EPSRC Capital Award for Core Equipment - University of Warwick

EPSRC 核心设备资本奖 - 华威大学

• 批准号: EP/T024054/1
• 负责人: Pamela Thomas
• 金额: $ 35.04万
• 依托单位: University of Warwick
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FT024054%2F1
• 关键词: EPSRC; Capital; Award; Core; Equipment

Our ability to rapidly and routinely obtain information about the composition, structure, morphology and function of molecules, materials and devices produced by man or by nature is central to many advances and breakthroughs in the Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS). This proposal will provide new multi-user equipment within our Spectroscopy and Microscopy Research Technology Platforms (RTPs), to ensure that researchers at Warwick (UW) have access to a state-of-the-art infrastructure for EPS. UW's long-term excellence in EPS is firmly rooted in strategic investment in equipment, infrastructure, people and training. The equipment requested includes:1. An infrared (IR) microscope capable high spectral/spatial resolution coupled to a spectrometer suitable for time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS). IR spectroscopy exploits the fact that molecules and materials absorb frequencies that are characteristic of their atomic composition, structure and bonding. Subject to selection rules, these absorptions occur when the frequency of the absorbed radiation matches the vibrational frequency. IR microscopy provides the capability for chemical and structural mapping of a wide range of materials and systems at a length scale characteristic of the wavelength of the light used (e.g. 3-20 micro-m). Many materials are heterogeneous and measurements at a single point are not sufficient to understand the system. TRS enables the studies of changes in structure and bonding, and provides valuable information on process as diverse as battery degradation, structural changes in proteins and charge trapping in electronic materials.2. Ion beam milling machine. Researchers are pushing the boundaries of elemental analysis and high resolution imaging with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and for these studies they require ultra-low damage specimens less than ~20 nm in thickness. Focused ion beam (FIB) milling and argon (Ar) ion beam milling are used for preparation of electron transparent specimens for a diverse class of materials, including semiconductors, metals and ceramics. FIB is an essential tool for TEM sample preparation (Warwick has recently invested £650k in a new system) but causes surface and near surface damage that can limit the TEM analysis. Ar ion beam milling can be used to clean or polish surfaces produced by FIB. The system requested will provide significantly improved capabilities, specifically for low-energy operation to produce damage-free, clean specimens only a few nm in thickness for high resolution TEM studies and furthermore the small beam sizes will allow final cleaning of specimens only a few micrometres in size prepared by FIB microscopes.The proposed equipment will be used to facilitate and strengthen a wide range of EPS research at UW, that falls within EPSRC's strategic remit and aligns to the UW research strategy. The new equipment will underpin the research of >50 academic groups from Chemistry, Physics, Engineering and WMG, working in diverse fields, including: catalysis, energy materials, manufacturing, medical imaging, nanoparticles, nanocomposites, polymer materials, power electronics, semiconductors, and structural engineering. This investment will also be fundamental to facilitating the training of many M-Level undergraduates, MSc and PhD students, and early career researchers. Our RTPs have well established programmes of user training and support, and these are also offered to external academics and industry partners. UW is committed to ensuring that the equipment requested is effectively managed and maintained, and that usage is maximised. Access will be advertised internally and externally through Warwick Scientific Services.

我们快速、常规地获取有关人类或自然产生的分子、材料和设备的组成、结构、形态和功能的信息的能力是工程和物理科学（EPS）领域许多进步和突破的核心。我们的光谱学和显微镜研究技术平台 (RTP) 中配备了新的多用户设备，以确保华威大学 (UW) 的研究人员能够使用最先进的基础设施，以确保 UW 在 EPS 领域的长期卓越表现。植根于战略所需的设备、基础设施、人员和培训投资包括：1. 具有高光谱/空间分辨率的红外 (IR) 显微镜，与适用于时间分辨光谱 (TRS) 的光谱仪相结合。材料吸收其原子组成、结构和键合特征的频率，当吸收的辐射频率与红外显微镜提供的化学能力相匹配时，就会发生这些吸收。在所用光的波长特征（例如 3-20 微米）的长度尺度上绘制各种材料和系统的结构图。许多材料是异质的，单点测量不足以了解系统。 TRS 能够研究结构和键合的变化，并提供有关电池退化、蛋白质结构变化和电子材料中的电荷捕获等多种过程的宝贵信息。2．高分辨率成像透射电子显微镜 (TEM)，并且对于这些研究，它们需要厚度小于约 20 nm 的超低损伤样本，使用聚焦离子束 (FIB) 铣削和氩 (Ar) 离子束铣削来制备电子透明样本。多种材料，包括半导体、金属和陶瓷，FIB 是 TEM 样品制备的重要工具（Warwick 最近投资 65 万英镑购买新系统），但会造成表面和近表面损伤，从而限制了样品的制备。 TEM 分析可用于清洁或抛光 FIB 产生的表面，所需的系统将提供显着改进的功能，特别是用于低能量操作，以生产厚度仅为几纳米的无损伤、清洁的样品。分辨率 TEM 研究以及小光束尺寸将允许最终清洁由 FIB 显微镜制备的尺寸仅为几微米的样本。拟议的设备将用于促进和加强 UW 的广泛 EPS 研究，该研究属于 EPSRC 的范围新设备将支持来自化学、物理、工程和 WMG 的超过 50 个学术小组的研究，这些小组的研究领域包括：催化、能源材料、制造、医学成像、纳米颗粒、这项投资对于促进许多硕士生、硕士生和博士生以及早期职业研究人员的培训也至关重要。制定了用户培训和支持计划，这些计划也提供给外部学术界和行业合作伙伴，华盛顿大学致力于确保有效管理和维护所需的设备，并通过华威大学在内部和外部宣传使用情况。科学服务。