MRI: Acquisition of a Scanning Tunneling Microscope for Development and Analysis of Nanostructures

PIs提议在位于新墨西哥大学（UNM）高科技材料中心（CHTM）的材料生长和表征设施中增加一台超高真空（UHV）扫描隧道显微镜（STM）。STM在探测纳米尺度原子组织及其局部电子结构方面具有前所未有的分辨率。高水平的稳定性和定位精度也使STM成为一个有能力的纳米级表面图像化工具。新墨西哥大学拥有强大的先进材料研究基础设施，包括以下所述的广泛的增长和分析设施。显微镜将通过允许他们量化材料结构和表面动力学来补充pi现有的能力。纳米技术的先进材料是他们在新墨西哥大学的主要兴趣领域之一。他们的研究副教务长、工程学院院长办公室和CHTM主任对购买STM能力的广泛支持表明了成本分担水平。UHV-STM设施将位于CHTM，在那里他们有优秀的长期工作人员进行系统校准和维护。任何新墨西哥大学的教员都将有机会增加学生和教员在纳米技术和先进材料新兴领域的参与。为了确保对整个大学的影响，STM将成为多个系（如电气与计算机工程、化学与核工程、物理与天文学和化学）和研究中心（如高科技材料中心和微工程材料中心）的多用户设施。新的表面科学能力将增加pi对纳米技术的参与，并扩大它们吸引后续资助和合作的基础。拟议的仪器将是新墨西哥大学第一个具有扩展端口的特高压- stm，以容纳真空诊断和生长/沉积室。该仪器将促进新墨西哥大学从晶体生长到无机合成的研究工作。该提案重点介绍了在新墨大的变温超高压STM的几个应用，如SiGe在纳米尺寸硅结构上的选择性生长、横截面和原子跟踪STM、磁性原子与量子点的结合以及量子点的纳米级定位。影响的直接领域之一是使用分子束外延（MBE）和金属有机化学气相沉积（MOCVD）的应变驱动的量子点（QDs）自组装。UHV-STM的收购计划有助于工程学院启动纳米材料科学与工程（NSE）学位课程。学院认识到，这一新兴领域预示着快速增长和对训练有素的劳动力的需求增加。可以预见，NSE的教育将转化为学生增加的职业潜力。在学院倡议的范围内，拟议的仪器将为课程开发提供知识库，并吸引招收代表性不足的学生。研究型教育提供了一个直接的工具，以准备本科生和研究生在NSE的职业生涯。

0216171HuffakerThe PIs propose the addition of an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to the materials growth and characterization facility located at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM). The STM is capable of unprecedented resolution in probing nanometer scale atomic organizations and their local electronic structures. The high level of stability and positioning accuracy also makes the STM a capable nano-scale surface patterning tool. The UNM has a strong infrastructure for advanced materials research, including extensive growth and analysis facilities described below. The microscope will complement the PIs existing capabilities by allowing them to quantify materials structures and surface dynamics.Advanced materials for nanotechnology is one of their key interest areas at UNM. Very broad support for purchasing the STM capability is indicated by the level of cost-sharing from their Vice-Provost for Research, the Office of the Dean for the School of Engineering and the Director of CHTM. The UHV-STM facility will be physically located at CHTM, where they have excellent, permanent staff for system calibration and maintenance. Any UNM faculty will have access to increase participation of students and faculty in the emerging field of nanotechnology and advanced materials. To ensure the University-wide impact, the STM will be a multi-user facility for several departments (e.g., Electrical & Computer Engineering, Chemical & Nuclear Engineering, Physics & Astronomy, and Chemistry) and research centers (e.g., Center for High Technology Materials and Center for Micro-Engineered Materials). The new surface science capability will increase the PIs participation in nanotechnology and broaden their basis for attracting subsequent grants and collaborations.The proposed instrumentation will be the 1st UHV-STM at UNM with expansion ports to accommodate vacuum diagnostics and growth/deposition chambers. The instrumentation will facilitate research efforts at UNM that range from crystal growth to inorganic synthesis. The proposal highlights several applications of the variable-temperature UHV-STM at UNM such as selective growth of SiGe on nanometer size silicon structures, cross-sectional and atom-tracking STM, incorporation of magnetic atoms into QDs and nano-scale positioning of QDs. One of the immediate areas of impact is strain-driven, self-assembly of quantum dots (QDs) using both molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).The proposed acquisition of the UHV-STM contributes to the School of Engineering initiative to launch a degree program in nanomaterials science and engineering (NSE). The School recognizes that this emerging field bodes rapid growth and increased demand for trained labor. Education in NSE will foreseeably translate to students' increased career potential. Within the scope of the School initiative, the proposed instrumentation will produce a knowledge base for course development and an attraction to recruit underrepresented students. The research education provides a direct vehicle to prepare undergraduate and graduate students for a career in NSE.