Scanning Electron Microscope Upgrade to Field Emission with Xray Spectrometry

俄勒冈州州立大学（OSU）请求援助，将电子扫描电子显微镜（SEM）升级为带有集成X射线能谱仪（XES）的场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）。该系统将取代1981年购买的1978年AmRay 1000 A SEM和1982年购买的Kevex 7000 X射线光谱仪。俄勒冈州立大学已经采取了超过30,000显微照片和超过6000束小时的记录与现在过时的SEM系统。在1993-94年，165校园研究人员从24个部门在9个学院使用的电子显微镜设施在俄勒冈州立大学;该设施是由植物学和植物病理学系管理，并提供了在俄勒冈州立大学校园的唯一访问到这种类型的仪器。 俄勒冈州立大学的各种研究项目将受益于FESEM/XES，它具有更高的分辨率，更广泛的多功能性，以及最近由NSF共同资助的电子扫描电镜（BIR-9420049）的能力的显着改善。FESEM提供了低电压高分辨率的非涂层生物样品在4-5 nm与150 nm的电子扫描电镜，总是需要破坏性的样品涂层。高电压允许分辨率c为1.5 nm，而对于新的电子扫描电镜为15 nm，对于当前系统为70 nm。FESEM/XES可以测定土壤和矿物循环中的元素组成，包括识别氮、硼、氧和氟的新能力，以及更好的钠分辨率。 俄勒冈州立大学的生物学家将是该仪器的主要受益者，因为他们占SEM使用量的70%-75%;其余25%-30%将用于物理科学，相关材料科学和工程项目。主要生物学用户包括Philip Brownell博士对节肢动物感觉神经生物学的研究，其重点是表皮感觉器官以及精细结构与感觉功能的相关性。Elaine Ingham博士将利用FESEM/XES来确定在全球气候变化条件下土壤结构和矿物成分的变化。Terri Lomax博士的研究中心是在细胞对激素和环境信号的反应水平上理解植物生长和发育的调节。罗伯特·梅森博士研究爬行动物的生殖生物学和化学生态学。Michael Nesson博士专注于铁生物矿化和生物合成磁性矿物的作用。芭芭拉·泰勒博士的项目研究了果蝇成年发育过程中肌肉和支配神经之间的细胞间通讯。这些研究人员中的大多数已经或已经为他们的项目提供了大量的NSF资金。 此外，这一SEM/XES系统将使化学工程、地球科学和材料科学的其他主要用户群体受益。 代表性的研究计划描述了每个这些领域。 它还将有助于吸引教师和学生到俄勒冈州立大学，有助于本科生和研究生的培训，是必不可少的许多其他俄勒冈州立大学的基础和应用研究计划： 生物化学，植物学，化学，昆虫学，地质学，微生物学， 物理学、植物病理学和动物学; x空气、水和土壤生态学、污染和资源开发， 保护; x森林病理学、生产力、发展和绩效 木材产品; x食品和营养; x工程，先进的金属，陶瓷，玻璃和聚合物 材料;开发，失效分析和摩擦学。

Oregon State University (OSU) asks assistance to upgrade a thermionic scanning electron microscope (SEM) to a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with an integrated x-ray energy spectrometer (XES). This system will replace a 1978 AmRay 1000A SEM acquired in used condition in 1981 and a Kevex 7000 X-ray spectrometer purchased in 1982. OSU has taken over 30,000 micrographs and logged in excess of 6000 beam hours with the now obsolete SEM system. In 1993-94, 165 campus researchers from 24 departments in nine colleges used the Electron Microscope Facility at OSU; the facility is managed by the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and provides the only access on the OSU Campus to an instrument of this type. Diverse research programs at OSU would benefit from the FESEM/XES which has improved resolution, broader versatility, and significant improvement of capabilities over the thermionic SEM recently co-funded by NSF (BIR-9420049). FESEM offers low voltage high resolution of non-coated biological specimens at 4-5 nm versus 150 nm for thermionic SEM which always requires destructive specimen coating. High voltage allows resolution c 1.5 nm versus 15 nm for a new thermionic SEM and 70 nm for the current system. FESEM/XES allows determination of element compositions in soils and mineral cycles including the new capability to identify nitrogen, boron, oxygen and fluorine and much better resolution of sodium. The biologists at OSU would be primary beneficiaries of this instrument as they constitute 7075% of the SEM use; the remaining 25-30% will be utilized by physical science, associated materials science and engineering programs. Major biological users include Dr. Philip Brownell's research on sensory neurobiology of arthropods which focuses on cuticular sense organs and the correlation of fine structure with sensory function. Dr. Elaine Ingham would utilize the FESEM/XES to determine change in structure and mineral composition of soil under conditi ons of global climate change. Dr. Terri Lomax's research centers on understanding the regulation of plant growth and development at the level of cellular responses to hormonal and environmental signals. Dr. Robert Mason studies the reproductive biology and chemical ecology of reptiles. Dr. Michael Nesson focuses on iron biomineralization and the role of biologically synthesized magnetic minerals. Dr. Barbara Taylor's program investigates intercellular communication between muscles and their innervating nerves during adult development of fruit flies. Most of these researchers have or have had significant NSF funding for their programs. In addition, this SEM/XES system would benefit other major user groups in chemical engineering, geosciences and materials sciences. Representative research programs are described for each of these areas. It will also assist in attracting faculty and students to OSU, contribute to undergraduate and graduate student training, and is essential to many other of OSU's basic and applied research programs in: x biochemistry, botany, chemistry, entomology, geology, microbiology, physics, plant pathology, and zoology; x air, water, and soil ecology, pollution, and resource development and conservation; x forest pathology, productivity, and development and performance of wood products; x foods and nutrition; x engineering, advanced metallic, ceramic, glass, and polymeric materials; development, failure analysis, and tribology.