Acquisition of a Philips XL30 FEG SEM for the Microscopy Lab at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Funds were sought for the acquisition of a Philips XL30 FEG scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a backscattered electron detector, an integrated EDAX non-dispersive X-ray microanalysis system, and a Cressington 208 HR turbo sputter coater. The high-resolution XL30 and its support equipment would replace our previous ISI SX40 SEM, which had extremely limited capabilities. The funds ($220,000) from the Office of Naval Research constituted 58.8% of the final cost of the instrumentation% and were crucial in enabling the investigators to subsequently acquire the balance of the funds from the National Science Foundation ($41,842 - 11.2%) and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center ($112,218-30%). The instrument has been successfully installed and the principal investigator and microscopy technician have been trained in its use. The instruments have met or exceeded our expectations and every day more and more students and faculty are taking advantage of their potential. The impact of these instruments to the UNC Wilmington Microscopy laboratory and the University as a whole will be immeasurable, as it will greatly enhance our research capabilities.