MRI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope with STEM and EDS Capabilities for Interdisciplinary Research and Education at Towson University

本建议中要求的扫描电子显微镜是一种能够以极高的(纳米级)分辨率获得各种材料和生物标本的图像的仪器。该仪器还具有高精度分析材料化学成分的能力。拟议中的仪器将用于推进生物、化学、地质和物理科学的几个领域的研究，涉及汤森大学费舍尔科学和数学学院(TU)多个系的教职员工和学生。新的扫描电子显微镜提供的超高分辨率成像和化学分析有望实现突破，这些发现将影响这些不同学科的基础科学，同时还将为几项对社会进步和生存至关重要的技术做出贡献。拟议中的研究项目的例子包括：提高我们对昆虫神经系统检测、分析、编码和响应化学传感信息的方式和内容的理解；探索和操纵纳米技术背后极小尺寸限制下材料的行为；利用“超材料”的力量在高温下实现超导，有可能彻底改变包括电力传输和量子计算在内的许多技术；开发对实现可行的可再生能源和清洁能源技术至关重要的催化材料；以及了解地质系统中矿物生物特征的保存，这是在外星栖息地发现生命形式的关键。这些项目将为TU和合作机构的本科生和硕士学生提供积极参与的机会，他们将在教职员工的培训和监督下使用这种先进的工具进行跨学科研究。学生的研究将使他们成为期刊出版物和会议报告的作者。预计参与的学生的研究和专业生涯将从这种先进仪器的实践经验和培训中受益匪浅。此外，该仪器及其实现的研究还将用于加强生物科学、化学和物理、天文学和地球科学系提供的几门本科和硕士课程的课堂和实验室教学。K-12合作伙伴将从与仪器有关的现场访问和演示等扩展活动中受益。这项来自主要研究仪器计划的奖项支持汤森大学(Towson University)收购一台最先进的低真空30keV肖特基场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)，该显微镜具有扫描传输模式下的纳米分辨率(S-TEM)、原位电子束构图和通过能量色散X射线光谱分析(EDS)进行元素分析的能力。该仪器对于满足目前和未来无机、电子、环境、法医、昆虫学和地球生物材料研究项目的需要至关重要。FESEM将对TU的研究人员及其邻近机构(即马里兰洛约拉大学和古彻学院)的忠实用户在产生先进的科学理解、加快研究周转速度和技术创新方面产生决定性影响。除了是一种灵活的工具，迎合了TU正在进行的跨学科研究，它还将作为内部成像、表征和结构制造工具来填补空白。该项目解决了个别和跨学科的不同研究问题，同时分享了共同的表征和制造需求。简而言之，这些是：(1)利用光束减速对生物样品表面和亚表面孔隙内的角质层结构进行成像的能力；(2)用纳米分辨率成像零、二维和三维物体以了解光学性质变化的能力；(3)用高分辨率的量子尺寸纳米团簇、铁流体、超材料超导体、钙钛矿型催化剂，在S-透射电子显微镜模式下进行分辨的能力；(4)获得高分辨率光刻图形的能力，以及(5)利用能谱仪进行元素分析的能力。仪器内的这套成像、制造和化学分析功能将使理工大学的研究人员及其邻居能够支持与学生合著者正在进行的研究活动，同时还可以在课程中推动新的学习成果。它将使学生了解关键技术。这种以本科生为主的教育机构，如TU，为此类培训提供了独特的机会。

The scanning electron microscope requested in this proposal is an instrument capable of obtaining images of various materials and biological specimens with extremely high (nanoscale) resolution. The instrument also includes capability for analyzing the chemical composition of materials with high precision. The proposed instrument will be used to advance research in several areas of biological, chemical, geological and physical sciences, involving faculty and students across multiple departments in the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics at Towson University (TU). The ultrahigh resolution imaging and chemical analysis offered by the new scanning electron microscope is expected to enable break through discoveries that will impact the fundamental science in these diverse disciplines while also contributing to several technologies that are key to societal advancement and sustenance. Examples from the proposed research projects include enhancing our understanding of how and what chemosensory information is detected, analyzed, encoded, and responded to by the insect nervous system, exploring and manipulating the behavior of materials at extremely small size limits that underlie nanotechnology, harnessing the power of "meta materials" to achieve superconductivity at high temperatures with the potential of revolutionizing many technologies including power transmission and quantum computing, developing catalyst materials that are essential for achieving viable renewable and clean energy technologies, and understanding the mineral biosignature preservation in geological systems which is the key to finding life forms in extraterrestrial habitats. These projects will provide opportunities for active participation of undergraduate and master's students at TU and collaborating institutions, who will be trained and supervised by the faculty members on the use of this advanced instrument for interdisciplinary research. Student research will result in their authorship in journal publications and conference presentations. The research and professional careers of participating students is expected to benefit greatly from the hands-on experience and training on this advanced instrument. In addition, the instrument and the research it enables will also be employed to enhance class room and laboratory instructions in several undergraduate and master's level courses offered by the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences. The K-12 partners will benefit through outreach activities, such as site visits and demonstrations, involving the instrument.This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports Towson University's (TU) acquisition of a state-of-the-art low vacuum 30keV Schottky field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with capabilities for nanometer resolution in scanning transmission mode (S-TEM), in-situ e-beam patterning, and elemental analysis via energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The instrument is crucial to meet the needs in ongoing and future research projects in inorganic, electronic, environmental, forensic, entomological and geobiological material. The FESEM will make a decisive impact in generating advanced scientific understanding, increased speed of research turn-around, and technological innovation by researchers at TU and its committed users from neighboring institutions, namely Loyola University of Maryland and Goucher College. Besides being a flexible tool catering to the ongoing inter-disciplinary research at TU, it will fill a void by serving as an in-house imaging, characterization, and structure fabrication instrument. The project addresses distinct research questions in individual and cross-disciplines, while sharing common characterization and fabrication needs. In short, these are: (1) image cuticular structures on the surface and within subsurface pores in biological samples using beam deceleration; (2) the ability to image with nanometer resolution zero-, two- and three-dimensional objects to understand optical property changes; (3) resolve with high resolution quantum sized nano clusters, ferro-fluids, metamaterial superconductors, perovskite catalysts, in S-TEM mode; (4) the ability to obtain high resolution lithographic patterning, and (5) elemental analysis using EDS. This suite of imaging, fabrication and chemical analysis capabilities within the instrument will allow researchers at TU, and its neighbors, to bolster ongoing research activities with student co-authors, while also propelling new learning outcomes in courses. It will equip students with an understanding of key technologies. This educational emphasis of primarily undergraduate institutions, like TU, affords unique opportunities for such training.