MRI: Acquisition of Tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope

MRI：获取台式扫描电子显微镜

基本信息

批准号：
1920039
负责人：
Harvey Abramowitz
金额：
$ 17.21万
依托单位：
Purdue University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2019
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2019-08-15 至 2022-07-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1920039&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
MRI Acquisition Tabletop Scanning Electron

项目摘要

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a state-of-the-art table top Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) that greatly benefits Purdue University Northwest's (PNW) research programs on topics ranging from advanced manufacturing and civil and mechanical engineering to material science and biology. The acquired SEM system will expand the research and training infrastructure, attract and retain junior faculty, and expedite current NSF-funded research at PNW. The SEM's enhanced nanotechnology capabilities will allow faculty to resolve fundamental scientific questions in these research fields--enabling significant societal benefits such as enhanced manufacturing productivity. The instrumentation will also attract qualified and motivated students to participate in high-impact research activities. This award will enhance collaboration with local industry and planned growth in academic programs. The new SEM system will be integrated into laboratory and course curricula across multiple disciplines through live demonstrations and focused projects, expanding access to undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and biological science. Outreach efforts in Northwest Indiana will use the instrument to help broaden the higher education participation of significantly underrepresented populations and to engage and benefit local industrial partners. The SEM, with secondary and back scattering electron imaging and energy dispersive spectroscopy for elemental analysis, will help fill the gap between the magnification provided by existing optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The superior imaging of this new instrument, along with the embedded 3D surface roughness reconstruction algorithm, will allow researchers to better understand physical phenomena at the fundamental level. For example, to better understand process parametric relations in microfluidic device fabrications, the researchers will use SEM to evaluate and identify the resolution capacities of the master mold and resulting microstructures, such as the minimum feature size, aspect ratio, and side-wall angles for various dry film thicknesses, to achieve the required tolerance. Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) devices fabricated with high resolutions will achieve high-efficiency focusing and separation of micro-particles by precisely controlling the particle trajectories under the drag and lift forces that can be accurately quantified. The effects of height, diameter and sidewall angle of micro-posts and their arrangement pattern in the DLD system on the unique laminar flow patterns can therefore be investigated with much higher accuracy with the superior imaging capability provided by the acquired SEM system. The SEM will also be used to study lead-free solder joint failure mechanisms by investigating the formation and growth of tin whiskers as a function of relative humidity and temperature for lead-free alloy compositions used commercially. The information obtained will provide input to models that predict tin whisker formation, which is important in helping to determine the reliability of lead-free solder joints.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项重大研究仪器 (MRI) 奖项支持购买最先进的台式扫描电子显微镜 (SEM)，这极大有利于普渡大学西北分校 (PNW) 的研究项目，涉及先进制造以及土木和机械工程等主题材料科学和生物学。收购的 SEM 系统将扩大研究和培训基础设施，吸引和留住初级教师，并加快 PNW 目前由 NSF 资助的研究。 SEM 增强的纳米技术能力将使教师能够解决这些研究领域的基本科学问题，从而带来显着的社会效益，例如提高制造生产力。该仪器还将吸引合格且积极主动的学生参与高影响力的研究活动。该奖项将加强与当地工业界的合作以及学术项目的计划增长。新的 SEM 系统将通过现场演示和重点项目整合到多个学科的实验室和课程中，扩大工程和生物科学领域本科生和研究生的接触范围。印第安纳州西北部的外展工作将利用该工具帮助扩大代表性严重不足的人群的高等教育参与度，并吸引当地工业合作伙伴并使其受益。 SEM 具有二次和背散射电子成像以及用于元素分析的能量色散光谱，将有助于填补现有光学显微镜和原子力显微镜提供的放大倍率之间的差距。这种新仪器的卓越成像以及嵌入式 3D 表面粗糙度重建算法将使研究人员能够从根本上更好地理解物理现象。例如，为了更好地理解微流控器件制造中的工艺参数关系，研究人员将使用 SEM 来评估和识别主模和所得微结构的分辨率能力，例如最小特征尺寸、纵横比和侧壁角度各种干膜厚度，以达到所需的公差。高分辨率制造的确定性横向位移（DLD）装置将通过精确控制可精确量化的阻力和升力下的颗粒轨迹，实现微粒的高效聚焦和分离。因此，利用所获得的 SEM 系统提供的卓越成像能力，可以以更高的精度研究微柱的高度、直径和侧壁角度及其在 DLD 系统中的排列模式对独特层流模式的影响。 SEM 还将用于研究无铅焊点失效机制，通过研究锡晶须的形成和生长与商业使用的无铅合金组合物的相对湿度和温度的函数关系。获得的信息将为预测锡晶须形成的模型提供输入，这对于帮助确定无铅焊点的可靠性非常重要。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势进行评估，被认为值得支持以及更广泛的影响审查标准。