MRI: Acquisition of a Multifunctional X-Ray Diffraction System for Multidisciplinary Research and Education

博伊西州立大学（BSU）将获得一个多功能x射线衍射系统（XRD），用于多学科研究和教育。这种最先进的仪器将配备铜管x射线发生器、交叉光束光学、广角角测角仪、衍射光束光学、闪烁探测器、小角度散射单元、冷级和热级、先进的薄膜测量单元和劳厄单元。对于晶体物体，包括纳米结构、生物矿物、蛋白质晶体、薄膜、半导体、金属、陶瓷、聚合物、病毒晶体和纳米晶体，x射线衍射是一种通用的工具，用于分析原子和分子的局部和全局排列。XRD将服务于6个系的超过15个教员。项目涵盖了纳米技术和其他材料相关领域的各种主题，包括：通过还原形成的纳米颗粒、嵌段共聚物中的纳米相结构、纳米磁力学、新型存储材料、矿物中的生物还原转化、合金中的相变、铁磁薄膜、胶原蛋白、自旋电子学、电子材料和相识别。XRD将显著加强和促进现有的和正在发展的跨部门和机构间的国家和国际合作。XRD将成为学生培训以及本科生和研究生研究的主要资源。x射线衍射仪将用于一些本科和研究生水平的课程，包括物理学523，材料表征的物理方法，MSE研究生课程的核心课程，以及地质学和生物学课程。博伊西州立大学是一所快速发展的大都市研究机构，位于美国发展最快的高科技地区之一爱达荷州博伊西。美光科技和其他当地公司需要表征专业知识，并将他们的员工送到BSU接受包括材料表征在内的纳米技术学科的培训。通过新的XRD，我们通过吸引更多的学生学习科学和工程，通过改善本科和研究生水平的科学和工程教育，以及通过促进尖端的基础研究和与当地工业的互动来响应这一需求。x射线衍射仪将作为每年在工学院举行的为期两天的9年级和10年级女学生“e-Girls”探险活动等小学生参观的示范仪器，并将作为展示仪器，促进理工科学生的招聘。它将被从事跨学科材料副修研究的本科生以及化学、物理、地球科学、生物和材料科学与工程专业的学生大量使用。它也将成为越来越多的研究生和教师的主要表征工具。通过新的XRD， BSU将通过培训熟练的科学家和工程师来满足爱达荷州南部快速发展的高科技和纳米技术产业日益增长的科学和教育需求。

Technical AbstractBoise State University (BSU) will acquire a multifunctional x-ray diffraction system (XRD) for multidisciplinary research and education. This state-of-the-art instrumentation will be equipped with a Cu tube x-ray generator, cross beam optics, a wide angle goniometer, diffracted-beam optics, a scintillation detector, a small angle scattering unit, cold and hot stages, an advanced thin film measurement unit, and a Laue unit. For crystalline objects including nanostructures, biominerals, protein crystals, thin films, semiconductors, metals, ceramics, polymers, virus crystals, and nanocrystals, x-ray diffraction is a versatile tool used to analyze local and global arrangements of atoms and molecules. The XRD will serve more than fifteen faculty of six departments. Projects cover a diverse range of topics of nanotechnology and other materials-related areas including: nanoparticles formed via reduction, nanophase structures in block copolymers, nano-magneto-mechanics, novel storage materials, bioreductive transformations in minerals, phase transformations in alloys, ferromagnetic thin films, collagen, spintronics, electronic materials, and phase identification. The XRD will significantly enhance and foster existing and developing inter-departmental and inter-institutional national and international collaborations. The XRD will become a major resource for student training and undergraduate and graduate student research. The XRD will be utilized in several undergraduate and graduate level courses including PHYS 523, Physical Methods of Materials Characterization, a core course in the MSE graduate program, and courses in Geology and Biology.Lay AbstractBoise State University is a rapidly growing metropolitan research institution located in Boise, Idaho, one of the fastest growing high technology regions in the country. Micron Technology and other local companies are in need of characterization expertise and send their employees to BSU for training in nanotechnology subjects including materials characterization. With the new XRD we respond to this demand by attracting more students to science and engineering, by improving science and engineering education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and by fostering cutting-edge basic research and interaction with local industry. The XRD will be used as a demonstration instrument for tours by grade school children including a yearly two-day adventure "e-Girls" for female students in 9th and 10th grade held at the College of Engineering, and will promote recruitment in science and engineering by serving as a showcase instrument. It will be heavily utilized by undergraduates doing research in the interdisciplinary materials minor and by majors in chemistry, physics, geosciences, biology and materials science and engineering. It will also be a chief characterization tool for a large and growing number of graduate students and faculty. Through the new XRD, BSU will accomplish the increasing scientific and educational needs of the rapidly growing high-tech and nanotechnology industry of Southern Idaho by training skilled scientists and engineers.