MRI: Acquisition of an Electron Back Scattering Diffraction System to Advance Materials Research and Education at Clarion University

这项仪器收购资助了一个电子背散射衍射(EBSD)系统，以更新克拉里昂大学现有的扫描电子显微镜。EBSD是一种强大的晶体结构分析工具，特别是在微米级和近微米级。随着该仪器的加入，研究人员开展了内部基础材料表征研究，范围从形貌观察、元素分析到晶体结构表征。该仪器影响着物理、生物、化学、人类学和地质学等领域的研究活动。克拉里恩大学位于宾夕法尼亚州西部的农村，距离任何大城市或其他学术中心大约两个小时的车程。因此，除了本科教育的使命外，克拉里昂大学还承担着向周围社区传播知识、与当地学区共享资源和支持企业的责任。沿着这条线，显微镜被用于本科研究、课程教学和高中外展活动。克拉里昂大学的教职员工努力开发在教学大学环境下有价值和可信的研究活动。与材料科学相关的话题符合这一目标，在校园里很受欢迎。在现有的扫描电子显微镜上增加了EBSD功能，使该仪器能够识别晶相并研究它们在微观材料不同位置的变化。由于显微镜能力的增强，样本研究项目包括铝-铜-铁合金中发现的二十面体准晶薄膜和新型同心环的取向分析、氮化硼纳米片的晶体结构分析、美洲原住民陶器的鉴定、纳米钻石的物相鉴定以及有机晶体的结构分析。

This instrument acquisition grant funds an electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) system to update an existing scanning electron microscope at Clarion University. EBSD is a powerful instrument for crystal structure analysis, especially at and near the micrometer scale. With the addition of this instrument, researchers carry out in-house basic materials characterization research, ranging from morphology observation, elemental analysis, to crystal structure characterization. The instrument impacts the research activities in areas of physics, biology, chemistry, anthropology, and geology. Located in rural western Pennsylvania, Clarion University is roughly a two-hour drive from any major cities or other academic centers. Consequently, in addition to its mission in undergraduate education, Clarion University also assumes the responsibility of spreading knowledge to surrounding communities, sharing resources with local school districts, and supporting businesses. Along this line, the microscope is used in undergraduate research, course teaching, and high school outreach activities.Faculty members at Clarion University strive to develop research activities that are valuable and plausible at a teaching university setting. Topics related to material science fit this goal and are popular on campus. The EBSD function added to the existing scanning electron microscope makes the instrument possible to identify crystal phases and study their variations in different locations of microscopic materials. Sample research projects enabled by the enhanced capabilities of the microscope include orientation analysis of icosahedral quasicrystalline thin films and novel concentric rings found in aluminum-copper-iron alloys, crystal structure analysis of boron nitride nanosheets, identification of Native American pottery, phase identification of nanodiamond, and structure analysis of organic crystals.