MRI/RUI: Acquisition of a Scanning Probe Microscope for Undergraduate Research

有了这笔赠款，我们将购买一台扫描探针显微镜（Quesant Instruments Model 350），用于通过原子力显微镜表征各种材料系统。 该仪器将包括附件，使我们能够在液体环境中成像系统。 两个具体项目将立即受益于收购：（1）铅磷灰石溶解的原位测量和（2）半导体薄膜的表征。 前者的动机是通过将铅固定在稳定的铅磷灰石中来回收铅污染土壤的常见实践。 我们建议研究这种矿物在酸性环境中发生的微观结构变化，因为已知酸性环境会增加铅磷灰石的溶解度。 后一个项目涉及与犹他州大学的合作，该大学的原子力显微镜将为在该机构进行的异质半导体材料的电子和光学表征提供补充信息。 这种系统的一个例子是微晶硅，其中晶粒的尺寸可以显著影响电子特性和器件特性。 此外，该仪器可在多个课堂上作示范或教学用途，有助本所的教育使命。我们将利用这笔拨款购置一台原子力显微镜，该仪器可在亚微米尺度上成像，供本科生进行物理学和地球科学研究之用。 此次收购本身将大大提高我们机构的研究能力。 韦伯州立大学的两名教师和几名本科生将使用该设备研究铅污染土壤的回收和用于半导体器件（如太阳能电池）的材料结构等问题。 该仪器还将用于韦伯州立大学地球科学和物理系的几个教学实验室和课堂演示，每年影响我们几门课程的数十名学生。 本科研究的结果和材料相关的仪器与我们的类将被张贴在我们的网站上，这达到了大量的学生内外我们的部门。

With this grant, we will purchase a scanning probe microscope (Quesant Instruments Model 350) for the characterization of various material systems by atomic force microscopy. The instrument will include accessories to allow us to image systems in liquid environments. Two specific projects will benefit immediately from the acquisition: (1) in-situ measurements of the dissolution of lead apatite and (2) characterization of semiconductor thin films. The former is motivated by the common practice of reclaiming lead-contaminated soils by immobilizing the lead in the stable lead apatite. We propose to study the microstructural changes that occur in this mineral in acidic environments, as acidic environments are known to increase the solubility of lead apatite. The latter project involves a collaboration with the University of Utah where the atomic force microscope will provide complementary information to the electronic and optical characterization of heterogeneous semiconducting materials conducted at that institution. An example of such a system is microcrystalline silicon, where the size of crystalline grains can dramatically affect the electronic properties and device characteristics. This acquisition will also benefit the educational mission of our institution, as the instrument can be used in several classes either for classroom demonstrations or instructional exercises.With this grant, we will acquire an atomic force microscope, an instrument capable of imaging materials on the sub-micrometer scale, for undergraduate research in physics and geosciences. This acquisition will, by itself, significantly enhance the research capabilities of our institution. Two faculty members at Weber State University and several undergraduate students will use this equipment to study such problems as the reclamation of lead-contaminated soils and the structure of materials used for semiconducting devices, such as solar cells. The instrument will also be used for several instructional laboratories and class demonstrations for the geoscience and physics departments at Weber State, affecting dozens of students in several of our courses every year. Results of undergraduate research and materials related to this instrumentation relevant to our classes will be posted on our websites, which reach a large number of students inside and outside our departments.