Shared Instrumentation

The MBRAUN glove boxes provide a reliable, inert environment for air and water sensitive applications. The Angstrom Glove Box Integration combines processing and characterization capabilities, including spin coaters, substrate preparation, and an organic and inorganic thin film deposition system for faster pump down speeds and variable minimization.  The system allows for controlled synthesis, fabrication, and characterization in an inert, climate-controlled environment.

The Model 10 lab oven provides a controlled, reliable heating environment up to 230°C for myriad applications. Over-temperature protection ensures continuous, safe operation at the required temperatures. The oven is currently used treating and drying glassware and processing and annealing nanomaterials from solution-phase synthesis for electronics applications.

The Across Oven utilizes forced air convection and digital temperature control to achieve a dependable, uniform heating environment.  The oven utilizes built-in temperature calibration and overheat protection to deliver reliable temperature control up to 250°C throughout 2.5 cu. ft. volume.  Current applications include glassware preparation, materials drying, and nanomaterial annealing processes.

The OV-11 vacuum oven utilizes a radiant, warm-wall heating system for uniform heating applications up to 250°C. Internal temperature controls ensure reproducible and accurate application of heat. The system operates at reduced pressures and under inert atmosphere. The oven is well suited for drying, curing, vacuum embedding, and plating applications. A serial (RS-232) interface allows for data recording during all processes.

The LAB-LINE vacuum oven provides a controlled drying environment for a variety of applications at up to 220°C and down to 30 in. Hg.  Temperature is monitored by digital display with a thermal resolution of ±1°C.  Heat is applied using a radiant, warm-wall heating system for uniform heating while conserving chamber space for drying, curing, vacuum embedding, and plating applications.  

The OTF-1200X tube furnace is used for sample processing and cleaning.  Dual heating zones enables the use of thermal gradients and rapid heating up to a maximum operating temperature of 1250°C. The system allows users to heat samples under vacuum or flowing gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, or argon.  Current applications include calcination of titanicone-coated SBA-15 mesoporous silica samples and cleaning alumina TGA crucibles.

The Beckman Coulter Allegra X-30R centrifuge is a versatile system for density-based separations. The system provides a choice of thirteen rotors and multiple pre-bundled application packages with a capacity range of 500 µL to 1.6 L, available run time of up to 10 hours, and precise temperature control from -20 to +40°C for sensitive samples.  The Allegra X-30R has maximum speeds of 4,700 rpm with swing bucket rotors and 18,000 rpm with the fixed angle rotor. Centrifuge for processing and separating nanomaterials produced in solution.

The accuSpin 8c is a benchtop centrifuge for solution separations in clinical, life science, and materials processing. The system can accommodate 1.4 mL to 15 mL common blood tubes, gel tubes, 10 mL standard syringes and 15 mL conical tubes without the need to change rotors. A unique "2-in-1" hybrid design provides for processing with interchangeable, fixed-angle and swinging buckets. 

The KW-4A is a compact, user-friendly spin coater capable of uniform thin film and coating depositions.  The spin coater uses a two-stage spin process, depositing material at low speeds and homogenizing the coating at high speeds. The system allows for substrates sizes of 5–100 mm and operation between 500–8,500 rpm (± 10 rpm precision) for up to 999 seconds. The spin coater is compatible with metal oxides, polymers, and metal-organic thin film materials.

Benchmark Scientific H4000-H hot plate; MTI SYJ-150 precision cutting saw; Amscope XJP-H100 Metallurgical  Trinocular  Microscope (from left to right) 

This system of instruments allows for precise TEM sample preparation. The set up includes a Benchmark Scientific H4000-H hot plate to melt adhesives such as mounting wax, a MTI SYJ-150 precision cutting saw to cut samples to the necessary size, and an Amscope XJP-H100 Metallurgical Trinocular Microscope to examine samples. The hot plate provides a 7.5 x 7.5” ceramic work surface with controlled temperature up to 380°C. The cutting saw operates at up to 600 rpm and is capable of slicing samples from 1 to 24 mm in thickness. The microscope is equipped with two adjustable 10X and 16X eyepieces with 18 mm and 11 mm fields of view, respectively.

The Park FX40 Automatic Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) System  is capable of high spatial resolution surface mapping and is equipped with a True Non-Contact^TM mode capable of nanoscale surface analysis of topography, nanomechanics, and electrical, magnetic, and thermal properties with unparalleled sub-nanometer spatial and depth resolutions for three-dimensional sample surface imaging. 

The VWR bath uses ultrasonic waves in the tanked liquid to create high-frequency pressure waves.  The resulting cavitation bubbles have many uses, including cleaning laboratory glassware and instrument parts, ultrasonic extraction, and induction of sonolytic reactions. The 5.7L bath operates at between 20–69°C at continuous or time use from 1–99 minutes. The bath operates at a frequency of 35 KHz and power of 144 W.

The CPX5800 ultrasonic bath is used to clean glassware and instruments.  The 9.5 L bath provides digital control with power tracking to adjust for load size. Sweeping frequencies from the 40 kHz transducers eliminate standing waves for consistent cavitation throughout the tank while high and low power modes allow for normal and delicate applications, respectively. A digital timer allows for 1-99 minutes of continuous operation.

Plasma cleaners are widely used in materials and chemistry research. The PDC-001 Plasma Cleaner provides controllable nanoscale surface cleaning and surface activation for a variety of applications. A large, 6” by 6.5” Pyrex chamber, adjustable RF power settings (30W max), and quantitative control of up to two process gasses allows users to finely tune the technique to their needs. 

The M-220D balance is a dual range analytical balance capable of accurate mass determination.  The fine range provides 0.01-mg readability with a 31-g capacity, while the full range allows for 0.1-mg readability and a 220-g capacity.

The ML104T/00 is a sensitive analytical balance for precise mass determination.  This balance is capable of reproducibly determining masses from 0.16 g – 120 g and precision to 0.1 mg. The 90 mm weighing pan utilizes a MonoBloc weighing cell equipped with fully automatic calibration and internal adjustment for reliable mass reporting. USB, RS232 (serial), and LAN connectivity allow for real-time results documentation.

The Ohaus Pioneer balance is a sensitive analytical balance capable of mass determination with precision to 0.1 mg. Common applications include basic weighing, parts counting, percent weighing, animal weighting, and density determination. The balance is equipped with USB and serial (RS-232) connectivity for robust communication and real-time readout for GLP and GMP output requirements. 

The Dektak Profilometer measures the vertical contour of sample surfaces.  The system uses a diamond-tipped stylus to measure topographical features ranging in height from 100 Å to 650,000 Å on a 5” diameter sample stage.  Profilometry has broad applications in thin film characterization, feature size determination in patterned material structures, defect depth, surface roughness, and crater volume. 

The Garmy 600+ is a high-performance, research-grade potentiostat, galvanostat, and zero-resistance ammeter (ZRA) designed for fast, low-current measurements. The system can apply a maximum potential of ±11 V and perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements (EIS) between 10 µHz – 5 MHz.  Applications include physical electrochemistry, fast cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical investigation of noise, solid-liquid interfaces, semiconductor photo-electrochemistry, fuel cells, and batteries and capacitors.

The Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) measures the magnetic behavior of materials using Faraday’s law of induction. The EZ7 can reach fields of 21.5 kOe in a 4 mm sample space, and 17.5 kOe in the temperature chamber. The VSM can measure liquid, powder, solid, bulk, and thin film samples, including samples with low magnetic moments.  The temperature chamber can operate at temperatures between 4.2 K and 1050 K. 

This OTF-1200X tube furnace is used for polymer-assisted deposition (PAD).  Dual heating zones enables the use of thermal gradients and rapid heating up to 1,250°C and allows for heating under vacuum or in oxygen, nitrogen, or argon atmospheres.  PAD is used to grow films and nanostructured materials with tailored properties.  Current uses include direct application of water-based “precursors” to substrate surfaces followed by controlled curing. 

The Mark-10 F105 Motorized Force Tester measures tension and compression forces using controlled, constant speeds. The F105 provides force testing up to 100 lbf (0.5 N) with a maximum travel range of 457 mm (18 in.) at speeds of 0.5 -1100 mm/min.  The system allows for measurement frequency of up to 20,000 Hz and position accuracy of ±0.05 mm using an advanced, integrated data recorder.