Ana V Garcia-Caraveo - Grads Out There

Ana V Garcia-Caraveo photo

Heading north to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, WA, our next “Grads Out There” student is Ana V Garcia-Caraveo (she/her). A Ph.D. student in Materials Science, Ana’s focus in her degree and at the PNNL is looking at material characterization.


Specifically, her research studies irradiation damage in tungsten-based heavy alloys for fusion reactors. Ana and her fellow researchers use micromechanical testing which can be viewed via electron microscopes.
One goal for Ana this summer is to be trained in using the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). This machine is essential in understanding materials at a microstructural level. Electron microscopy machines like TEM were among the primary reasons for Ana in her academic career, “One of the primary reasons I started my Ph.D. was to become an expert in electron microscopy. So far, I have become proficient in SEM/FIB [Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopes], and now I aim to extend my expertise to TEM.”


The aspect that Ana is most proud of in her research is the potential impact on future technologies as well as clean energy efforts. “This opportunity not only advances my expertise but also allows me to be part of groundbreaking research that can have a lasting impact on the world.” 


First clip: FEI Quanta 3D Scanning Electron Microscope-Focused Ion Beam (SEM/FIB) dual beam system located at the Electron Microscope Facility (EMF) at Oregon State University. The machine runs an electron backscattered diffraction map on tungsten heavy alloy to prepare micro-sized cantilevers for testing.
Second clip: half depicts a bending test of micro-sized cantilevers of tungsten using a nano indenter performed inside FEI Quanta 3D SEM/FIB to obtain fracture resistance and mechanical properties degradation after irradiation damage.