Electron Microscopy for the Characterisation and Manipulation of Advanced Functional Materials and their Interfaces at the Nanoscale

2013年，我们通过“伟大技术之都”计划成功申请加强圣安德鲁斯大学的电子显微镜。这个新设施的目的是提供最先进的能力来分析和控制纳米级的功能材料，以支持和推动能源材料、催化、光子学、超材料和电子领域的关键材料研究。该设施的所有元素都得到了很好的利用，随着新设施的投入使用，使用范围正在扩大。然而，展望未来，我们受到缺乏设施运营商的严重制约。特别是在Scios和Titan上，如果有第二个熟练的操作员，很容易预计使用量会增加一倍或更多。这不仅会增加操作人员在仪器上的时间，还会增加培训时间，为详细研究提供更多时间。因此，该申请的目的是确保任命第二名熟练操作员，为期两年，通过更全面的覆盖来提高生产率和实际能力。这将最大限度地减少由于假期而导致的停机时间，允许我们的专家同时操作多个关键设施进行研究和/或培训，最重要的是将提供空间以更高的标准培训更多用户。我们还建议增加我们的设施在该地区的推广，举办两次重点研讨会，并与我们地区的大学建立更紧密的联系。我们还希望与苏格兰的其他主要材料电子显微镜中心建立联系，以协调能力。实施改进后的网上订票系统。

In 2013 we successfully applied to enhance electron microscopy at St Andrews through the Capital for Great Technologies scheme. The purpose of this new facility is to provide state of the art capability to analyse and control functional materials at the nanoscale to underpin and drive forward critical Materials research in Energy Materials, Catalysis, Photonics, Metamaterials and Electronics. All elements of the facility are well used and usage is expanding now that the new facilities have come on stream. Going forward, however, we are severely constrained by lack of facility operators. It is easy to project doubling or more of usage with a second skilled operator on the Scios and Titan in particular. Not only would this involve more operator time on the instruments, it would increase training time and afford more time for detailed studies.Thus the purpose of this application is to secure the appointment of a second skilled operator for two years to increase productivity and indeed capability through more rounded coverage. This will minimise down time due to holidays, allow more than one of the key facilities to be operated by our specialists for research and/or training at a single time and most importantly will provide the space to train more users to a higher standard.We also propose to increase the outreach of our facility in the region, holding two focused workshops and linking more strongly to Universities in our region. We also hope to link with the other major Materials Electron Microscopy Centre in Scotland to coordinate capabilities.An improved web-based booking system will be implemented.