"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
The Case Western Reserve University will develop a versatile state-of-the-art in situ test and characterization tool for simultaneous nano-mechanical electrical and thermal (NMET) property measurements in nanostructured materials inside a ultra-high resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The SEM has a large specimen chamber that is ideal for in situ physical property characterization; the chamber is equipped with two Kleindiek nanomanipulators and a micro-delivery gas injection system that facilitate transportation, positioning and assembly of nanoscale structures with nanoprecision. The development of the instrument will utilize a custom built transducer that will enable nanoNewton force and subnanometer displacement resolution measurements during in situ mechanical straining of nanoscale structures. In addition, novel probe tips will be integrated with the specimen grips on the loading/testing apparatus, which will provide unmatched capability to perform simultaneous nanoscale mechanical, thermal and/or electrical measurements in nanostructures, nano-engineered composites and biological materials while performing high resolution imaging. Improved characterization methods for nanostructured materials is expected to lead to a better fundamental understanding of the underlying physics, and is critical to further developments in the field of nanotechnology.
The development of the instrumentation is expected to support research teams whose efforts intersect more than one traditional discipline. Availability of this unique diagnostic tool will open new lines of communication with researchers at other Ohio institutions and our collaborators. The instrumentation will also provide an opportunity for laboratory experience and training for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students. The instrumentation will be integrated into the laboratory courses for imaging experiments and for nanoscale mechanical or transport measurement projects.
