Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope

该补助金支持购买超高分辨率场发射扫描电子显微镜，用于材料科学研究和教育。这种最先进的显微镜将配备标准的二次和背散射电子探测器，低千伏背散射探测器，扫描透射显微镜（STEM）探测器，能量色散X射线（EDX）分析系统，电子背散射衍射（EBSD）系统，和电子束光刻附件。仪器和附件的选择是为了满足多学科、多用户中心分析设施的各种需求。对该设备有迫切需求的具体研究项目包括：多层热障涂层系统的基础微观力学和材料动力学;磁性纳米结构的电子束光刻图案化;使用冷轧结合退火处理金属间化合物板材的简单方法的开发;纳米结构的表面活性剂/聚合物模板合成;用等离子体增强原子层沉积法沉积金属和高K电介质薄膜用于研究和教育;以及膜微结构表征。亚拉巴马大学的材料科学事业包括化学工程、化学、电气和计算机工程、冶金和材料工程以及物理学等系。在这个企业内，信息技术材料中心教育学生在不同的科学和工程学科的职业生涯在高科技。该仪器的收购将有助于通过在亚拉巴马大学管理的一个独特的为期三周的夏季计划的非裔美国人的招聘和保留，介绍数学和科学教育工作者从HBCU的材料科学和工程（NSF DMR-9976488介绍科学教师从历史上的黑人学院和大学材料科学和工程）。该研讨会免费提供给HBCU的教师和讲师，旨在为教师和教育工作者提供对材料科学和工程学科的全面介绍，并使他们熟悉开发基于材料科学的示例和/或实验所需的工具。一个教学模块已经到位，可以利用拟议的仪器。

This grant supports the acquisition of an ultra high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscope for materials science research and education. This state-of-the-art microscope will be equipped with standard secondary and backscattered electron detectors, a low kV backscatter detector, a scanning transmission microscopy (STEM) detector, an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis system, an electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) system, and an attachment for electron beam lithography. The instrument and accessories have been chosen to meet the diverse needs of the multi-disciplinary, multi-user Central Analytical Facility. Specific research projects with immediate needs for this equipment include: Fundamental Micromechanics and Materials Dynamics of Thermal Barrier Coating Systems Containing Multiple Layers; Electron Beam Lithographic Patterning of Magnetic Nanostructures; Development of a Simplistic Method for Processing Intermetallic Sheet Materials Using Cold Roll Bonding Annealing; Surfactant/Polymer Templated Synthesis of Nanostructures; Deposition of Metal and High K Dielectric Thin Films by Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition for Research and Education; and Membrane Microstructure Characterization. The materials science enterprise at the University of Alabama encompasses the departments of chemical engineering, chemistry, electrical and computer engineering, metallurgical and materials engineering and physics. Within this enterprise the Center for Materials for Information Technology educates students in the different science and engineering disciplines for careers in high technology. The acquisition of this instrument will aid in the recruitment and retention of African Americans through a unique three-week summer program administered at The University of Alabama to introduce mathematics and science educators from HBCU's to materials science and engineering (NSF DMR-9976488 Introducing Science Faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to Materials Science and Engineering). This workshop, which is provided to faculty and instructors from HBCU's at no cost, is designed to provide faculty members and educators with a thorough introduction to the materials science and engineering discipline and to familiarize them with the instruments needed to develop materials science based examples and/or experiments for use in their own courses. A teaching module is in place that could utilize the proposed instrumentation.