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Facilities

Allied MultiPrep 8″ Precision Polisher

The MultiPrep™ System is a programmable machine that enables precise semiautomatic sample preparation of a wide range of materials for microscopic (optical, SEM, FIB, TEM, AFM, etc.) evaluation.

Capabilities (from Allied’s brochure):
  • Capabilities include parallel polishing, angle polishing, site-specific polishing or any combination thereof.
  • Dual micrometers (pitch and roll) allow precise sample tilt adjustments relative to the abrasive plane.
  • A rigid Z-indexing spindle maintains the predefined geometric orientation throughout the grinding/polishing process.
  • Digital indicators enable quantifiable material removal, which can be monitored real-time (front), or preset (rear) for unattended operation.
  • Variable speed rotation and oscillation maximize use of the entire grinding/ polishing disc and minimize artifacts.
  • Adjustable load control expands its capability to handle a range of small (delicate) to large samples.
  • Dual micrometers (pitch and roll) allow precise sample tilt adjustments relative to the abrasive plane.
Location

NanoES G65B

Primary Contact

Click here to view the facility contacts.

See the manufacturer’s brochure for more product information:

Nikon Eclipse Microscope

A Nikon Eclipse TE2000-U inverted microscope with excitation and detection hardware and electronics to perform single-particle spectroscopy and blinking measurements. In addition, this microscope has been integrated via fiber coupling and electronics with the MSF’s existing Edinburgh FLS1000 fluorometer. This integrated configuration allows users to obtain spatially resolved spectroscopic information about luminescent samples. The combination of a Xenon white light source and multiple lasers in the excitation path enables users to carry out wide-field and confocal microscopy experiments.

Location

NanoES G65B

Primary Contact

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Hyak Computing Nodes

Nine MEM-C computing nodes have been recently acquired and added to the MSF’s offerings. This new shared facility, integrated in the UW Hyak high-performance computing (HPC) ecosystem, supports computational materials science and data science research within MEM-C and in the broader materials science research community. This resource is accessible to all UW researchers through UW Hyak’s “checkpoint” access system, where other users can identify and access idle nodes across the cluster. UW Hyak HPC also provides computer hours to the national Open Science Grid (OSG). Training is provided through the UW eScience Software Carpentry program and computational science courses including the Computational Chemistry, Materials and Device Modeling, and Nanotechnology Modeling classes.

Xenocs Xeuss 3.0 Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)

The Xeuss 3.0 is the latest generation instrument for Small Angle X-ray Scattering and is already installed in leading research facilities around the world. It incorporates all the latest innovations from Xenocs for added capabilities, flexibility and ease-of-use.

Capabilities

  • Particle size distribution ranging from a few nanometers to more than 300 nm in diameter (or up to few microns with USAXS)
  • Crystallization rates and lamellar structure of semicrystalline polymers
  • Size and shape analysis of surfactants or proteins and other macromolecules in solutions
  • Organization and orientation of nanomaterials at the atomic- or the nano-scale, in bulk or at surfaces
  • Phase segregation studies of alloys
  • Operando and in situ studies

Sample Holders (Stages)

  • Solid stage: for measuring solid films;
  • Powder and gel stages;
  • Capillary stage: for measuring liquid solutions or dispersions;
  • GISAXS stage: for Grazing-Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering measurements;
  • Peltier stage: for measuring samples at temperatures from -30 C to 150 C;
  • Humidity stage: for measuring samples at relative humidity from 1 % to 95 %;
  • Modular force stage: for measuring solid samples under mechanical stress;
  • Temperature stage: for measuring samples at temperatures from -150 C to 350 C;
  • Biocube: robot to automatically load samples into capillaries.
Location

NanoES G93

Primary Contact

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Specifications and Research Highlights

Click here to view the manufacturer specifications.

NanoITC Microcalorimeter

The NanoITC is a state-of-the-art isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC) that is designed to handle large sample volumes while maintaining a small instrument footprint and allows thermodynamic measurements on systems like nanocrystal doping and surface-binding reactions. The ITC can measure reactions in organic solvents as well as under inert atmosphere. The instrument has extremely high sensitivity and can measure heat down to 0.1uJ with minimum noise.  The instrument accommodates a large sample volume of 1.6mL and allows for two different volumes of titrant to be used.

Capabilities
  • Designed to perform high-sensitivity analyses on nanomolar quantities of analytes
  • Accurate and stable temperature control and efficient titrant control
  • Vacuum-tight chamber isolates reaction cells from room temperature fluctuations
  • Integrated, flexible titration assembly ensures quick, easy filling, simple cleaning and accurate titrations
Location

NanoES G65B

Primary Contact

Click here to view the facility contacts.

Pulsed Laser Deposition

Status note December 2022: The PLD is out-of-service at this time. Please check back for updates on its status or contact the superuser for more information.

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a laser-based technique used to grow high-quality thin films of complex materials on substrates like Silicon wafers. The material to be deposited (target) is vaporized by short and intense laser pulses and forms a plasma plume. Then, the vaporized target material from the plasma bombards the substrate and creates a thin homogenous layer on this substrate. For each laser shot, a layer of only a few nanometers of material is ablated to form the plasma plume in a process that typically lasts a few tens of picoseconds. To enable this process, nanosecond pulses from a fully contained excimer laser with energies of tens to hundreds of mJ are necessary.

Capabilities
  • Precise deposition of chalcogenide monolayers from bulk chalcogenide targets
  • High vacuum sample chamber for high purity deposition conditions
Location

Roberts Hall 116

Primary Contact

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Thermal Evaporator

This custom deposition system is a modular instrument for preparation of thin film metal-halide perovskite materials. The vacuum chamber is equipped with a Pfeiffer ACP40 backing pump and a 10″ Pfeiffer turbo pump allowing fast pump down times to a base pressure of ~1×10-5 torr. Substrates up to 12″ x 12″ can be accommodated on a linear translation rail. The vacuum chamber has numerous feedthroughs on its base and side walls that allow for installation and testing of custom deposition sources.

Capabilities
  • Resistive thermal evaporation with a Luxel RADAK II deposition source.
Location

MolES 140A-2

Primary Contact

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CEM Discover SP Microwave synthesizer

The Discover SP Microwave synthesizer (CEM) allows for rapid heating of solvents up to 300 °C and pressures up to 300 psi. Reaction vessels can be prepared in a glovebox and will maintain inert environment while capped allowing for air free synthesis. Reaction conditions are monitored over time through software and can be saved for comparison between syntheses. Reactions are rapidly cooled down following synthesis by flowing compressed air around the reaction vessel. The system is also equipped with an autosampler accessory that enables automatic handling of reaction vessels allowing for different experiments to be programmed and performed automatically.

Capabilities

  • Large, single-mode microwave cavity (uses glassware up to 35 mL, pressurized; 125 mL, open vessel round bottom flask) Activent® vent and re-seal technology allows for safe handling of over-pressurization
  • Highly accurate infrared temperature control for reliable data
  • Variable-speed magnetic stirring
  • Rapid compressed air cooling for quick cool-downs
Location

NanoES G61

Primary Contact

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Specifications and Research Highlights

Click here to view the manufacturer specifications. Click here to view an instrument highlight.

2D Materials Foundry

The MEM·C Facilities feature a custom-built, integrated system tailored for creating, probing and stacking air-sensitive 2D materials.

The entire 2D production line, turning crystals into encapsulated stacked heterostructures, is fully contained in a connected chain of Ar-filled glove boxes (<0.1 ppm O2 and H2O). There are two optical microscopes, a computerized multi-axis transfer stage, a Bruker Edge AFM, a wafer spinner, storage, and feedthroughs to a crystal growth furnace.

Location

NanoES G65B

Primary Contact

Click here to view the facility contacts.

Specifications and Research Highlights

Click here to view an instrument highlight.

High Pressure Spectroscopy Hardware (Diamond Anvil Cell)

Boehler-Almax plate DAC with gas membrane for pneumatic pressure control. This DAC features a gas membrane which allows for simple pressure manipulation meaning the user can easily acquire data at a variety of pressure points. The device can easily integrate with the Edinburgh Fluorometer via a microscope for luminescence and lifetime measurements. The setup also contains a high-precision microdriller for drilling of DAC gaskets through electric discharge machining.

Capabilities

  • Pneumatic pressure control
Location

NanoES G65B

Primary Contact

Click here to view the facility contacts.

Specifications and Research Highlights

Click here to view an instrument highlight.