This project will provide a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) which will be dedicated to support fundamental research of materials. Examples of research studies include the investigations of quasicrystals and complex intermetallic crystals, polymer processing for optical waveguides, composite materials, nanophase materials, and studies of magnetic recording media. The SEM would have a resolution of 3.5 nm at 30 Kv, an accelerating voltage range of 0.2kV to 40 Kv, and a magnification range from 10x to 300,000x. These specifications offer a large degree of flexibility for electron microscopy studies and will significantly help current research efforts as well as future projects. An integral part of the SEM would be a Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometer (WDS) and an Energy Dispersive X-ray Spoectrometer (EDS). These two subsystems give elemental analysis with submicron resolution in the lateral direction. This capability is important when studying multi- elemental systems such as intermetallics and composite materials. The high lateral resolution allows studies of composition variation within individual grains and at the grain boundaries. %%% The Materials Science and Engineering Program at Washington University in materials science and applied physics spans several departments over two schools. These inlcude the departments of mechanical, electrical, chemical and civil engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and physics and chemistry in the School of Arts and Sciences. Graduate research in the Materials Research Laboratory is active in the structure and properties of metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, advanced metal and polymer processing methods, polymer processing rheology, fracture mechanics of solids, and the fabrication, chemistry, physics, and mechanical behavior of composite materials.
