Emergency repair to a 5-motion computer-controlled manipulator for ESCA lab 250

这个小型设备应用程序寻求对滑铁卢大学成像ESCA微探针中重要部件的关键修复支持。配备了多种技术（包括x射线和紫外光电子能谱，深度剖面，化学状态成像，扫描电子显微镜和俄歇电子显微镜），Thermo VG Scientific ESCALab 250系统代表了世界上最好的实验室成像ESCA仪器之一。滑铁卢机器也是加拿大唯一的ESCALab 250系统，是一种最先进的实验室ESCA仪器，能够在高空间分辨率下进行化学状态成像。该成像ESCA系统自2000年投入使用以来，一直被大量使用，服务于滑铁卢大学75个本地研究小组和加拿大其他大学30个学术小组的研究需求。具体来说，所要求的支持将允许我们更换在2008年5月16日遭受灾难性故障的关键的5运动计算机控制机械手。如果没有工作机械手，用户将无法(1)将样品从负载锁定室转移到分析室，(2)通过改变工作距离（z位置）对反磁瓶透镜进行信号优化，以及(3)在计算机控制下获取样品特定位置（x，y位置）的数据，这使得这个价值250万美元的仪器几乎无法使用。此次维修将使Waterloo ESCALab系统恢复全面运行，并具有最先进的性能。所要求的修复对于滑铁卢大学各种材料科学和工程研究项目的持续生存至关重要。

This minor equipment application seeks the support for a critical repair to a vital component in the Imaging ESCA Microprobe at the University of Waterloo. Equipped with multiple techniques (including X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, depth profiling, chemical-state imaging, scanning electron microscopy, and Auger electron microscopy), the Thermo VG Scientific ESCALab 250 system represents one of the best laboratory-based imaging ESCA instruments in the world. The Waterloo machine is also the only ESCALab 250 system in Canada and is a state-of-the-art, laboratory-based ESCA instrument capable of chemical-state imaging at high spatial resolution. This imaging ESCA system has been in operation since 2000 and has been under heavy usage, serving the research needs of over 75 local research groups from the University of Waterloo and 30 academic groups from other Canadian universities. Specifically, the requested support will allow us to replace the crucial 5-motion computer-controlled manipulator that suffered a catastrophic failure on 16 May 2008. Without a working manipulator, it will not be possible for the user (1) to transfer the sample from the load-lock chamber into the analysis chamber, (2) to perform signal optimization of the inverse magnetic-bottled lens by varying the working distance (z-position), and (3) to acquire data at specific location (x,y position) of the sample under computer control, rendering this $2.5 M instrument quite unusable. This repair will bring the Waterloo ESCALab system back up to full operation, with its state-of-the-art performance. The requested repair is critically needed for the continued survival of the diverse materials science and engineering research programs at Waterloo.