MRI: Acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope to Enhance Undergraduate Research Training in the Engineering and Science

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract Non-technical: This Major Research Instrumentation grant co funded by ECCS and CMMI of the Engineering directorate awarded to the University of Washington at Bothell provides funding for the acquisition of a variable-pressure scanning electron microscope with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis. This high resolution imaging microscope fosters innovative research and facilitates multidisciplinary research collaborations at UW Bothell, a primarily undergraduate institution, with a large pool of talented students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). While the primary use of the SEM and EDX will be in support of research, it will also be integrated into research training and course curricula. The SEM will provide undergraduate students and graduate students with valuable hands-on experience in operating state-of-the-art instrumentation, an essential skill for students interested in future graduate studies and careers in STEM fields. Moreover, the instrument's impact on students with diverse background will be substantial, as forty nine percent of incoming first year students at UW Bothell are the first in their families to earn a four-year degree and seventy percent of first year students are from diverse backgrounds. Technical: The enhanced nanometer scale imaging resolution and elemental analysis capabilities will significantly enhance a large number of ongoing projects in science and engineering, including: (1) Development of highly efficient light trapping structures for organic solar cells; (2) Investigation of neural probes for neurotransmitter sensing; (3) Examining the impact of mutualistic coevolution on microbial phenotypes; (4) Characterization of novel bearing surfaces for total joint replacements as well as for the microstructure of electrically conducting polymer hydrogels; and, (5) Investigation of failure in polyurethane transformer structures. In addition, the instrument provides other capabilities such as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy microanalysis system, which can be used to determine the elemental composition of a specimen.