Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Nanotechnology Research, Training, and Education

CTS-0520863-MRI 瓦拉赫拉米扬 路易斯安那理工大学用于纳米技术研究、培训和教育的场发射扫描电子显微镜本项目提供了一台场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）的采购，以加强路易斯安那理工大学（LaTech）的纳米技术研究、培训和教育。并允许邻近的格兰布林州立大学（GSU）和路易斯安那州北部和该地区的其他用户使用该仪器进行研究、教育，工业需求。LaTech和GSU（HBCU）有3个与微型制造研究所（IfM）相关的联合教师任命教师（JFAP）职位。本提案的PI和Co-PI由IfM提供。PI（Varahramyan）是IfM主任，两名共同PI（Lvov McShane）是IfM纳米技术领导者，一名共同PI（Dobbins），她是一名纳米技术专家和JFAP教师，直接连接IfM和GSU纳米技术研究和教育工作，另一名共同PI（Gunasekaran）负责IfM的测量表征部分，并拥有广泛的仪器（包括SEM）用于纳米测量的经验。IfM已经存在了12年，致力于微/纳米尺度系统的研究，教育和商业化。它为教师和外部合作伙伴/用户提供微/纳米制造资源，用于生物医学，化学，信息技术和其他应用的微/纳米系统的开发。IfM拥有30多名科学工程学院博士后和15名员工，占地65，000平方米。英尺设施，包括现代化的41，000平方米。英尺知识优势：FESEM将使广泛的研究/培训工作受益，包括由NSF主要项目赞助的工作：用于封装和控释的纳米工程外壳NSF NIRT，微悬臂梁生物传感器的多层修饰NSF-ECS和微/纳米技术高级物理，化学和生物传感器NSF/EPSCoR RII。作为这些努力的一部分，严重依赖于纳米结构材料成像的主要领域是开发用于药物、蛋白质、核酸和细胞的封装和受控定位的自组装纳米材料，用于药物递送、组织工程和传感应用。最近由NSF资助的第二个项目是通过使用多层改性的微传感器来开发用于化学战剂或模拟物的极其敏感和高度选择性的微传感器。在开发这些化学传感器时，需要以纳米分辨率检测梁和纳米涂层。另一个重点关注领域是生物传感器和组织工程，这是在IfM的生物工程领域，其中技术使用微和纳米制造与分子的生物界面的组合，不能分析或评估没有计量设备与纳米分辨率。目前的IfM成像能力无法满足这些工作的要求。对这些项目以及其他几个正在进行的项目和新项目的研究需求，包括在GSU的研究需求，为FESEM的要求提供了依据，FESEM需要高分辨率SEM，以1 nm分辨率表征纳米级材料和结构，并能够确定元素的化学信息和空间分布（现有的SEM无法分辨小于~35 nm的特征）。一个新的FESEM加上现有的IFM资源，使LaTech和合作机构有可能促进纳米技术研究，培训，在历史上处于不利地位的国家地区的教育。计划的教育工作包括在LaTech的课程中教授FESEM理论和实践（例如微/纳米尺度材料测量分析），吸引来自纳米技术重点课程的学生，从博士学位到博士学位。工程和博士学位生物医学工程，分子科学硕士纳米技术和微系统工程硕士。大约一半的549（秋季04）工程和科学硕士。和博士学生们专门从事研究，并参加与IfM相关的课程。128位博士超过一半的学生是IfM的学生，他们的研究和课程工作将受到FESEM可用性的高度影响。本科生也是如此，包括LaTech的新学士学位。在纳米系统工程（计划在秋季05）在工程科学学院，并在GSU的学士学位。Dobbins博士（共同PI）和Derosa博士（共同研究员）在与IfM相关的JFAP教师职位上，并将领导其中的一些工作。FESEM还将为LaTech的NSF-REU资助项目（2003-06）“微纳米工程本科生经验”提供服务，供10名学生（包括代表性不足的群体）在夏季进行研究。此外，FESEM将显著影响路易斯安那州北部和该地区的经济发展和工业需求，并将支持IfM在NSF PFI赠款（2003-06）中的努力，即“路易斯安那州北部农村新兴技术风险投资”。"

CTS-0520863-MRI Varahramyan Louisiana Tech UniversityField Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Nano-technology Research, Training, and Education This project provides for acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) to enhance nano-technology research, training, and education at Louisiana Tech University (LaTech), and to allow neighboring Grambling State University (GSU) and other users in north Louisiana and the region to have access to this instrument for research, educational, and industrial needs. LaTech and GSU (HBCU) have 3 Joint Faculty Appointment Faculty (JFAP) positions associated with the Institute for Micro-manufacturing (IfM). The PI and Co-PIs of this proposal are with IfM. The PI (Varahramyan) is the IfM Director, two Co-PIs (Lvov & McShane) are IfM nano-technology leaders, one Co-PIs (Dobbins), she is a nano-technologist and a JFAP faculty directly linking the IfM and GSU nano-technology research and educational efforts, and another Co-PI (Gunasekaran) heads IfM's Measurements & Characterization Section, and has experience with wide range of instruments (including SEM) for nanoscale measurements. IfM, has existed for over 12 years, and is dedicated to micro-/nano-scale systems research, education, and commercialization. It provides its faculty and external partners/users with micro-/nano-manufacturing resources, for development of micro-/nano-systems for biomedical, chemical, information technology, and other applications. IfM, with over 30 science & engineering faculty & post-docs, and a staff of 15, consists of 65,000 sq. ft. of facilities, including a modern 41,000 sq. ft. R & D building, to house the new FESEM, in the Measurements & Characterization Section.Intellectual Merit: A wide range of research/training efforts will benefit from FESEM, including work sponsored by major NSF projects: Nano-engineered Shells for Encapsulation and Controlled Release NSF NIRT, Multilayer Modification for Micro-cantilever Biosensors NSF-ECS, and Micro/Nano-technologies Advanced Physical, Chemical, and Biological Sensors NSF/EPSCoR RII. As part of these efforts, a major area heavily relying on imaging of nano-structured materials is the development of self-assembled nano-materials for encapsulation and controlled localization of drugs, proteins, nucleic acids, and cells, for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and sensing applications. A second project recently funded by NSF is to develop extremely sensitive and highly selective micro-sensors for chemical warfare agents or simulants, by using multilayer modified micro-cantilevers. In developing these chemical sensors, the beams and nano-coatings need to be inspected with nanometer resolution. Another key focus area is biosensors and tissue engineering, which are in IfM's bioengineering area, where the techniques use a combination of micro and nano-fabrication with a biological interface of molecules that cannot be analyzed or evaluated without metrology equipment with nanometer resolution. Current IfM imaging capabilities are unable to meet the requirements of these efforts. Research needs on these and several other ongoing and new projects, including at GSU, give the basis for the FESEM request, where high resolution SEM is needed to characterize nano-scale materials and structures at 1 nm resolution, with ability to determine chemical information and spatial distributions of elements (existing SEM can not resolve features at less than ~35 nm).Broader Impact: A new FESEM coupled with existing IfM resources makes it possible for LaTech and collaborating institutions to promote nano-technology research, training, and education in a historically disadvantaged region of the nation. Planned educational efforts include teaching FESEM theory and practice in courses at LaTech (e.g. Micro/Nano Scale Materials Measurements & Analysis), attracting students from programs with nano-technology emphasis, ranging from Ph.D. in Engineering and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, to MS in Molecular Science & Nano-technology and MS in Microsystems Engineering. About half of 549 (Fall 04) engineering and science M.S. and Ph.D. students are specializing in research and taking courses associated with IfM. Of 128 Ph.D. students, over half are with IfM, and their research and course work will be highly impacted by the FESEM availability. Same will be for undergraduate students, including in LaTech's new B.S. in Nano-systems Engineering (planned for Fall 05) in College of Engineering & Science, and in GSU's B.S. degrees in Physics and Chemistry, in College of Science & Technology, where Drs. Dobbins (a Co-PI) and Derosa (a Co-Investigator) are in JFAP faculty positions associated with IfM and will be leading some of these efforts. The FESEM will also serve LaTech's NSF-REU funded-project (2003-06), on "Undergraduate Experiences in Micro- & Nano-Engineering," for 10 students (including underrepresented groups) to pursue research during summer. Moreover, the FESEM will noticeably impact economic development and industrial needs of north Louisiana and the region, and will also support IfM's efforts in the NSF PFI grant (2003-06), on "Ventures for Emerging Technologies in Rural North Louisiana."