"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." In this proposal submitted to the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the PIs request $480K to acquire materials characterization equipment. Requested is a dual beam FIB/SEM (focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope) system. The instrument will be outfitted in existing space in proximity to the SEM. The institution will provide renovation funding. A full-time, dedicated microbeam specialist and a part-time electronics engineer will oversee maintenance and operation. The microbeam specialist will be responsible for on-site new user training. Usage will be allocated by an FIB committee which will also set user rates and administer maintenance costs through institutional funds, grants and user fees. The instrumentation will assist in sample characterization, sample preparation and micro/nano fabrication. It will support multiple projects allowing investigators to characterize small samples from various sources such as high-pressure mineral physics experiments, natural diamond and melt inclusions, meteoric organic matter and pre-solar grains, and CVD single crystal diamond. Diamond anvil performance will be enhanced through micro/nano-fabrication efforts targeted at cell assembly design made possible by the FIB/SEM. The FIB/SEM will be a critical addition to ongoing studies in cosmochemistry and astrobiology, organic geochemistry and ancient biochemistry, inorganic geochemistry and petrology, and high pressure geophysics. The instrumentation will serve a regional and community need. Due to the institutional support, the instrument will operate effectively and allowing high-precision analysis by researchers (students, post-docs, PIs) of all skill levels. There will be a strong interfacing with COMPRES. Training will be made available to all users and this acquisition will enhance multiple interdisciplinary research projects and train future SEM and high pressure physics scientists.
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