, chemistry, geology with an anticipated 25 laboratories across five institutions. The ultra-high resolution imaging capability at low voltages and variable pressure, BSE imaging and elemental identification using EDS provide opportunity to characterize materials as small as sub-2 nm dimension. Scientists will be able to image block copolymer templates and inorganic nanostructures with sub 5-nm resolution at low voltage and low pressure; perform correlated FESEM-Optical Microcopy imaging with sub-2 nm resolution; new types of sub-10 nm polymers, metals, and their composites for drug-delivery systems, Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)-based sensing devices, and optically responsive catalysts. Several biological sciences and biochemistry research groups benefit from the capability at ISU and nearby institutions. About 25 undergraduates, 6 MS, and 2 PhD students would use the FESEM for research per year. Females and underrepresented minorities will benefit through existing initiatives to recruit and train minorities at ISU. Moreover, the instrument will benefit two early-career female faculty. Outreach efforts include partnering with local K-12 educators and students in the community.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.

来自主要研究仪器计划的这一奖项支持伊利诺伊州州立大学（ISU）收购具有二次电子（SE）、背散射电子（BSE）和阴极发光（CL）成像以及能量色散X射线光谱（EDS）功能的变压场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）。该仪器有利于研究和教学活动在伊利诺伊州州立大学（ISU）和附近的四个机构在伊利诺伊州中部（伊利诺伊州卫斯理大学，密立金大学，布拉德利大学和伊利诺伊大学-斯普林菲尔德）的五个部门。该仪器的新功能，如高分辨率低电压和低真空成像，EDS和CL，使用户能够增强和扩展物理，材料科学，生物学，化学和地质学的前沿研究活动。本科生（主修），硕士和博士生的研究经验将得到促进。计划每年将FESEM-EDS-CL纳入几门课程，有150多名本科生参加。该项目还包括与公众接触的外联工作，包括与当地K-12教育工作者和社区学生合作。具有EDS和CL功能的高分辨率可变压力FESEM将促进纳米科学，材料科学，物理，生物学，化学，地质学领域的问题驱动的尖端研究项目，预计将在五个机构的25个实验室中进行。在低电压和可变压力下的超高分辨率成像能力、BSE成像和使用EDS的元素识别提供了表征小至2 nm尺寸的材料的机会。科学家们将能够在低电压和低压下以低于5 nm的分辨率对嵌段共聚物模板和无机纳米结构进行成像;以低于2 nm的分辨率进行相关FESEM光学显微成像;新型的低于10 nm的聚合物，金属及其复合材料用于药物输送系统，表面增强拉曼散射（Sers）传感设备和光学响应催化剂。几个生物科学和生物化学研究小组受益于ISU和附近机构的能力。每年约有25名本科生、6名硕士生和2名博士生使用FESEM进行研究。妇女和代表性不足的少数群体将受益于执行支助股现有的招聘和培训少数群体的举措。此外，该工具将使两名职业生涯初期的女教员受益。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。