MRI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope for Cal State Northridge Scanning Electron Microscopy Lab

The purpose of this proposal is to acquire a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) that offers nano-scale resolution and state-of the art analytical capabilities, including: 1) high speed and high angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), 2) energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, and 3) wavelength-filtered cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging. These analytical capabilities are essential for leading-edge research for a team at California State University Northridge (CSUN) comprising 3 geoscientist Co-PIs and 8 other faculty colleagues from geology, chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering. CSUN is a M.S.-granting, Hispanic-serving public university, where the acquisition of the FE-SEM would distinguish CSUN within the 23-campus, non-Ph.D.-granting California State University system. Most importantly, acquisition of the FE-SEM would revolutionize the research training of undergraduate and M.S. students who would typically need to travel to a Ph.D.-granting institution for this caliber of instrumentation. The FE-SEM will be housed in the Dept. of Geological Sciences at CSUN, where it will be supported by the Dept.?s dedicated instrument technician and maintained by service contract with funding gifted annually by a private donor.

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator

MRI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope for Cal State Northridge Scanning Electron Microscopy Lab