This award will provide partial support for the acquisition of a field emission scanning electron microscope with electron backscatter detector and energy dispersive X-ray analysis capability. The instrument selected will provide a resolution of 3 nm at 1 kV and 1 nm at 20kV, almost an order of magnitude better than existing SEM instruments now available to these researchers. This instrument can be connected to remote computers via the Internet. This will allow collaborators and students at remote sites to participate in the examination of samples almost as if they were physically present. This feature will be of particular value in providing wider access to the instrument by students and faculty from historically under-represented groups at other institutions in Virginia.
The new instrument will be housed in the Hancock Hall Microscopy Laboratory, a multi-user instrument facility being developed at Virginia Tech. This facility is operated as a university cost center that contains several varieties of microscopes, is professionally staffed, and is available on a fee basis to all members of the university community. The new instrument will significantly augment the on-going research and education activities at VPI and other institutions. &&& The availability of this instrument will improve the research infrastructure at Virginia Tech, augment the effectiveness of many research groups on campus, and improve the training of future scientists and engineers.
