The Department of Energy supports a number of large-scale, national user facilities that provide intense beams of neutrons and electrons for the characterization of materials. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:
a. Neutron Facilities—As a unique and increasingly utilized research tool, neutrons have made invaluable contributions to the physical, chemical, and biological sciences. The Department is committed to enhancing the operation and instrumentation of its present and future neutron science facilities so that their full potential is realized.
Grant applications are sought to develop improved neutron detectors and associated electronics needed for DOE’s existing and proposed steady-state and pulsed neutron scattering facilities (References 1-2, 5). New detectors must represent substantial improvements in one or more of the following parameters: efficiency at short wavelengths, high counting rate capability, high spatial resolution in one or two dimensions, cost per unit area, or adaptability to unique geometries. Detectors for pulsed neutron applications must be able to identify the time of arrival of each neutron. All detectors must have low intrinsic dark count rates and low sensitivity to gamma radiation.
Grant applications are also sought to develop novel or improved neutron optical components for use in neutron scattering instruments (References 2-3, 5). Such components include, but are not limited to, neutron choppers, neutron guides, neutron lenses and focusing mirrors, neutron monochromators, or neutron polarization devices including 3He polarizing filters. Applications are also sought for novel use of such components in neutron scattering instruments.
b. Electron Beam Microcharacterization Facilities—The Department of Energy supports four collaborative research centers for electron beam microcharacterization of materials. These tools are important in the materials and biological sciences and are used in numerous research projects funded by the Department. Innovative instrumentation developments offer the promise of radically improving the capabilities of electron beam microcharacterization and thereby stimulate new innovations in materials science. Grant applications submitted to this subtopic must address improvements in electron beam instrumentation capabilities beyond the present state-of-the-art.
Grant applications are sought to develop stages, holders, and/or detectors with new capabilities for quantifying data and collection efficiency in electron beam instruments. Areas of interest include: (1) extremely stable holders and stages that allow long exposure/analysis times, with accurate tilting and alignment capability (to an angle accuracy ±0.005 degrees on two axes while maintaining eucentricity to within 20 nm); (2) fast CCD camera systems that allow electron imaging exposure times in the millisecond range and kHz frame rates; (3) high sensitivity electron imaging systems based on CCD technology that provide 16 bit dynamic range or better over large areas; and (4) improved electron and x-ray detectors that are robust and not susceptible to electron beam damage. Proposed approaches for electron detectors must show suitability for either low- or high-energy electrons, and address one or more of the following three aspects: high quantum efficiency, high spatial resolution, and high temporal resolution. Proposed approaches for x-ray detectors should show significant improvement in sensitivity or spectral resolution for elemental analysis in electron microscopes.
Grant applications are also sought to develop stages and holders with new capabilities for in situ experiments or sample manipulation in the transmission electron microscope. Stages and/or holders must provide for one or more of the following: (1) application of magnetic field up to 5000 Oe in the plane of the specimen, with capability to rotate field orientation in the specimen plane with respect to the sample; (2) manipulation or measurement of the sample using a 4-probe nanomanipulator, including capability to measure deflection or strain, or capability to apply electric fields or current; and (3) precision control of specimen temperature (to an accuracy of 10oC in the range 5-2000K), ambient gas pressure and flow rate (to within several percent for each), and alignment (to an angle accuracy ±0.005 degrees on two axes).
Grant applications are also sought to develop electron sources for scanning transmission electron microscopy with brightness on the order 109 Amp/cm2/steradian or higher. Current sources are based on tungsten emitters, and it is hoped that higher brightness can be achieved with new materials and designs. Proposed electron sources must be suitably robust for practical applications, have long lifetimes (greater than 6 months), and offer a significant increase in brightness over existing sources.
Grant applications are also sought for systems for automated data collection, processing, and quantification. Systems should include hardware and platform-independent software for data collection and visualization, including automated measurement and mapping of crystallography, internal magnetic or electric field, or strain, and for multi-spectral analysis. Software and quantification routines for image reconstruction and for interpretation of interference patterns/holography are encouraged.
Finally, grant applications are sought for extremely stable power supplies to improve lens stability in electron beam instruments. Power supplies should be capable of producing 15 amperes with current stability exceeding 0.1 ppm, or 5 amperes with current stability exceeding 0.05 ppm, and should exhibit voltage stability of 0.1 ppm in the range of 1 kV to 200kV.
Subtopic a: Neutron Facilities
1. Anderson, I. S. and Guerard, B., eds., Advances in Neutron Scattering Instrumentation, San Diego, CA, July 7-8, 2002, Proceedings of the SPIE (International Society for Optical Engineering), Vol. 4785, Bellingham, WA: SPIE, 2002. (ISBN: 0819445525)
2. Carpenter, J. M., et al., eds., Neutrons, X-Rays, and Gamma Rays: Imaging Detectors, Material Characterization Techniques, and Applications, San Diego, CA, July 21-22, 1992, Proceedings of the SPIE, Vol. 1737, Bellingham, WA: SPIE, 1993. (ISBN: 0819409103)
3. Majkrzak C. F. and Wood, J. L., eds., Neutron Optical Devices and Applications, San Diego, CA, July 22-24, 1992, Proceedings of the SPIE, Vol. 1738, Bellingham, WA: SPIE, 1992. (ISBN: 0819409111)
4. Majkrzak, C., ed., Thin-Film Neutron Optical Devices: Mirrors, Supermirrors, Multilayer Monochromators, Polarizers, and Beam Guides, San Diego, CA, August 16-17, 1988, Proceedings of the SPIE, Vol. 983, Bellingham, WA: SPIE, 1989. (ISBN: 0819400181)
5. Technology and Science at a High-Power Spallation Source: Proceedings of a Workshop Held at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, May 13-16, 1993, Argonne National Laboratory, 1993. (Report No. ANL/IPNS/PROC-81937) (NTIS Order No. DE94009685)(See Solicitation General Information and Guidelines, section 7.1.)
6. Wilpert, T., ed., International Workshop on Position-Sensitive Neutron Detectors: Status and Perspectives, Hahn-Meitner-Institute, Berlin, Germany, June 28-30, 2001. (Available at: www.hmi.de/bensc/psnd2001)
7. Windsor, C. G., Pulsed Neutron Scattering, London: Taylor & Francis, 1981. (ISBN: 0-85066-195-1)
Subtopic b: Electron Beam Microcharacterization Facilities
8. Proceedings of the Microscopy Society of America, Annual Meetings, Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. (Printed version ISSN: 1431-9276) (Electronic version ISSN: 1435-8115)
9. Ultramicroscopy, 78(1-4), Elsevier-Holland, June 1999. (ISSN: 0304-3991)
10. Williams, D. B. and Carter, C. B., Transmission Electron Microscopy: A Textbook for Materials Science, Vols. 1-4, Plenum Publishing Corp., New York-London, 1996. (ISBN: 0-306-45247-2)
11. Aberration Correction in Electron Microscopy: Materials Research in an Aberration-Free Environment, Argonne National Laboratory, July 18-20, 2000, Workshop Report, U.S. DOE Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, October 1, 2001. (Full text available at: http://ncem.lbl.gov/team/TEAM%20Report%202000.pdf)
12. Report: Second TEAM [Transmission Electron Aberration-corrected Microscopy] Workshop: Materials Research in an Aberration-Free Environment, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, July 18-19, 2002. (Full text available at: http://ncem.lbl.gov/team/TEAM%20Report%202002.pdf)
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