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The proposal, led by Portland State’s Jun Jiao (Physics and Electrical Engineering), Erik Sanchez (Physics) and Chunfei Li (Physics), received letters of support from members of the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), a collaborative entity involving Oregon's public research universities including PSU, Oregon State University (OSU), and University of Oregon (UO); the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Wash.; and several companies that are part of the world-leading high-tech industry cluster in Oregon and southwest Washington.
"This funding speaks to quality of our faculty, the importance of their research, and the reinforcement of the university's role as educator as well as economic driver," said Portland State President Daniel O. Bernstine.
“What made this proposal unique was that it was critical not just to the electron microscopy capacities of the facility at PSU, but that this equipment would benefit researchers throughout Oregon,” said Skip Rung, ONAMI executive director. “This is further testament to the strength of the collaborative research fostered through initiatives like ONAMI.”
Acquisition of this equipment builds on the strength of PSU’s Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication, one of several ONAMI facilities supporting multi-campus and multidisciplinary research, and impacts researchers throughout Oregon and Washington. More than a dozen currently funded multi-disciplinary National Science Foundation and Department of Defense projects, totaling in excess of $10 million in funded research and representing more than 50 researchers, graduate and undergraduate students from OSU, PSU and UO will benefit directly from the new dual beam FIB. The equipment will also support future research proposals in areas ranging from bioengineering, nanofabrication and geomicrobiology to nanoelectronics and nanometrology, as well as economic development in these areas.
“This is a perfect example of our universities filling an essential role in the state’s economy, providing the foundations for vital research and new product development that will attract and support the growing number of Oregon businesses using micro- and nanotechnologies,” said Pat Scruggs, Innovation Economy director for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department.
The $500,000 in funding comes through the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation program. The model selected is the Nova™ 200 NanoLab SEM/FIB station (www.feicompany.com/systems/product.aspx?id=154&reloaded=true), manufactured by Hillsboro, Ore.-based FEI Company, and consisting of a field emission electron column and a field emission focused ion column. The instrument is capable of nano-prototyping, nano-machining, nano-characterization and nano-analysis. The dual beam FIB will be housed in PSU’s Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication (CEMN) and managed by a full-time facility manager.
The advanced techniques provided by the dual beam FIB, currently unavailable at any university in Oregon, will enable researchers to initiate many new nanoscience- and nanotechnology-related projects. In addition, it will stimulate and nurture interactions and collaborations among researchers across disciplines and different university campuses in Oregon, creating new partnerships between academia and industry, and improving the cross-disciplinary education of graduate and undergraduate students of varied academic backgrounds.
The broader impact of the dual beam FIB includes additional outreach for students and educators:
* New courses developed at Portland State for undergraduate and graduate students in various disciplines incorporating this equipment;
* High school teachers from throughout the Northwest will also have opportunities to work with the new instrument, and in turn bring concepts of nanotechnology to their own classrooms, motivating future generations of scientists and engineers;
* Undergraduate students recruited nationally for the Research Experience for Undergraduates , a summer program funded by NSF and led by Portland State University’s Jun Jiao that supports underrepresented minority and female students to pursue careers in science and engineering, will learn how to use this and other electron microscopy equipment;
* Saturday Academy’s “Apprenticeships of Science and Engineering” and “Advocates for Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics” programs for middle and high school students will also use the Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication equipment for their program curriculum.
PSU’s Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication
Portland State, Oregon’s largest public university, plays an important role in promoting advanced research and training a proficient high-tech workforce. Its Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication serves researchers and students from PSU and other universities as well as technical personnel from local high-tech companies. PSU’s CEMN is designated as one of the ONAMI facilities supporting multi-campus and multi-disciplinary research. The Center’s current instrumentation includes:
* A FEI Tecnai F-20 field emission transmission electron microscope (FETEM),
* A JEOL 2000FX TEM, a FEI Sirion field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM); and
* A well-equipped specimen preparation laboratory.
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Source: Jun Jiao (503-725-4228)
PSU Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication
For Immediate Release (#05-103)
