A state-of-the-art desktop scanning electron microscope (SEM) system will be purchased for faculty and undergraduate students at Lafayette College to conduct research and design projects and to expand research training in both engineering and the sciences. This instrumentation will extend the research concentrations and capabilities of the individual investigators while also facilitating collaborations between departments. In addition to its high-quality and high-resolution imaging capability, this user-friendly instrumentation is equipped with electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) for compositional analysis and employs a suite of software applications that provide compositional mapping, three-dimensional surface roughness reconstruction, and fibermetric analysis, all of which are integral to the described research activities. The system also includes a variety of sample holders that permit a diverse array of materials to be imaged at different orientations. The instrumentation provides analysis that is critical to the thorough understanding of the dimensions, form, and function of the objects being studied. Application areas include the study of materials, lab-on-chip or optoelectrical devices with submillimeter components, geological samples, and biological and/or bioengineered systems.
