The project is to acquire a dual-beam focused ion beam integrated with scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) to support research and education at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and in the surrounding region. The system combines nanoscale materials patterning and processing with high-resolution imaging and analytical capabilities. The system will enable high resolution characterization, manipulation, and nanofabrication of metals, ceramics, and polymers. The system will provide an immediate and significant impact to research activities at the host institution and in the region. The instrumentation will also support training programs and will impact regional economic development by supporting local small enterprises. It will be integrated into outreach activities to broaden participation in STEM by students from underrepresented groups. Operation and maintenance of the system will be managed by the Engineering and Mining Experiment Station. EMES is a multi-user facility that serves universities and tribal colleges in South Dakota as well as regional enterprises, and state, tribal, and federal governments.
The FIB-SEM will enable numerous new materials research capabilities that will support an exciting era of research growth in South Dakota. Coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction detectors, the system will permit high resolution chemical and crystallographic analysis of advanced materials. The FIB capability will also enable tomographic imaging and analysis of metals, ceramics, polymers, and biological materials (e.g., 3D imaging of multi-enzyme complexes that mediate microbial cell attachment for efficient biomass degradation). More than 35 faculty from SD’s three research institutions (SDSMT, South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota), multiple primarily undergraduate universities (e.g., Black Hills State University), and two tribal colleges (Oglala Lakota College, Sinte Gleska University) are expected to use the system for research and educational activities. The FIB-SEM will also impact seven active institutional and state-wide research centers/laboratories, the majority of which are focused in the area of advanced materials and manufacturing. The new equipment will complement previous MRI-funded equipment acquisitions that together will comprise a growing state-of-the-art materials characterization multi-user facility (EMES) that will positively impact SDSMT’s ability to competitively recruit talented faculty and students from underrepresented groups in STEM. The FIB-SEM will support capstone engineering design projects and will be integrated into graduate and undergraduate courses at SDSMT, impacting 290 students on an annual basis. Further, a new course will be introduced to train students on the theory and application of FIB-SEM for advanced materials characterization. The FIB-SEM will be integrated into graduate and undergraduate research training programs, including two NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Site programs and a recently funded NSF National Research Traineeship program. Regarding the former, the system will support a research project that involves cultural and scientific analysis of Native American (NA) artifacts, conducted as part of a REU program to facilitate engagement and training of NA students in STEM research. The FIB-SEM will also be integrated into ongoing STEM outreach programs intended to engage SD’s large NA population (including K-12 students/teachers and tribal college faculty and students) to increase awareness and access of the FIB-SEM for this underserved population. Finally, the system will support multiple regional tech-based start-up companies.
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.
