MRI: Acquisition of a state-of-the-art atom probe for three-dimensional imaging and analysis of materials

该奖项来自重大研究仪器计划，支持伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳尚潘分校（UIUC）购买用于材料三维成像和分析的原子探针仪器。纳米级材料的受控组织可以显著改善其结构和功能性能，如汽车和航空航天应用的高强度结构材料，具有纳米弥散体的合金，用于核能应用的高抗辐照性，用于高效能量转换和快速通信的光电纳米器件，或用于传感的高级陶瓷和用于恶劣和高温环境的涂层。进一步优化这些材料和开发新材料的关键需求是其底层纳米结构的三维化学表征。最近在原子探针层析成像技术的突破，使化学元素在这些纳米结构的映射与前所未有的空间分辨率和检测效率。该仪器将成为伊利诺伊大学材料研究实验室用户设施的一部分，确保材料界广泛使用该仪器进行研究和教育。该仪器所支持的研究将为材料的开发提供关键知识，这些材料在能源，医学，信息技术，交通和环境领域具有广泛的社会影响。该主要研究仪器（MRI）资助支持购买用于材料三维成像和分析的原子探针。这种最先进的局部电极原子探针提供了前所未有的检测效率和多功能性。该仪器将被集成在伊利诺伊大学Frederick Seitz材料研究实验室（MRL）的用户设施中，并广泛提供给来自学术和非学术组织的内部和外部用户。该仪器将用于在各种领域中以亚纳米分辨率揭示三维纳米结构的化学，包括（1）具有增强的辐射耐受性的先进纳米结构核材料;（2）氧化物和陶瓷中晶界和其他缺陷处的离子偏析和传输;（3）Si和III-V半导体异质结构、纳米线和量子点。它还将有助于阐明复杂材料系统的响应，如（4）块体金属玻璃、具有形状记忆功能的高熵合金和纳米孪晶金属中化学与局部塑性之间的耦合;（5）块体合金在诸如辐照和严重塑性变形等外力作用下的自组织，从而产生自适应功能;（6）经受恶劣环境的表面的演变，包括面向等离子体的材料、电池电极和用于骨整合和矿化的纳米结构的生物活性界面;以及（7）先进超级合金和涂层的开发。用户获得的数据将存档在一个可广泛访问但安全的数据储存库中，以利于原子模型的开发和验证。除了满足关键的研究需求外，APT还将通过提供用户培训，教育和推广机会来支持大学的核心教育使命。此外，伊利诺伊大学和供应商将建立战略合作伙伴关系，由MRL每年举办APT培训课程，进一步扩大接受过最先进原子探针断层扫描培训的用户群。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) with the acquisition of a atom probe instrument for three-dimensional imaging and analysis of materials.The controlled organization of materials at the nanoscale can offer dramatic improvements in their structural and functional performances, as illustrated by high strength structural materials for automotive and aerospace applications, alloys with nanodispersoids for high irradiation resistance for nuclear power applications, opto-electronic nano-devices for high efficiency energy conversion and fast communication, or advanced ceramics for sensing and coatings for harsh and high temperature environments. A critical need for further optimizing these materials and developing new ones is the chemical characterization in three dimensions of their underlying nanostructures. Recent technical breakthroughs in atom probe tomography allow the mapping of chemical elements in these nanostructures with unprecedented spatial resolution and detection efficiency. This instrument will be part of the User Facility at the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, ensuring that it will be broadly accessible to the materials community for research and education. The research enabled by this instrument will provide critical knowledge for the development of materials with broad societal impacts in the areas of energy, medicine, information technology, transportation, and the environment.This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant supports the acquisition of an atom probe for three-dimensional imaging and analysis of materials. This state-of-the-art local-electrode atom probe offers unprecedented detection efficiency and versatility. This instrument will be integrated in the User Facility of the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) at the University of Illinois, and broadly accessible to internal and external users from academic and non-academic organizations. This instrument will be used to unravel the chemistry of nanostructures in three dimensions with sub-nanometer resolution in a wide variety of fields, including (1) advanced nanostructured nuclear materials with increased radiation tolerance; (2) ion segregation and transport at grain boundaries and other defects in oxides and ceramics; (3) Si and III-V semi-conductor heterostructures, nanowires and quantum dots. It will also allow elucidating the response of complex materials systems, such as (4) the coupling between chemistry and local plasticity in bulk metallic glasses, high-entropy alloys with shape-memory function, and nanotwinned metals; (5) the self-organization of bulk alloys under external forcing such as irradiation and severe plastic deformation, resulting in self-adapting functionalities; (6) the evolution of surfaces subjected to harsh environments, including plasma-facing materials, battery electrodes, and bio-actives interfaces nanostructured for osseointegration and mineralization; and (7) the development of advanced superalloys and coatings. The data acquired by users will be archived in a broadly accessible, but secured data repository for the benefits of the development and validation of atomistic models. In addition to fulfilling critical research needs, the APT will support the University core missions of education by providing user training, education, and outreach opportunities. Furthermore, the University of Illinois and the vendor will establish a strategic partnership, with the MRL hosting APT training classes every year, further expanding the pool of users trained to used state-of-the-art atom probe tomography.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.