Charles S. Fadley, Ph.D. - US grants

9512231 Chiang An advanced surface microscopy facility, consisting of an ultrahigh vacuum low energy electron microscope (LEEM) and a ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (STM) installed within the same vacuum system with sample transfer between the two instruments, will be established. The combination of the two instruments, LEEM and STM, within the same ultrahigh vacuum environment will enable the structural study of the surfaces of materials with both atomic resolution (STM) and in real time (LEEM). Both microscopes will permit control of the sample temperature during imaging and deposition of metals and adsorbates. The facility will be used by eleven investigators and their research groups to study surface properties in several key areas. These include: (1) dynamics of surface structural changes, such as nucleation and growth of metal, semiconductor, and oxide overlayers; (2) structural effects on adsorbates, such as segregation, diffusion, and reactivity; (3) synthesis and characterization of nanoscale materials, such as quantum dots, thin-film fullerene polymers, and nanoclusters. %%% Two complementary types of surface microscopes, a low energy electron microscope and a scanning tunneling microscope, will be utilized to probe surface systems with varying spatial and time resolution as a function of important parameters such as temperature and coverage of adsorbates. The possibility exists to image an important class of catalysts and simultaneously investigate their reactivities and catalytic properties. ***

9815358
Fadley
This award supports the PI, Charles Fadley, and a postdoctoral student from the University of California-Davis in a collaboration with Wolfgang Schattke of the Institute for Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Kiel, Germany. The research focus is on theoretical and computational analysis of photoemission that incorporates the response of electrons in an atom's core as well as in the outer shell. The project combines the complementary expertise of the German group in outer-electron emission theory with the U.S. groups expertise in core-electron excitation phenomena. The results of the research will be of great importance to the development of advanced materials for application in many technology fields. There is also extensive involvement of junior researchers in the international exchange of personnel.

This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of a multi-user XPS instrument to serve a large community of scientists at the University of California Davis and in the greater Davis area. X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) is a surface sensitive technique that can provide detailed information about the chemical composition of materials, chemicals and devices. Therefore, data from XPS measurements is of great importance to the understanding and development of materials in chemical, physical, environmental, and engineering research. The instrument will positively impact the research of over 33 faculty members from three institutions and enhance the research infrastructure and educational outreach of UC Davis. It will accelerate current progress and enable new directions in research. More than ten projects will be affected, including research on renewable fuels and the manufacture and optimization of next generation electronics. The instrument will also aid the discovery of more efficient devices for solar energy conversion and it will enable fundamental research on the properties of catalysts used in chemical industry. This instrument will have a strong impact on the education and training of the next generation of scientists. Concepts related to XPS are taught in many graduate and undergraduate courses at UC Davis, and students enrolled in these classes will now have the opportunity to engage in hands-on actual experiments with the instrument. During the summer, the instrument will be made available to undergraduate students in the NSF-REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program in Physics and Chemistry departments. New learning modules will be created and integrated into the high school summer outreach program COSMOS (California Summer School for Mathematics and Science). Additionally, the instrument will serve economically disadvantaged and minority students that come to campus as part of the MURPPS (minority undergraduate research participation in the physical sciences), CAMP (California alliance for minority participation in math, science and engineering), and UC LEADS (UC Leadership program for disadvantaged students) programs.


Acquisition of an X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy tool (XPS) is proposed to enhance materials science research and educational activities at UC Davis and in the Northern California Sacramento region. The XPS tool will enable spatially resolved chemical state analysis with a detection resolution from 0.1 to 1 atomic percent and an imaging resolution of 1 micron. Acquisition of an XPS will add a critical new dimension to materials research on the UC Davis campus, where expertise and infrastructure for the successful application and operation is available. XPS will impact the materials research and training activities of over 177 direct users who are working in research and development of novel, next-generation materials for industrial applications and renewable energy technologies. It will boost the campus research infrastructure and educational outreach of UC Davis, accelerating current progress and enabling new directions in materials research.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.