MRI: Acquisition of a Sputtering System for Device and Material Research (SDMR) at Hispanic Gateway Institutions

这项研究的目标是通过收购德克萨斯大学泛美分校和德克萨斯大学布朗斯维尔分校的设备和材料研究溅射系统，支持正在进行的多学科研究，并提供半导体和薄膜研究方面的学生培训。采取这种方法是为了丰富多学科研究伙伴关系，加强两所院校教授和学生之间的合作，吸引新的研究支持来源，并将设备和材料教育提升到具有竞争力的水平。智能优势集中在为多学科问题找到解决方案，例如半导体材料和器件的更高可靠性、更容易的热管理和更简单的制造工艺。该项目支持和促进在微制造领域的实践、创业和教育体验，以通过表征、改进和开发薄膜和电子设备来加强研究基础设施。更广泛的影响包括在历史上代表不足的德克萨斯州南部150万人口地区的学术丰富。调查人员将努力找出进入工程学科的女性人数较少的关键问题，并解释让更多女性参与这一与技术相关的领域的必要性。此次收购还将有助于培养合格和熟练的研究生和本科生，并为少数族裔服务机构以设备和材料为中心的强有力的综合研究和教育计划奠定基础。

The objective of this research is to support ongoing multidisciplinary research and provide student training in semiconductor and thin film research through the acquisition of a Sputtering System for Device and Material Research at The University of Texas-Pan American and at The University of Texas at Brownsville. This approach is being taken to enrich the multidisciplinary research partnership and strengthen the collaboration between professors and students from the two institutions, attract new sources of research support, and elevate device and material education to a competitive level. The intellectual merit is focused on finding solutions to multidisciplinary issues such as higher reliability, easier thermal management, and simpler manufacturing processes in semiconductor materials and devices. The project supports and promotes a hands-on, entrepreneurial, educational experience in micro-fabrication to enhance research infrastructure through characterization, improvement and development of thin films and electronics devices.The broader impact includes academic enrichment in a historically underrepresented region of south Texas with a population of 1.5 million. The investigators will work to find out the key issues behind the low number of women entering the engineering discipline and to explain the necessity of having more women involved in this technology-related field. The acquisition will also help to prepare qualified and skilled graduate and undergraduate students and lays the foundation for strong integrated research and education initiatives centered on devices and materials at Minority Serving Institutions.