"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
A DB-FIB combines an electron beam that can be used for scanning-electron microscopy as well as for electron-beam lithography, a focused ion beam that can be used for milling and cutting, nanomanipulation tools to arrange and orient objects, and deposition chemistries that deposit a variety of materials near the immediate region of the electron and/or ion beam. This combination of features provides an extremely powerful tool that is indispensable in nanofabrication and materials research. The requested DB-FIB is a critical enabling tool for the eight research projects described in this proposal that span materials science, physics, chemistry, geology and anthropology at the University of Oregon and at Oregon State University. The DB-FIB will be used as a nanofabrication tool (e.g. to prepare photonic devices, cavity QED systems, samples of magnetic materials for soft x-ray characterization, and oriented nanolaminated thermoelectric materials), to aid in TEM and SEM characterization by creating cross-sections of doped polymer materials and unique carbon spheres that occur in large quantities within sediments dating to 13,000 years ago, and to modifying fractal arrays of nanoparticles. The instrument will be housed in the exceptionally vibration- and electromagnetic interference-free environment of the newly constructed Lorry I. Lokey Laboratories at the University of Oregon. Professional staff members of the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR) will provide technical support and assist users across the Northwest. The requested instrument will provide training opportunities across a broad spectrum of research and educational environments and for an exceedingly diverse collection of students, faculty, and industrial partners. Examples of the educational programs that attract diverse participants to the facility and instruments are: a graduate-level instrumentation courses, analytical laboratory modules in our Graduate Internship Program, undergraduate research including two NSF REU programs and an NSF STEP funded summer internship program for community college students, and advanced instrumentation workshops for faculty, students, and industrial collaborators. The remote access (UO NanoNet) option extends the impact of CAMCOR facilities beyond the campus including use by the Technician Training Program within the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Institute at Chemeketa Community College and as web-based ?field trips? for middle and high school classes across Oregon. Layman Summary: A DB-FIB combines nanoscale imaging, machining, deposition and sample manipulation in single instrument that is indispensable in nanofabrication and material characterization. This powerful combination of abilities enables a broad range of research projects and will be used by Oregon materials science, physics, chemistry, geology and anthropology researchers on projects as diverse as isolating, concentrating and analyzing unique carbon spheres that occur in large quantities within sediments in North America 13,000 years ago from a potential meteor impact to milling orientated nanolaminated thermoelectric monoliths to test a unique energy harvesting from waste heat prediction. The proposed instrument will be housed in the University of Oregon?s Lokey laboratory that provides an exceptionally stable operating environment (vibrational amplitudes below NIST-A standards by a factor of ten and temperature stability of 0.1K per month.) Professional staff members of the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR), the State of Oregon?s ?high tech? extension service will provide technical expertise to users at Oregon and across the northwest. Remote access via the UO NanoNet extends the impact of the DB-FIB to users across the region and enhances outreach programs to assure the maximum opportunity for training and research by a diverse population of students.
