MRI: Acquisition of a Direct Detection Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer for Fast, Low-Dose, and High Resolution Spectroscopic Imaging of Hard and Soft Materials

MRI：购买直接检测电子能量损失光谱仪，对硬质和软质材料进行快速、低剂量和高分辨率光谱成像

• 批准号: 2117903
• 负责人: Gordana Dukovic
• 金额: $ 99.58万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 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=2117903&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Direct; Detection; Electron

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a high-speed electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS) equipped with a direct electron detection (DED) camera. This instrument is integrated with an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope at the Facility for Electron Microscopy of Materials at the University of Colorado Boulder, vastly expanding the utility and regional impact of this already powerful microscope. The science enabled by this advanced electron spectrometer system spans many fields and includes collaborations across diverse departments, institutes, universities, national labs, and industry. The instrument is readily accessible to graduate students, postdocs, and researchers from the broader region (including academic, industry, and national laboratory personnel), and because of unique capabilities, is of interest to scientists around the country. Required training and support are provided to all internal and external users. Through connections with various campus programs, faculty using the new system enrich educational experiences of hundreds of students by sharing their cutting-edge research. The instrument is integrated into graduate and undergraduate courses, initiatives and outreach programs for students from underrepresented groups, K-12 students, and teachers to cultivate their interest in science and engineering.The new EELS system probes optical and electronic properties of materials in ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions down to energies of 80 meV with high spatial resolution. Researchers measure elemental composition, chemical bonding, and oxidation state information contained in the electron energy loss near edge structures with atomic resolution, providing new insights into the relationship between materials structure and chemistry. The instrumentation is also designed to enable high resolution electron imaging and spectroscopy on beam-sensitive and low-contrast materials, such as polymers and organic thin films, while minimizing electron dose. The high-speed DED camera allows scientists to further develop the technique of electron ptychography. The combination of DED camera and electron biprism enables phase and spectroscopic imaging of beam-sensitive materials. Nanomaterials designed for renewable and sustainable energy applications are analyzed to facilitate the analysis of performance for thermo-, photo-, and electro-catalytic reactions in terms of atomistic-level electronic structure. The new system is also employed for several applications in biominerals and natural materials, such as for mapping the chemical composition of beam-sensitive nanomaterials generated by biological organisms. Beyond these specific examples, users from a wide variety of disciplines interrogate atomic and electronic structures of diverse types of materials.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.

该重大研究仪器（MRI）奖支持购买配备直接电子检测（DED）相机的高速电子能量损失谱仪（EELS）。该仪器与科罗拉多大学博尔德分校材料电子显微镜设施中的像差校正透射电子显微镜集成在一起，极大地扩展了这种已经强大的显微镜的实用性和区域影响。这种先进的电子光谱仪系统所支持的科学跨越许多领域，包括跨不同部门，研究所，大学，国家实验室和行业的合作。该仪器可供来自更广泛地区的研究生，博士后和研究人员（包括学术，工业和国家实验室人员）使用，并且由于其独特的功能，全国各地的科学家都感兴趣。向所有内部和外部用户提供必要的培训和支持。通过与各种校园项目的联系，使用新系统的教师通过分享他们的前沿研究丰富了数百名学生的教育经验。该仪器被整合到研究生和本科生课程中，为来自弱势群体的学生，K-12学生和教师提供的倡议和推广计划，以培养他们对科学和工程的兴趣。新的EELS系统以高空间分辨率探测紫外线，可见光和红外线区域材料的光学和电子特性，能量低至80 meV。 研究人员以原子分辨率测量电子能量损失近边缘结构中包含的元素组成，化学键和氧化态信息，为材料结构和化学之间的关系提供了新的见解。 该仪器还旨在实现高分辨率电子成像和光谱学对束敏感和低对比度材料，如聚合物和有机薄膜，同时最大限度地减少电子剂量。高速DED相机使科学家能够进一步发展电子重叠关联技术。DED相机和电子双棱镜的组合使光束敏感材料的相位和光谱成像成为可能。设计用于可再生和可持续能源应用的纳米材料进行了分析，以便于在原子级电子结构方面分析热，光和电催化反应的性能。新系统还用于生物矿物和天然材料的几个应用，例如用于绘制生物有机体产生的束敏感纳米材料的化学成分。除了这些具体的例子，来自各种学科的用户询问不同类型的材料的原子和电子结构。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。