MRI: Acquisition of a Mask Aligner for Micro/Nano-Fabrication Research at Arkansas State University

该主要研究仪器（MRI）奖支持获得用于微/纳米制造的掩膜对准器。该仪器将支持阿肯色州立大学琼斯博罗分校（ASU-J）工程、物理、化学、分子生物学和食品科学等多个研究小组正在进行和未来的基于微/纳米尺度制造的研究和教育。该仪器将用于支持能量收集装置、传感器和致动器、光子物质的感应电磁场以及细胞和分子生物学的检测/操作等方面的研究。可再生能源的微/纳米制造研究将使用该系统来研究能量收集/高效设备？集中的光伏、热电和光子显示和晶体？提高能源转换效率和成本效益。研究人员还将利用该设备研究微图案结构对细胞和分子生物学的影响。此外，所要求的掩模对准器将在更深入的纳米级原子应用中经常用于纳米压印光刻。该仪器将扩大和加强亚利桑那州立大学j分校资源有效和可持续利用中心（CESUR）的研究项目和机会，并为工程、物理、化学、分子生物学和食品科学项目的教师、研究生和本科生提供多学科研究经验。教学将通过在使用该仪器的课程中开发新的活动而受到影响。就读于亚利桑那州立大学j校区新开发的工程硕士（MSEng）项目的学生将经常使用这些设备进行微/纳米级设备开发的研发和教学目的。更多的研究机会也会增加大学的价值。美国努力从传统上代表性不足的群体中招募和留住学生和教师。

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a mask aligner for micro/nano-fabrication. The instrument will support ongoing and future micro/nano-scale fabrication-based research and education by multiple research groups in engineering, physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and food science at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro (ASU-J). The instrument will be used to support research focused on energy harvesting devices, sensors and actuators, induced electromagnetic fields onto photonic matter, and detection/manipulation of cells and molecular biology. Research in renewable energy with micro/nano-fabrication will use this system to allow the study of energy harvesting/efficient devices ? concentrated photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and photonic displays and crystals ? for enhanced in energy conversion efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Research will also use this equipment to study the effects of micro-patterned structures on the cell and molecular biology. Additionally, the requested mask aligner will be used frequently for nano-imprinting lithography in more in-depth nano-scaled atomic applications.This instrument will expand and enhance research projects and opportunities within the Center for Efficient and Sustainable Use of Resources (CESUR) at ASU-J and provide multi-disciplinary research experiences for faculty and graduate and undergraduate students in engineering, physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and food science programs. Instruction will be impacted via the development of new activities in courses that make use of the instrument. Students enrolled in the newly developed Master of Science in Engineering (MSEng) program on ASU-J campus, will utilize this equipment frequently for both R&D and instructional purposes for micro/nano-scaled device development. Enhanced research opportunities will also increase the University?s effort to recruit and retain students and faculty from traditionally underrepresented groups.