MRI-R2: Development of Electrostatic high energy focused ion beam (HEFIB) nanoprobe system

0960222 glassu。技术摘要：该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。目前迫切需要新一代技术，以纳米级分辨率探测材料的结构和性能，并操纵有机和无机纳米材料。高能（MeV）离子可以穿透材料表面以下，散射可以忽略不计，离子-原子相互作用可以精确控制，从而提供了一种独特的方法，通过这种方法可以研究和/或操纵表面到亚表面区域。作为MeV质子微探针系统的支柱，世界范围内使用的相当麻烦的磁聚焦系统已经取得了显著的操作成就，但是这些系统无法聚焦重离子束，这使得几乎所有与聚焦MeV离子束有关的工作都偏离了质子束可以使用的主题-元素周期表的其余部分基本上保持不变。该项目将开发一种新型的静电高能聚焦离子束（HEFIB）纳米探针系统，专门用于使用重MeV离子在纳米尺度上修饰和表征材料。与目前世界范围内使用的依赖质量的磁场聚焦系统相比，与质量无关的静电四极聚焦系统将使几个操作和物理参数相对于目前可用的磁聚焦系统有超过一个数量级的重大改进。要实现的这些技术改进中最重要的是将MeV重离子可达到的最小探针尺寸大幅减小到100纳米以下的尺寸，并能够生产任何离子或带电簇的100纳米以下探针。合作开发该系统的将是路易斯安那大学拉斐特分校的路易斯安那加速器中心、北德克萨斯大学和美国国家静电公司。此外，在这一发展项目内建立一个将国家实验室和其他大学联系起来的协同合作网络，将加强和加速在一些与国家和国际有关的研究领域传播技术进步。值得注意的是，这种独特的仪器构成了材料研究技术资源的革命性进步，参与该项目的学生将与来自大学、国家实验室和工业界的美国领先专家并肩工作，开发一种独特的研究工具，同时获得跨学科科学和工程领域的宝贵经验。这项技术预期的广泛增长和影响也将同时为一个人口多样化的学生和教师社区开辟新的机会。概要：本奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。科学家和工程师们一直在寻找新的方法来在微观尺度上探测和研究材料，高能离子束是可用的多功能技术工具之一。离子是从原子中除去一个或多个电子，使其带电，从而使其运动受到磁场或电场的影响。当高能离子撞击材料表面时，它们与表面上的原子相互作用，从而可以研究材料的表面和体积性质。将这些离子束聚焦到小点上，可以在微观尺度上研究材料的特性。图案也可以在一种叫做纳米光刻的工艺中“书写”。然而，目前使用的磁聚焦系统有一个主要的缺点，即聚焦只对低质量质子（氢离子）束有效。位于拉斐特的路易斯安那大学路易斯安那加速器中心将与北德克萨斯大学和国家静电公司合作，开发第一个基于电场的高能聚焦离子束（HEFIB）纳米探针，以实现高能重离子的高效聚焦，能够在纳米尺度上研究和修饰材料。这一革命性的进步将为从事许多重要材料研究领域的科学家提供独特的研究工具，这些领域包括生物学、医学、农业、半导体、地质学、纳米制造、纳米材料、考古学、艺术、法医学、催化和放射性废物管理。参与该项目的学生将与来自大学、国家实验室和工业界的美国领先专家并肩工作，开发一种独特的研究工具，同时获得具有全球相关性的跨学科科学和工程领域的宝贵经验。预计这项技术的广泛应用也将为各种教育和文化背景的学生和教师提供新的机会。

0960222GlassU. of Louisiana at LafayetteTechnical Summary: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). There is an ongoing critical need for new-generation techniques to probe materials structure and properties with nanoscale resolutions and to manipulate organic and inorganic nano-materials. High energy (MeV) ions can penetrate well below surfaces of materials with negligible scattering and with precisely controllable ion-atom interactions, thereby offering a unique means by which surface to sub-surface regions can be studied and/or manipulated. The rather cumbersome magnetic focusing systems that have been utilized worldwide as the mainstay of MeV proton microprobe systems have attained notable operational accomplishments, but the inability of these systems to focus heavy ion beams has skewed virtually all work with focused MeV ion beams to those topics for which proton beams can be used - the remainder of the periodic table has remained essentially untouched. This project will develop a novel electrostatic high energy focused ion beam (HEFIB) nanoprobe system specifically designed for modifying and characterizing materials at nanoscale dimensions using heavy MeV ions. In contrast to the mass dependent magnetic field focusing systems now used worldwide, a mass-independent electrostatic quadrupole focusing will enable major improvements of more than an order of magnitude for several of the operational and physical parameters relative to the presently available magnetic focusing systems. The most significant of these technological improvements to be realized are the substantial reduction of the minimum attainable probe size for MeV heavy ions to sub-100 nm dimensions and the capability to produce sub-100 nm probes of any ion or charged cluster.Collaborating in the development of the system will be the Louisiana Accelerator Center at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, The University of North Texas, and National Electrostatics Corporation. Additionally, the establishment of a synergistic collaborative network within this development project which links national laboratories and other universities will enhance and accelerate the dissemination of technology advancement in a number of research areas having national and international relevance. Notably, this unique instrumentation constitutes a revolutionary advancement of technological resources for materials research and the students participating in this project will work side by side with leading U.S. experts in the field from universities, national laboratories, and industry to develop a unique research tool, while concurrently gaining invaluable experience with interdisciplinary fields of science and engineering. The anticipated broad growth and impact of this technology will also simultaneously open new opportunities for a demographically diverse community of students and faculty.Layman Summary: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Scientists and engineers are continually looking for new ways to probe and study materials on the microscopic scale and high energy ion beams are one of the versatile technological tools available. An ion is the result of removing one or more electrons from an atom to make it electrically charged and therefore able to have its motion influenced with magnetic or electric fields. When high energy ions strike the surfaces of materials they interact with the atoms in the surface to allow the study of surface and bulk properties. Focusing these ion beams to small spots makes it possible to investigate the properties of materials on a microscopic scale. Patterns can also be "written" in a process called nanolithography. However, the magnetic focusing systems presently in use today have a major disadvantage because the focusing is effective only for low mass proton (hydrogen ion) beams. The Louisiana Accelerator Center of The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will work with The University of North Texas and National Electrostatics Corporation to develop the first electric field-based High Energy Focused Ion Beam (HEFIB) nanoprobe to allow highly effective focusing of high energy heavy ions capable of studying and modifying materials at nanoscale dimensions. This revolutionary step forward will provide unique research tools for scientists engaged in many important areas of materials research including biology, medicine, agriculture, semiconductors, geology, nanofabrication, nanomaterials, archaeology, art, forensic science, catalysis, and radioactive waste management. The students participating in this project will work side by side with leading U.S. experts in the field from universities, national laboratories, and industry to develop a unique research tool while gaining invaluable experience with interdisciplinary fields of science and engineering in research with worldwide relevance. The anticipated wide distribution of this technology will also open new opportunities for students and faculty across a wide range of educational and cultural backgrounds.