Custom 3D tracking microscope via confocal feedback and conventional 2D single molecule tracking via fluorescence microscopy with an EM-CCD camera. Unique in-house developed capabilities in active feedback for time-resolved 3D tracking of single nanoparticles, organic dyes, and fluorescent proteins.

We have developed and optimized exfoliation recipes for high-demand materials such as graphene, hBN, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). The system and its recipes are undergoing continuous refinement to enhance performance and user experience. We support users via on-site, remote, and main-in/out.

Enabling the growth of complex nanostructures based on the III-V and III-nitride (AlGaInN) semiconductor materials systems, including nanowires (NWs) and quantum dots (QDs) Wafer-scale continuous two-dimensional materials synthesis capability provides materials platforms for defect engineering, emerging materials-based electronic/photonic device studies, and basic sciences/applications of 2D materials.

The 300 kV JEOL 3010 offers greater specimen penetration than 200kV instruments, with good spatial resolution and probe forming capabilities. A flexible condenser system permits CBED, LACBED, and imaging with hollow cone and Koehler illumination.

This tool (Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT) is an automatic 3-D nanolithography system/3-D printer capable of creating polymer patterns/models down to sub-200 nm resolution using two-photon polymerization technique.

SLA, FDM, SLS, DLP printers

The Janis ST-3T-2 is a continuous flow, vertical field, superconducting magnet micromanipulated probe station.

4D scanning transmission electron microscopy enabled by detector advances and post-experiment computational algorithms. 4D-STEM is capable of wide field-of-view (FOV) nano structural characterization with a spatial resolution on the order of 1 nm, giving users both strain and orientation information at the nanoscale in addition to whole-pattern diffraction analysis.

The CNMS offers a Bruker Neo high field, 500 MHz, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer to characterize the specialty monomers and polymers are synthesized at the CNMS, and the complex molecules and mixtures provided by our users (e.g., lignin compositions).

The Hitachi 2700C is a dedicated Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM), operating at 80, 120 and 200 kV. It has a probe aberration-corrector, which improves imaging spatial resolution to less than 1Å. The energy resolution for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) can be as small as 0.35 eV, due to its cold field emission electron gun (FEG) and the presence of a high-resolution parallel EELS detector (Gatan Enfina-ER).

The Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR) provides sub-Kelvin temperatures cooling capability with fast cool-down times. The instrument is equipped with microwave spectroscopy capabilities and magnetic field capabilities to manipulate microwave, spin and other quantum information systems. When fully commissioned the tool also will have optical and mm wave capabilities. Purchase date: 9/17/2019 (Award date of PARIS order). NST-AAP-118 - Commissioning of Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator

The ADT 7122 Dicing saw is a high precision cutting instrument for silicon, glass, quartz, YIG, GGG, STO, SiC, and sapphire. The saw has the following features: 2”, 2.4 KW spindle; 8 inch chuck: maximum size is a 200 mm wafer, Y axis: resolution: 0.2 micron and index accuracy: 1 micron, and Z Axis: accuracy 2 micron and repeatability 1 micron.

Nano- and electromechanics, electric and dielectric responses, enviornmental control and solid-liquid interfaces, advanced spectroscopies and workflows, optical and SPM measurements, UHV scanning force miscroscopy, quantum electronic and magnetic probes, AFM with ToF SIMS

Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (C-AFM) is a powerful technique that extends beyond the imaging capabilities of traditional AFM by allowing for the direct measurement of electrical conductivity across a sample's surface at the nanoscale.

The Qnami ProteusQ Scanning NV Microscope is a complete quantum microscope system. It is the first scanning NV (nitrogen-vacancy) microscope for the analysis of magnetic materials at the atomic scale.

Piezoresponse Force Microscopy is used to detect mechanical responses of an AFM tip used as a top electrode when an electric signal is applied to it to excite the sample.

Available modes include topography, foce curves, peak force, contact resonance, bimodal dual ac, and AM-FM viscoelastic mapping

By aligning a UV laser perpendicular to an atomic force microscope cantilever it becomes possible to concurrently measure all different sorts of functional properties in contact mode as they vary with temperature.

For some materials, AFM measurements in controlled environments are required or preferable. This is particularly important if a material strongly reacts or deteriorates in air or if the measurements are impacted by the presence of water and oxygen. CNMS provides an Ar filled glove box equipped with a Bruker Dimension Icon AFM.

Agilent 1260 Infinity II High Temperature GPC is for characterizing polymer molecular weight.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES or ICP-AES) is a technique that uses a plasma as a source and relies on optical emission for analysis. It is mainly used for liquid samples, which first need to be turned into an aerosol and then are injected into the plasma. Solid samples can be analyzed after acid digestion. The Agilent 5110 Synchronous Vertical Dual View (SVDV) ICP-OES is a high sensitive and versatile instrument, as the instrument captures the axial and radial views of the plasma in one measurement. Installed in 2018, the instrument became available for users in February 2021.

AJA Dielectric Sputtering System (2-inch Targets). This compact AJA Orion thin-film deposition system is mainly designated for deposition of dielectric materials (oxides, nitrides with amorphous or polycrystalline structure) on wafers up to 6 inches in diameter. The sputtering system has a load lock and four magnetron sputtering sources (three RF and one DC) with adjustable tilt and with 2-inch-diameter targets. The substrates can be heated up to 800°C.

The tool is a compact magnetron sputtering system designed for the sputtering deposition of metal and dielectric thin films. It is equipped with four RF sputtering sources and supports co-deposition of two materials at the same time.

AJA Metal Sputtering System (2-inch Targets). This compact AJA Orion thin-film deposition system is mainly designated for deposition of metal thin films and multilayered metal film structures on up to 6 inch diameter wafers. The sputtering system has a load lock and four magnetron sputtering sources (three RF and one DC) with adjustable tilt and with 2-inch-diameter targets. The substrates can be heated up to 800°C.

AJA Oxide Sputtering System (3-inch Targets). This is a versatile AJA ATC thin-film deposition system designated for deposition of complex oxide thin films and multilayered structures including complex oxides and composite materials. The system is equipped with three 90° off-axis and two on-axis sputtering sources that work with 3-inch-diameter targets. It can accommodate small substrates as well as wafers up to 8 inches in diameter. The substrates can be heated up to 800°C. The system has the capability of cleaning the substrates using RF bias. The load-lock chamber, which accommodates a 6-substrate cassette elevator for 8 inch substrates, allows loading/unloading the substrates without breaking vacuum in the deposition chamber.

AJA General Sputtering System (2-inch Targets). This is a compact AJA Orion thin-film deposition system. Although it is used primarily for deposition of metal thin films and multilayered metal film structures, oxide and nitride thin-film depositions also are possible. The system is equipped with a cluster of four magnetron sputtering sources with adjustable tilt that work with 2-inch-diameter targets. It can accommodate small substrates as well as wafers up to 6 inches in diameter. The substrates can be heated up to 800°C. The load-lock chamber allows loading/unloading the substrates without breaking vacuum.

In collaboration with the Advanced Light Source, the Facility has developed techniques for characterizing soft material structures. These capabilities include SAXS, X-ray microsecond footprinting, and X-ray crystallography. Use of this capability must be indicated by choosing the ALS as a support facility during submission of the Foundry User proposal.

The Applied Materials P5000 Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition System is for depositing silane-based oxides and nitrides at temperatures as low as 200oC, as well as tetraethoxysilane (TEOS, used primarily as a sacrificial layer). Micrometer thick films can be deposited in 15 minutes with high wafer-to-wafer reproducibility and good across-wafer uniformity. This tool complements the Oxford ICP-CVD. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) but only using a 6” carrier wafer, and 6” wafers. The system became available as a user tool on 9/28/2020; it is listed on the user proposal form as "AMAT P5000 Deposition Tool (SiNx, SiO2, TEOS Films)" and operates under NST-SOP-218.

This instrument allows for surface chemical analysis via X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (IRRAS) at gas pressures up to ~ 5 mbar and variable temperatures. Applications include in situ studies of surface chemistry, catalysis, separation, and energy storage processes, among others.

The JEOL JEM-1400 LaB6 120KeV transmission electron microscope is an easy-to-use, high contrast instrument with excellent imaging and analytical (EDS) capabilities in one compact package. With an easily changeable accelerating voltage range of 40-120KeV, the JEM-1400 TEM is highly suitable for polymer, biological, and materials science applications.

The Angstrom Engineering Amod, with its 500 mm x 500 mm baseplate, is currently configured with a 4-pocket electron beam evaporation hearth and 2 tungsten boat thermal sources. Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) is achieved via cryopumping and samples are loaded/unloaded within a controlled glovebox environment.

Our Angstrom Engineering Nexdep thermal evaporator is a flexible tool with four different boat sources and a sample heating chuck that enables substrate temperatures up to 600 C (with rotation). The capabilities of this system target three different physical vapor deposition needs for CNM users. Ultrasmooth plasmonic films deposited at high temperature and high rate: There is a burgeoning scientific interest on developing visible and near-infrared plasmonic layers with low surface roughness and low optical loss. The typical process is to slowly deposit films of noble metals with small grain size and modest surface roughness (few nm RMS). However, there are several demonstrations in the literature of significant improvements in loss possible by switching to epitaxial growth of noble metals using high deposition rates (~4 nm/sec) of silver or gold films at high temperature (>300 C). These films offer 0.2-0.3 nm RMS roughness and large improvements in plasmonic loss due to their ultrasmooth surfaces. Unconventional depositions: There is a growing need for users to deposit thick layers of conventional PVD materials (e.g. aluminum) that exceed the deposition limits of existing CNM PVD tools or magnetic materials (e.g nickel) that will contaminate other chambers. This system can be used for these unconventional deposition scenarios. Co-evaporation of alloys: In addition to single material deposition, the Nexdep thermal evaporator has the ability to co-deposit various materials for useful alloys. While this capability is present in the various CNM sputtering chambers, there is a strong risk of permanently contaminating the co-deposition targets because they are in the same plasma, and loading of multiple targets may be time prohibitive.

The Angstrom Quantum Sputtering System is used to deposit thin films via magnetron sputtering. The tool can process substrates up to 6” and has a loadlock that can hold up to 25 wafers. The tool has four sputtering sources, a low energy ion source for ion beam assisted sputtering, and can heat and RF-bias the substrate.

Investigate complex physical behaviors in systems including strongly correlated materials, plasmonic response and wave propagation in 2D materials,nano-wires and carbon nanotubes, resonances in metamaterials, and other nano-structured materials and functional photonic devices.

AS-one Rapid Thermal Processing Furnace is an instrument that allows annealing of wafers up to 6 inch at a ramp rate of up to 200°C/s in different atmospheres. It is equipped with gas mixing capabilities and can heat wafers up to 1500°C.

AS-one Rapid Thermal Processing Furnace is an instrument that allows annealing of wafers up to 6 inch at a ramp rate of up to 200°C/s in different atmospheres. It is equipped with gas mixing capabilities and can heat wafers up to 1500°C.

The Asylum Cypher atomic force microscope (AFM) system provides routinely achievable high resolution, fast scanning capabilities and simple operation. Tapping mode is the primary method available for users, though other modes of operation and cantilever drive (such as bluedrive) are possible. These require further training and some experience of the user.

AFM measurement of surface properties and topography

Utilize multiple Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) systems to perform a variety of sample imaging modalities.

Measure the mechanical properties of 1D and 2D materials.

Arradiance Gemstar-8 Atomic Layer Deposition. This research-grade system has 6 precursor lines and the design allows for two modes of operation: thermal continuous mode and thermal exposure mode for ultrahigh-aspect-ratio deposition and material modification. Depositions of Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, HfO2, Ir, and Pt are possible. The system is connected to an ozone generator for in situ cleaning and reactive gas. The chamber permits loading samples up to 8 inches in diameter.

ALD offers a unique means for the conformal deposition of dielectric and metallic films on 3D nanostructures with single atomic layer control Housed in our Integration Lab,this state-of-the-art atomic layer deposition (ALD) system, utilizesprecursor gases with single atomic layer control to enable conformal coating for nanoscale structure integration.

The tool (Cambridge Nanotech Savannah100) includes precursors for atomically precise growth of thin films of Al2O3, ZnO, TiO2, VOx, HfO2, and Pt, at growth temperatures as high as 300 °C.

Atomic-Precision Advanced Manufacturing (APAM) Si Nanoelectronics Capability. This instrument, in association with etch and deposition capabilities, provides powerful nanofabrication of a wide variety of materials and applications.

Flow reactors offer superior control over a wide range of reaction conditions and have several advantages over batch reactors such as: fast mixing, short residence time, well-defined reaction temperature, high specific surface area (high thermal transfer efficiency), easy controlling of pressure (e.g. up to 200 bar for Phoenix Flow Reactor), no separation for heterogeneous reactions, convenient for multi-step reactions, and easy to scale up.

The automated liquid handling is an interconnected cluster of robotic instrumentation, driven by a customized Tecan Fluent 1080, with the goal of automated sample synthesis and characterization. The system consists of three arms, with disposable and fixed tip arms alongside a robotic gripper arm with three different finger options.

The solvent vapor annealer is an instrument design for controlled swelling of polymer and other soft matter thin films by solvent vapors (e.g., THF, acetone). Automated swelling profiles can be programmed based on feedback control of nitrogen purge gas or substrate temperature using customized software.

Establish the process for the safe and effective conduct of automated solution-shearing thin films. The purpose of the solution-shearing is to produce layers of material, typically polymers, on flat substrates. This procedure addresses the actions required for solution handling, preparation of substrates, automated equipment setup, the shearing itself, and the final cleanup.

Highly automated pulsed laser deposition (one conventional and one codeposition chamber) and robotic sample transfer are combined with in situ diagnostics (RHEED and Ion Probe) and post-growth analysis (XPS and Raman/PL) to implement a machine learning based workflow for materials synthesis, discovery, and algorithm development.

Stand alone spectrometers are available that enable UV-vis absorption, infrared absorption, circular dichroism, and photoluminescence are available.

The Bioanalytical Suite enables users to analyze and characterize biomolecules using a variety of techniques.

The Biological Nanostructures Facility (BNF) hosts a state-of-the-art Zeiss Elyra7 microscope for high resolution optical microscopy equipped with 4 high power continuos wave lasers (405, 488, 561, and 644 nm).

A mass-selective purification system, a Jasco circular dichroism (CD) spectrapolarimeter, a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC), UV-vis spectrophotometer, optical microscopes and two multi-well plate readers.

The co-location of multiple microscopes in the Molecular Foundry and NCEM allows for users to correlate samples between imaging modes. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy can be combined for high resolution, multi-modal characterization of biological materials.

A suite of instruments for the characterization of biomolecular interactions is avalable. These include a Bruker Sierra SPR-24 Pro high throughput surface plasmon resonance (SPR), an Iris Kinetics MX-100 interferometric reflectance imaging sensor (IRIS) instrument, and an M2 Automation iTwo 300P nanospotting robot and multi-channel AxiReader F array imager for the preparation and characterization of custom microarrays.

This instrument performs Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis. This single system provides information on particle size, molecular weight, and zetapotential.

This instrumentation is geared for electrochemical analysis (cyclic voltammetry, controlled potential coulometry, differential pulse voltammetry) of intact microbes and individual proteins.

This instrument is used to characterize interactions between two biomolecules, such as binding between antibodies and antigens.

These tools include: an anaerobic chamber, a Beckman ultracentrifuge and other regular centrifuges, 4 biosafety cabinets, limited access to flow cytometer core facility, an AKTA FPLC, microbial and tissue culture incubators, refrigerators and freezers, and gel electrophoresis equipment.

This workflow includes engineering of microbial chassis, protein function discovery, and elucidating in vitro and in vivo properties of biomaterials and their constituent nanostructures. We have expertise in gene/protein function and pathway prediction, including cheminformatics, functional assay design, and computational comparative structural biology. In addition to instrumentation in the Biological Nanostructure Facility for imaging and protein chemistry, we have instrumentation for culturing microalgae and anaerobic microorganisms. Projects are encouraged that utilize synergistic user capabilities in sequencing, comparative genomics, DNA synthesis, and metabolomics at the Joint Genome Institute. Reach out to Crysten for more information.

Biomolecular methods, including cell culture, cold room, gel electrophoresis and DNA imaging, are provided for a broad study in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and biophysics which generally involve manipulation and analysis of DNA, RNA, protein, and lipid.

Create recognition molecules through biological means. Create recognition molecules through biological means (phage display). These ligands can be used for recognition ligands in biosensors or for the hierarchical assembly.

Multi-laser scanning confocal system with an additional NIR laser for upconversion. Equipped with 34 PMTs for spectral imaging, femtoinjector for microinjection of single cells, and a fully controlled cell chamber for extended live-cell studies.

Varian HPLC and Waters UPLC analytical systems are used to analyze small molecules, peptides, peptoids and proteins produced at the Foundry. These systems are configured for reverse-phase chromatography (C4 and C18).

The fluorimeter is a quality spectrophotometer used to characterize the fluorescent properties of compounds/proteins/nanoparticles synthesized.

The suite of Waters and Varian HPLCs is used to purify small molecules, peptides, peptoids and proteins produced at the Foundry by reverse-phase chromatography (C4 and C18). Typical scale is 1 to 100 mg of product.

The Symphony X instruments perform automated solid-phase synthesis of up to 24 peptides or peptoids in parallel, on a scale of 10 mg up to 2 grams of resin in 10 or 40 mL reaction vessels. The instrument is equipped with twelve pairs of independently operating reaction vessels with IR heating for one reaction vessel.

This suite of tools enables the development of new materials based on the folding and assembly of sequence-defined, bioinspired polymers (including peptides, nucleic acids, and peptoids).

The Prelude is an automated synthesizer that can synthesize 6 peptides or peptoids in parallel, on a scale of 10 mg up to 2 grams of resin. Its flexible design enables a variety of solid-phase synthesis chemistries and the inclusion of non-standard building blocks.

The Prelude X is an automated synthesizer that can synthesize 6 peptides or peptoids in parallel, on a scale of 10 mg up to 2 grams of resin. Its flexible design and temperature control via induction heating enables a variety of solid-phase synthesis chemistries and the inclusion of non-standard building blocks.

The suite of Waters and Varian HPLCs is used to purify small molecules, peptides, peptoids and proteins produced at the Foundry by reverse-phase chromatography (C4 and C18). Typical scale is 1 to 100 mg of product.

Varian HPLC and Waters UPLC analytical systems are used to analyze small molecules, peptides, peptoids and proteins produced at the Foundry. These systems are configured for reverse-phase chromatography (C4 and C18).

The Waters Acquity UPLC combined with Waters SQD2 single quadrupole mass spectrometer is used to analyze synthetic compounds, peptides and peptoids. This system is equipped with C18 and C4 columns for reverse-phase chromatography and is configured for walk-up routine electrospray mass analysis.

The Waters Synapt G2 is a high resolution Q-Tof mass spectrometer with ion mobility functionality. This instrument suite includes UPLC and Nanoflow UPLC inlets for electrospray ionization as well as a MALDI source. It is capable of ETD and CID MS/MS and a wide variety of specialized mass spectrometry techniques. This instrument is primarily used for biopolymer sequencing and high resolution analysis.

The Biological Facility is equipped with a variety of resources used in the synthesis of organic compounds, functionalized nanocrystals and bioinspired polymers. They include: 7 chemical fume hoods, two rotary evaporators, a Biotage V10 evaporator, top-loading and analytical balances in a vented safety enclosure, and two lyophilizers.

Bruker D8 Discover Diffractometer with Concentric Eulerian Cradle provides high-resolution four-circle X-ray characterization of bulk, powder, and thin-film samples. It is equipped with a Cu X-ray source and multiple optics and detector options. It is suitable for x-ray reflectivity, high-resolution XRD, reciprocal space mapping (RSM), grazing-incidence diffraction, Bragg- Brentano, rocking curves, texture, and stress characterization. The diffractometer is equipped with a VÅNTEC-1 detector to accelerate RSM measurements.

The Bruker Dimension FastScan atomic force microscope (AFM) combines a high-speed scanning AFM, programmable stage control, and a user friendly interface to provide rapid nanoscale imaging without compromising highest resolution. The expanded software and intuitive workflow delivers automated laser and detector alignment, a built-in user-accessible cantilever database for system auto-settings, fast and safe engage control, and many additional features that make even the most advanced AFM techniques much easier to perform. It accommodates substrates ranging from 200 mm diameter wafers down to small pieces. The system supports scan areas of up to 35 µm x 35 µm and can automatically collect data from multiple locations on a substrate.

This IR spectrometer has optics and a sample compartment under vacuum. The IR beam can be directed out of the instrument into a polarization modulated infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) chamber where samples can be heated and cooled under UHV and gas conditions.

The Compute and Data Environment for Science (CADES) at ORNL is s a Cray CS400 cluster (CADES condo) with 32-36 core Haswell/Broadwell Based nodes as well as a baseline cluster of 128 core AMD 7713 nodes (CADES baseline) to perform scientific computations and run simulation codes.

Atom probe tomography (APT) is a technique that can detect atoms and their 3D position in an ~1003 nm volume with sub-nm resolution.

The Cary 5000 is a high-performance UV-Vis and NIR spectrophotometer with photometric performance in the 175–3300 nm range. Using a PbSmart detector, the Cary 5000 extends its NIR range to 3300 nm making it a powerful tool for materials science research. Installed in 2003, this instrument became available to users in Feb. 2021.

This microscope is used for imaging and analysis of conducting and insulating samples. The SEM has multiple detectors including in-lens and conventional secondary electron detectors, in-lens and quadrant backscatter detectors, an EDS system for elemental x-ray analysis, and a transmission (STEM) bright/dark field detector compatible with standard TEM grids.

Instrumentation and expertise in nanocompatible 2d and 3d cell culture for mammalian lines. Includes incubators, hoods, microscopy, automatic cell counters.

CEM Microwave Reactor containing a single-mode cavity operates in both pressurized and open vessel modes.

Available to provide fast separate substances and shaking or vortexing with tough metal housing at high speed, which is ideal for small volume liquid processing.

Nanocrystals (from 0D nanosize particles and1D nanorods to 2D nanosheets) are prepared with a target functionality in mind and by working closely with physicists who provide feedback on the desired targeted properties to guide the synthetic work.

9000 square foot class 1000/10,000 Temperature maintained at 70°F (+/– 1°F) relative humidity 40% (+/- 10%) Operating hours: 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., seven days a week.

Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy measures differences in the absorption of left-handed polarized light versus right-handed polarized light that arise due to structural asymmetry. The absence of regular structure results in zero CD intensity, while an ordered structure results in a spectrum which can contain both positive and negative signals. This system has a Light source of 150W Xe arc lamp and can collect spectra in a wavelength range of 163-900 nm.

The roughly 4,850 square foot (450 m2) cleanroom, mainly Class 1000, includes Class 100 and Class 10 areas for nanofabrication/lithography, clean measurements and electron beam lithography

n addition to an edge server for tasks requiring instantaneous access to high-power compute, the CNMS also possesses traditional high-performance nodes for more traditional data analysis and simulation workflows, including those involving AI/ML. These are managed via an OpenStack cloud platform enabling users to choose different flavors of virtual machines that can come with a range of volume (storage) sizes, numbers of cores, amount of RAM and availability of GPUs. Applications for these nodes include large parallel simulations (taking advantage of multiple CPU cores), GPU-based simulations (E.g., LAMMPS accelerated on GPUs), training of deep learning models, and powerful servers for running Jupyter notebooks for demanding analysis tasks.

Characterize the size distribution of materials using column-free seeparation methods.

CMS is a powerful x-ray scattering beamline focused on structural measurements of nanomaterials, operated through a partnership between CFN and NSLS-II. The beamline is capable of small-angle and wide-angle scattering (SAXS/WAXS), including in reflection mode (GISAXS/GIWAXS), allowing studies of nanoscale and molecular-scale ordering.

Investigate first-principles simulations of frequency-dependent optical polarizabilities such as two-photon absorption, second and third harmonic generations, organic and organo-metallic chromophores, Nonlinear response functions in time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT).

Techniques include Molecular dynamics, Shear and Elongational Flow, Monte Carlo simulations.

The Molecular and Cellular Imaging Group at ORNL manages over 3000 square feet of conventional “wet” laboratory space suitable for biochemistry, chemical synthesis, and surface functionalization that is affiliated with the CNMS User program. This includes conventional molecular- and micro-biology related equipment: air shakers, waterbath shakers, plate incubators, autoclave, centrifuges and specialized equipment for physical biochemistry, DNA microarray construction and analysis, and nano-bio research.

A controlled atmosphere glovebox facility for fabricating, assembling, and characterizing air-sensitive 2D quantum materials and heterostructures is under expansion to incorporate new probe station testing and electrode deposition facilities to facilitate making and testing electronic devices, including transistors, photodetectors, and memristors all within an inert atmosphere.

We develop first-principles theoretical tools for modeling core-level spectroscopies such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS), and X-ray photo-emission spectroscopy (XPS). Theoretical simulations play a key role in the interpretation of X-ray spectroscopic data obtained at modern light sources, such as the Advanced Light Source. Our simulations are based on a density functional theory framework with inclusion of many-electron contributions to X-ray transition amplitudes and dynamic effects captured using molecular dynamics sampling.

g(2) photon correlation measurements can be performed with a variety of laser excitation sources. Detection can be performed in the visible or near-infrared spectral ranges.

This is an efficient tool for drying delicate samples without damaging its structure through surface tension that occurs when changing from the liquid to the gaseous phase. The tool has integrated heating and refrigeration, an easy to use interface, and low CO2 consumption.

The Cryo-EM Lab houses instruments for imaging of soft matter, nanomaterials, and beam sensitive materials in their native, hydrated state.

Cryo-optical microscopies, including photoluminescence and Raman microscopies, photon-correlation-functions, optically detected magnetic resonance, Rabi, T1, and T2 measurements, are used to probe temperature dependent properties of materials and quantum photonic systems.

This CNMS Cryostat STM equipment is a home-made ultra-high vacuum (UHV) variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM), with molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) growth capability. It has been optimized for deposition and growth using molecular precursors.

This microscope is designed for 2D and 3D imaging and characterization of soft materials in a near-native liquid state under liquid nitrogen temperature using cryo-electron microscopy. It is particularly suited for non-averaged 3D reconstruction of an individual biomolecule particles at nanometer resolution.

Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) enables the growth of complex nanostructures based on the III-V and III-nitride (AlGaInN) semiconductor materials systems, including nanowires (NWs) and quantum dots (QDs).

A programmable, near IR (1200C), compact rapid thermal annealing furnace. Capable of heating rates ~50C/s, with a maximum sample size of ~20x20x2mm.

The facility has a number of tube furnace reactors for CVD, MOCVD, chemical conversion, and sample annealing. They are equipped with a variety of inert gasses, reactive gasses, metalorganic, and organochalcogen precursors.

Dynamic Aberration Corrected Microscope (Both probe and image correction). Equipped with IDES luminary system and DE Celeritas

Using unsupervised learning, we provide classification of distinct local environments in large structural data sets (e.g., molecular dynamics trajectories) to develop informed molecular-scale of solvation, ion coordination, interfacial phenomena, etc.

Utilize precursor gases with single atomic layer control. Housed in our Integration Lab, this state-of-the-art atomic layer deposition (ALD) system utilizes precursor gases with single atomic layer control to enable conformal coating for nanoscale structure integration. The unique isolation chimney prevents cross-contamination of target materials and allows deposition profiles to be fine-tuned, affording sequential deposition of a series of metals (2–4) in single runs (without breaking vacuum).

Dacapo is an ab-initio quantum mechanical molecular dynamics (MD) code using pseudopotentials and a plane wave basis set.

Uses an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source for etching silicon and dielectric materials using fluorine chemistry. The system has been upgraded with Cobra® ICP plasma source and a separate RF generator driving substrate DC bias which allows for superior control of radicals and ions during the plasma processing. The system has demonstrated the capability to etch vertical walls in silicon to a depth of 300 µm at etch rates of 3 µm / min with an aspect ratio (width of feature to etch depth) of 50:1.

The Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) Raman and Photoluminescence laboratory is comprised of an advanced deep ultraviolet confocal Raman and photoluminescence imaging and micro-spectroscopy system (244, 488, 532, and 633 nm excitation) including a suite of precision electronics and polarization optics, and a variable temperature cryostat (2.7–500 K) for complex in-situ characterization of materials emitting in the 200-1100 nm spectral window.

Single scan contact profilometer with a scan length range 50 um to 55 mm and a sub 1 nm specified vertical resolution.

Fast and efficient quantum mechanical simulation method (https://dftb.org/)

Produce, modify, and integrate a range of structural and functional biomolecules with nanoscale synthetic materials and systems. Because native biological molecules are, in general, poorly suited for use in synthetic systems, this capability is focused on developing building blocks motors with enhanced stability and providing strategies for bridging living and non-living components through a common interface and functional material or system.

Deposition of nano-crystalline diamond thin films.

A TA Instruments Q1000/RCS90 DSC allows for characterization of material thermal properties such as glass transition, melting and crystallization, phase changes, product stability, as well as heat capacity in the temperature range of –90 °C to 550 °C.

The Mettler-Toledo DSC is used to perform differential scanning calorimetry measurements under nitrogen purging in the temperature range of -150 °C to 700 °C.

DSC is capable of measuring thermal response of materials of both organic and inorganic composition. They can be used to identify the transitions between complex ordering phases as well as to determine the thermal stability of the sample at various temperatures. The analyzer has a refrigeration/heating system capable of maintaining sample temperature from −150°C to 700°C under inert gas. The instrument has high resolution, superior baseline precision, and reproducibility (<±25 ìW). The cell sensitivity is very high (~ 0.2 ìW detection) for sample of low volume (~ 1 mg).

A state-of-the-art commercial direct-write, AFM tip-based lithography technique capable of multi-component deposition of a wide range of materials with nanoscale registry

Quantum Design DynCool PPMS system with temperature range of 1.8 to 400 K, and magnetic field range +/- 14T. Options include Resistivity, Rotator, Electrical Transport (ETO), Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM), and AC Susceptibility (ACMS II).

This instrument (Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS and Zeta Potential) measures the size (0.6 nm to 6000 nm) and zeta potential of dispersed particles in solution using a 633 nm He-Ne laser. Backscattering geometry allows measurements of colored or turbid solutions.

The e3511 Plasma Asher uses a downstream oxygen plasma to quickly remove photoresist from wafers. The asher is fully automated based upon 6” wafers (smaller pieces can be used on a special carrier wafer) and can process cassettes of up to 25 wafers. The asher has recipes for resist striping and descum processes.

The DGX-2 Enterprise AI Research System by NVIDIA provides breakthrough computing capacity for machine-learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The DGX-2 system is located within the CNMS building, to enable in-situ data analysis with direct feedback to instruments. Connections to several CNMS instruments enables autonomous steering of scanning probe and electron microscopy experiments, by running resource-intensive algorithms such as Bayesian optimization, Reinforcement Learning and image segmentation and reconstruction algorithms.

Measure electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of reactions taking place on an electrode surface.

For cell assembly and testing, as well as related electroanalytical experimentation.

The VPM3 is a potentiostat/galvanostat with up to 16 independent channels and measures voltage up to 20V and current ranging from 10 uA up to 400 mA.

A potentiostat/galvanostat for liquid cyclic voltammetry measurements.

Electroplating, electroforming, anodizing, electropolishing, and electrolytic etching and corrosion, for any commonly plated metal on nearly any substrate.

Solartron Analytical Apps-XM series potentiostat is built on the technology of the ModuLab XM platform for standard electrochemistry measurements.

An electron beam evaporator module is a part of the Quantum Material Press cluster for 2D material fabrication process. It is only compatible with 3" wafers.

EBIC is an analysis technique in the SEM, which creates images using the electrical response of the sample as a function of the scanning position of the electron beam.

Investigate electrical properties of single nanostructures and nanodevices with the spatial resolution of sub-50 nm. Morphological and functional characteristics can be concurrently investigated in an extreme high-resolution Magellan scanning electron microscope.

The JEOL JBX-6300FS electron beam lithography system, in association with etch and deposition capabilities, provides powerful nanofabrication of a wide variety of materials and applications.

A fundamental piece of equipment in any nanofabrication laboratory is the electron beam lithography (EBL) system. The VB300 is a state-of-the-art tool from Vistec Lithography Limited (now Raith) used to create lithographic patterns in a resist for applications in areas such as nanoelectronics, photonics, biotechnology, and magnetics. The tool spot size is less than 3 nm allowing sub-10 nm features to be patterned. Overlay accuracy is 2-10 nm within the 1.2 mm writing field and 15-30 nm field-to-field.

The Raith EBPG5200 is a lithography tool that will allow the high resolution patterning over large areas and on large variety of substrate giving the possibility to explore novel pattern devices in the field of nanophotonic, nano-electronics, QIS, nanomechanics, nanobiology, and more.

This system is capable of producing a 4-nm focused beam of electrons with a 1-nm placement address grid over a full 1-mm field at an accelerating voltage of 100 kV. The tool can handle up to 300-mm samples and the stage has sub-25-nm placement accuracy over the entire area. The CNM has cassettes that can handle small samples ranging in size from 10 mm per side up to 150 mm-diameter wafers. Stitching errors are below 20 nm, and patterning capability approaching 10 nm has been demonstrated.

This system is capable of producing a 3-nm focused beam of electrons with a 2-nm placement address grid over a 100-micron field at voltages ranging from 1 kV to 30 kV. It can handle small pieces ranging in size from 5 mm up to 100-mm wafers. The stage has sub-50 nm placement accuracy over the entire area. Stitching errors are below 50 nm. Patterning capability approaching 10 nm has been demonstrated. There is a built-in SEM for smaller pieces and 2D material samples. This tool has an easy-to-navigate Windows user interface and patterning program.

The JEOL JBX-6300FS is a state-of-the-art 100kV EBL tool providing high-speed patterning capabilities with feature sizes as small as 8 nm over mm-scale areas. The system provides capability of high-speed, large-area exposures (1mm field size) and sub-20 nm overlay and stitching accuracy. The system can handle sample substrates from 5mm up to 3” or 4” wafers, as well as 4” photomasks.

Accommodates multiple wafers, small pieces through 200mm each. Horizontal stage, face down; samples are typically secured with metal clips or Kapton tape to a 100mm carrier. Ebeam materials: Ag, Al, Au, Co, Cr, Ge, Mo, Ni, Pd, Pt, Ti, W. Thermal boat materials: Al, Cr, Au. Thermal boats are limited to 500-1000Å (without stage rotation), depending on material.

Setup to test electron emission for next generation electron guns for scanning and transmission electron microscopy at variable temperatures down to 4K.

Capabilities include first principles simulations of carbon nanotubes, semiconductor quantum dots, and hybrid perovskites; band structure, electronic excitations, and interactions with light; electron-phonon coupling and ab initio molecular dynamics; commercial, open source, and codes created inhouse.

Characterization equipment for electronic devices in controlled environments and temperature (light pulse, gas flow, temperature, etc.) allows users to investigate electronic devices for different functional applications, including memory storage and neuromorphic computing.

Bruker EleXsys 500-E EPR Spectrometer is equipped for continuous wave X-band spectroscopy, a light-accessible cavity, and accommodates variable temperatures. The magnetic field operates at up to 1.5 Tesla.

We calculate electron-phonon coupling coefficients using density functional perturbation theory for harmonic systems, and treat anharmonic ones using a combined ab-initio molecular dynamics and excited-state electronic structure approach. These interactions are used to understand the thermal and dissipative effects on electrons far from the ground state. Recent work includes the behavior of hot carriers in perovskite solar cells, and the generation of anomalous photocurrents from phonon scattering.

This first-of-its kind instrument deposits soft and hybrid material thin films with programmable composition and/or thickness profiles by electrospraying from solution. Up to three separate solutions can be sprayed simultaneously onto heated substrates to generate binary and ternary composition profiles.

Asylum Cypher AFM ES VRS is a stable and easy to use high resolution platform for AFM measurements in controlled gas and liquid environments. The instrument supports all major AFM techniques and is equipped with a heating stage to control temperature up to 250°C.

The E-TEM instrument (FEI Titan 80-300) is an 80 – 300 kV field-emission transmission electron microscope with an objective-lens aberration corrector at spatial resolution of 0.08 nm. The instrument has scanning transmission imaging, magnetic imaging, and chemical analysis capabilities.

Obtain dynamic information on inorganic catalysts and nanomaterials under relevant reaction conditions and features. A state-of-the-art image-corrected monochromated Titan Environmental Transmission Electron microscope (ETEM), 300 kV, provides the capability to resolve reactions between materials and gaseous environments during atomic-resolution (1 Å) imaging.

Transient absorption spectrometer with 100 ns to 4 ms timespan and 355 nm excitation.

Upright microscope for routine epifluorescent, polarized and bright field or dark field imaging.

The Molecular and Cellular Imaging Group at ORNL manages over 3000 square feet of conventional “wet” laboratory space suitable for biochemistry, chemical synthesis, and surface functionalization that is affiliated with the CNMS User program. This includes conventional molecular- and micro-biology related equipment: air shakers, waterbath shakers, plate incubators, autoclave, centrifuges and specialized equipment for physical biochemistry, DNA microarray construction and analysis, and nano-bio research.

Synthesize a variety of functional oxide thin films, investigate the effects of strain, defects and interface on the functionalities, and study emergent quantum phenomena and applications in electronic devices.

ICP Fluorine is an inductively coupled etcher where the ion energy at the wafer can be controlled independently from the plasma density. This tool can etch at much lower pressures than the RIE and generally achieve higher etching rates. It is intended for etching materials with fluorine and/or oxygen based gas chemistry.

This RIE is a capacitive parallel plate etcher suitable for up to 8 inch wafers. The etcher is intended for 1) plasma cleans and descums with oxygen 2) etching of materials with fluorocarbon chemistries (e.g. silicon based materials, tungsten, and more) 3) deposition of amorphous carbon.

The Viper is a multiple frequency parallel plate etcher with 60 MHz on the top plate and 13.56 MHz on the bottom plate (low frequency source for charge management also available). Like the ICP, the ion energy at the wafer can be controlled independent of the plasma density. However, ion densities are lower than in an ICP. Etch rates can be slowed and selectivities increased for controlled nanoscale etching.

ICP 1 is an inductively coupled etcher where the ion energy at the wafer can be controlled independent of the plasma density. This tool can etch at much lower pressures than the RIE (Oxford 80+) and generally achieve higher etching rates. It is intended for etching materials with non-fluorine based gas chemistry.

System provides standard ASTM E1021-12 Quantum efficiency (QE) and Incident Photon to charge carrier efficiency (IPCE) measurements of photovoltaic devices, ORIEL instruments.

Machine learning/artificial intelligence framework to determine atomic structures from experimental (currently: XAS, XRD, PDF, STEM, STM) data and simulations

Model E&M field propagation using Finite Difference Time Domain commercial codes and modes of optical cavities, waveguides, etc., using separate software for mode calculations. The software packages run in a cluster of high-end workstations.

The FEI Nova 200 Dual Beam SEM/FIB is used to prepare ~100 nm needle shaped specimens and <100 nm lamella for atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments.

FEI Quanta 400F Scanning Electron Microscope. This is a high-resolution environmental and variable-pressure SEM.

The FEI Talos F200X is a high-resolution analytical scanning/transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) that is routinely operated at 200 keV. This microscope is equipped with an X-FEG electron source module that gives a source brightness four times that of a Schottky FEG emitter.

The FEI Titan is a high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscope with a CS corrector on the probe forming lens that enable sub-Å resolution imaging and analysis of materials across a range of length scales. For chemical analysis and electronic structure determination, the Titan is equipped with a Gatan Quantum GIF for electron energy loss spectroscopy and energy filtered TEM measurements.

Dedicated 300kV Cryo-S/TEM, equipped with a high brightness "extreme Schottky" field emission gun (X-FEG), is ideally suited for cryo-electron tomography, single particle analysis, and micro-electron diffraction applications.

Use femtosecond optical pulses shorter in duration than a substrate’s electron-phonon thermalization time. The system can ablate material with very little unwanted heat damage, allowing for the machining of features down to the nanoscale.

Helios Fire commercial pump-probe broadband absorption/reflectivity spectrometer capable to measure transient absorption spectra with 100 femtoseconds resolution in UV-VIS-NIR (320nm-1600nm) using a 1 KHz (3mJ) regenerative amplifier and two TOPAS OPAs (290-2600nm).

The FEI/ThermoFisher Helios 5 UX dual beam Focused Ion Beam (FIB) is used for TEM sample preparation, taking advantage of the focused Ga+ ion beam for site-selective material removal and the monochromated field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) column for imaging.

The FEI Helios G4 UX dual beam Focused Ion Beam (FIB) is used for TEM sample preparation, taking advantage of the focused Ga+ ion beam for site-selective material removal and the monochromated field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) column for imaging.

The FEI Strata 235 dual beam Focused Ion Beam (FIB) is used for TEM sample preparation, taking advantage of the focused Ga+ ion beam for site-selective material removal and the field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) column for imaging.

JEOL 7500 Field-emission Scanning Electron Microscope provides high-resolution imaging utilizing backscattered or secondary electrons for nanometer-scale inspection. The microscope is capable of handling samples of various sizes, from small pieces to 150-mm-diameter wafers, and includes secondary and backscattered electron imaging capabilities, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and a transmitted electron detector. Image resolution using secondary electrons is less than 1 nm at 15 kV and less than 1.5 nm at 1 kV.

JEOL JEM-2100F Field-emission Transmission Electron Microscope. This instrument provides high-resolution imaging of nanoscale structures in bright- and dark-field modes. The point and line resolutions of the microscope are 0.23 nm and 0.1 nm, respectively. The range of the selected area camera lengths allows the user to obtain electron diffraction patterns that can give information about the ordering in thin films and structures assembled from atoms and nanosized particles. An energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer allows simple and integrated acquisition of the composition of local regions of the sample. The microscope is capable of automated three-dimensional structural analysis. A Gatan Imaging Filter (GIF) System expands the capabilities to energy-filtered TEM and to electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). The GIF system also enables chemical mapping and bonding state information acquisition.

The PEALD tool is capable to depositing uniform, conformal thin films of various metallic, metal oxide, and metal nitride. It supports both conventional thermal ALD and plasma enhanced ALD. It is equipped with a quartz crystal microbalance for in-situ monitoring of thin film growth rate and accumulated thickness and a mesh pocket holder for deposition on powdered samples.

The Bruker Dimension FastScan atomic force microscope (AFM) combines a high-speed scanning AFM, programmable stage control, and a user friendly interface to provide rapid nanoscale imaging without compromising highest resolution. The expanded software and intuitive workflow delivers automated laser and detector alignment, a built-in user-accessible cantilever database for system auto-settings, fast and safe engage control, and many additional features that make even the most advanced AFM techniques much easier to perform. It accommodates substrates ranging from 200 mm diameter wafers down to small pieces. The system supports scan areas of up to 35 µm x 35 µm and can automatically collect data from multiple locations on a substrate.

Controlled heating of samples for annealing and material modification.

Capabilities include First-principles simulations of electronic magnetic, optical properties in complex metal oxides; Dynamical mean-field theory in combination with density functional theory in local density approximation for bulk d-electron and f-electron materials; First-principles quantum many-body simulations of quantum impurity embedded in metallic host; Construction of low-energy models based on the Wannier functions.

The flow coater is a compact apparatus for casting uniform films of nanoparticles, molecules, or polymers from solution with user-designed film thickness increments or gradients.

Edinburgh Instruments FLS-1000 spectrofluorimeter for steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements. Excitation range: 250 nm – 1200 nm. Emission range: 250 nm – 1700 nm.

Fluidic Force Microscopy (FluidFM) is an innovative technology that combines the precision and versatility of AFM with the capabilities of microfluidics.

Horiba Nanolog Fluorescence Spectrometer for UV-VIS-NIR (400-1750nm). Records both emission and excitation spectra, 2D emission-excitation maps, stationary anisotropy.

This is a FEI Dual Beam FIB-SEM with Raith Elphy 30-kV Ion Beam Lithography. This instrument, which is equipped with a 16-bit pattern generator, combines high resolution SEM with accurate FIB etch and deposition capabilities. The system is capable of producing a 7-nm focused beam of ions with 2-nm placement addressing over a full 100-um field. It can handle up to 150-mm samples, and the stage has sub-100-nm placement accuracy over the entire area. Stitching errors can be below 50 nm with use of alignment marks. This tool is interfaced with Raith 150 pattern-generating hardware and software for micromachining and gas-assisted deposition and milling applications. Additional capabilities include energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS,) an Omniprobe manipulator for TEM lamella preparation, and multiple beam-assisted gas injection systems for deposition (Pt, Co) and enhanced etching (XeF2).

Frontier is based on HPE Cray’s new EX architecture and slingshot interconnect with optimized 3rd Gen AMD EPYC CPUs for HPC and AI, and AMD Instinct 250X accelerators.

The Nicolet 6700 FT-IR spectrometer has the power to handle both research and routine analysis experiments and lets you collect spectra in near-IR, mid-IR and far-IR spectral ranges (7400-350 cm-1). The system integrates advanced hardware features with the power and flexibility of Thermo Electron’s OMNIC software. It accommodates Smart Accessories for transmission and ATR needs.

A versatile and powerful tool for controlled, quasi-combinatorial solution-phase synthesis of simple and complex nanostructures, especially heterostructured nanoparticles like thick-shell ("giant") core/shell quantum dots and multicomponent/multifunctional nanoparticles, as well as an option for scaling-up optimized reactions.

The production of layered structures in 2D materials research is important as the layers in these structures can be stacked in a wide variety of alignments and orientations with each configuration potentially having interesting functionalities. The transfer system is designed to accurately place a “stamp” on a substrate, which can be moved relative to each other not only in the x-, y- and z-directions but also by tilting and rotation.

Molecular dynamics modeling and free energy sampling methods are used to explore the thermodynamics and kinetics of interfacial process and their (electro)chemistry, with relevance to (electro)catalysis, battery science, interfacial phenomena, energy conversion, devices, etc.

This custom-built Agilent 5975C Series GC/ GC-MSD system has flexible carrier gas plumbing, electron impact ionization, TCD and an Agilent MSD Productivity ChemStation. It includes manual or sequence auto sampling as well as a headspace sampling module for analysis of heterogeneous, aqueous and environmental samples. Applications include but are not limited to: organic molecule structure analysis, gas analysis (e.g. H2, N2, CO, CO2), catalysis, and environmental sampling. A tunable photochemistry set-up, a fume hood and standard gas mixtures also are available.

Galvanostatic cycling of rechargeable batteries to test their cycling lives.

Conventional four channel source-measure units.

Hall Measurement system uses a ~0.5T magnet and LN2 to provide temperature dependent measurement (from 80-300K) of conductivity, hall coefficient, carrier type, concentration, and mobility.

This station is equipped with four micro probes in a vacuum chamber that can reach 0.001mTorr. The stage temperature can be controlled from 1K (using flowing liquid helium) to 374K.

This equipment allows users to measure the bulk thermal conductivity of samples over a wide range (0.3-100 W/mK). Full details available here: https://thermtest.com/tps-500

This microbalance can weigh samples up to 2g with an accuracy of 0.001mg.

Measures Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistance of thin-film samples. Full details at linseis dot com we have the LSR-3

This instrument incorporates a high vacuum pump under a nitrogen atmosphere to provide solvents with very low levels of water and dissolved oxygen.

Ovens for Hydrothermal and Solvothermal Synthesis

Biotage Microwave Synthesizer

Nitrogen Gloveboxes for Organic Synthesis and Nanoparticle Synthesis

Biotage Automatic Flash Chromatography System

The Bruker Avance II 500 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer provides detailed information on the topology, dynamics, and three-dimensional structure of molecules in solution and in the solid state.

This instrument is a tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer system, providing high resolution molecular mass coverage in the range of 500 to 5000 g/mol and low resolution up to 500,000 g/mol.

The Nicolet iS50 FTIR from ThermoFisher is designed to collect infrared spectra over the mid-IR region using a KBr beamsplitter and a built-in diamond crystal attenuated total reflectance (ATR) to measure the surface properties of solids, liquids, and compressed pellet samples in either absorbance or transmission modes.

The Agilent 6890N GC is equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and an Agilent 5973 mass spectrometer (MS) to provide highly repeatable and reproducible identification of organic compounds up to 800 g/mol.

GPAW is based on the projector-augmented wave method and can solve the self-consistent density functional theory (DFT) equations using three different wave-function representations, namely real-space grids, plane waves, and numerical atomic orbitals.

The Hall effect measurement system (LakeShore 8404) measures electron mobilities as low as 0.001 cm2/Vs (using AC magnetic field measurements) and resistances from 0.5 mΩ to 100 GΩ. Samples can be measured at room temperature and at 77K.

The joint CNM/APS Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) facility at APS beamline 26-ID delivers a hard X-ray beam tunable over the 6–12 keV spectral range and focused to 25 nm onto the sample. This X-ray energy range is ideal for probing crystalline thin films, devices and interfaces, many inner-shell electronic resonances, and mapping most elements in the periodic table. The HXN uses interferometric control to maintain relative positional drift of the focusing optics and sample less than 10 nm/h. The working distance between the X-ray focusing optics and the sample is typically a few mm, enabling a variety of in-situ and operando experiments with variable temperature, applied electric and magnetic fields, and liquid and gaseous environments. A heating/cooling specimen stage supports variable temperature experiments with the HXN over a temperature range of 100–525 K with a step-size of 0.01K and stability of 0.005K. The HXN supports scanning nanodiffraction, Bragg ptychography (5 nm resolution), and multimodal chemical and structural nanoimaging (approximately 30-nm resolution).

HEIDELBERG MLA 150 ADVANCED MASKLESS ALIGNER Non-contact exposure, outstanding ease of use, and high speed make the Maskless Aligner MLA150 the ideal tool in rapid prototyping environments, for low- to mid-volume production, and in Research & Development. The MLA150 now presents the modern-day alternative to the traditional Mask Aligner. Maskless photolithography eliminates the need for a photomask: The system exposes the pattern directly onto the resist-covered surface. Should design modifications be required, these can be quickly implemented by changing the CAD layout, resulting in much-reduced cycle-times. You will also benefit from a fast, automated front- and backside alignment procedure as well as the outstanding speed: Exposing an area of 100 x 100 mm² with structures as small as 1 micron will take less than 10 minutes.

Helios 5 CX Ga-FIB is dual beam system with Ga ion and electron beam. It is equipped with cryo-stage, EDS and EBSD detectors. It suitable for FIB-SEM 3D imaging and cross-sectional TEM sample preparation.

The Thermo Fisher Scientific Helios G5 UX SEM/FIB has excellent electron- and ion-beam imaging resolutions allowing the fabrication of TEM samples with unprecedented quality, especially when combined with its incorporated low energy Ar ion milling capability. Additional capabilities are: EDS and EBSD detectors, low-T slice-and-view for 3D reconstruction of materials, robotic nanomanipulators for in-situ electrical probing, e-beam and ion-beam lithography, in-situ device fabrication, and fully automatic TEM sample preparation procedures.

The CNM’s HPC Cluster "Carbon" offers capabilities for theory and modeling as well as for experimental data processing. The cluster is located in CNM's dedicated data center in Building 440, occupying approx. 30% of the room's total area of 1,200 square feet. The cluster consists of several hundred individual computers and data storage units, placed in racks and tightly networked together to allow fast parallel processing. The hardware components are replaced or added over time to take advantage of more capable or more energy-efficient hardware. Currently available for users are 2,600 cores on central processing units (CPU) and 20 Graphical Processing Units (GPUs), for approximately 25 Tflops performance, with 4–12 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM) per core and an InfiniBand interconnect for fast parallel computations and storage access. Storage is provided by a Lustre parallel file system with 520 terabytes net capacity, hosted on several Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) systems and highly available servers. A large number of HPC applications are installed on the cluster, with focus on atomistic modeling and nanophotonics. Packages for molecular visualization, general analysis, libraries, and development round out the system. Recent upgrades included addition of 40 nodes in FY 2017 and 52 nodes in FY 2018, and an upgrade of the operating system to CentOS-7.

The JEOL JSM-7600F is a state-of-the-art thermal FE-SEM combining high resolution imaging with optimized analytical functionality. It counts with beam deceleration for imaging charging samples and includes an array of secondary electron, conventional and low-angle backscattered electron, and STEM detectors.

The Zeiss Gemini Ultra55 is a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) capable of deliver morphological characterization including shape and size of features, surface topography and chemistry, by collecting secondary/back-scattered electrons emitted from the sample as a focused electron beam raster the sample’s surface. It is coupled to a Bruker X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (X-Ray EDS) used for identifying and mapping the distribution of chemical elements.

The JEOL 2100-F is a Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscope (FETEM) equipped with an analytical pole piece, an Oxford high solid-angle Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) system for chemical elemental analysis, a Gatan Tridiem Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer (EELS) for energy-filtered imaging and spatially resolved EELS, a High-Angle Annular Dark Field (HAADF) detector, and several digital cameras.

Two FEI field-emission source SEMs — The Nova NanoSEM 450 includes a Nabity electron beam lithography (EBL) patterning capability and the Nova 600 Nanolab from FEI Company combines ultrahigh resolution SEM with FIB capabilities in one system for sample analysis, 2D and 3D machining, and prototyping. The system also includes a Nabity EBL patterning capability.

A high-precision XRD platform with small-angle x-ray scattering, 2D area detector (HyPix 3000) and variable temperature thin-film, and microdiffraction accessories.

Leica TCS SP5 commercial inverted laser-scanning confocal fluorescence microscope (video rate) for fluorescence, transmission and reflection imaging (400-800nm range). Capable of FRET, FRAP, FCS, HyperSpectral Imaging, micro PL spectroscopy using CW laser with lines in the 457-632 nm range, FLIM, SHG and Two-Photon Imaging with a MaiTai femtosecond broadband laser (710nm-990nm).

R&D scale capabilities for patterning materials and topographies using digital and roll/sheet-based technologies.

This probe station can perform rapid thermal annealing (up to 500 °C) in vacuum (2 mbar) or in a gas mixture atmosphere.

Hitachi S-4700-II Scanning Electron Microscope. This is a high-resolution, high-vacuum SEM.

The Arryx BioRyx 200 optical trapping system, also known as laser tweezers, is capable of capturing an manipulating microscopic particles. Ideal for measuring viscoelastic measurements of soft and biological materials as well as provide insights in motive mechanisms of biomolecular motors.

This liquid chromatography (LC) system is capable of analyzing or purifying molecular compounds in either reversed phase (e.g. for peptides) or normal phase (e.g. for small molecules or polymers). The system is equipped with a 100 position autosampler, multiwavelength detector, and automated fraction collector. In addition, mass spectrometry (MS) detection is made possible by the addition of the Advion Expression CMS to enable LC-MS methods.

The Hybond is a deep access wedge and ball bonder for samples with large height differences between 1st and 2nd bond.

The instrument is designed to measure mechanical/rheological properties of soft materials, including gels, liquids, and assemblies of macromolecules or nanoparticles at air-liquid interfaces.

The Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) instrument has very low detection limits (sub ppb) for elemental analysis of solutions by both radial and axial view. This particular set-up includes an SPS4 Autosampler for analysis of up to 360 samples. The instrument is not equipped to handle solutions of organic solvents, hydrofluoric acid (HF), or certain fluorine-containing electrolytes.

Explore leading-edge epitaxial growth technologies — CINT offers two epitaxial growth technologies for III-V semiconductors: Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD).

The BioTek Cytation 5 Imaging Multimode Reader combines automated digital widefield microscopy with conventional multimode microplate reading. The instrument possesses bright-field (4X, 20X, 60X), fluorescence (4X, 20X, 60X), and phase-contrast (20X) imaging alongside UV/Vis spectroscopy and fluorescence measurements.

The Scienta-Omicron Infinity is a scanning probe microscope has closed-cycle cooling enabling operation for months at cryogenic temperatures. It is ideal to explore tip manipulation and assembly of atoms and molecules or for studies of molecules on conducting surfaces. The Nanonis control system has an open design for implementation of AI/ML control an automation. Without need for liquid helium, this system also serves as a testing platform before lower temperature measurements are pursued.

An open-source automation framework which solves for this correspondence and fuses atomic resolution image simulations into the experimental images to which they correspond

INQ is an engine for real-time electronic structure simulations, using time-dependent density functional theory. Being nonperturbative, it excels at the simulation of electronic and ionic motion far from equilibrium. It is written from scratch to work on graphic processing units (GPUs), and makes use of modern code design features and takes advantage of newly available hardware.

The Helios Nanolab 600 has two electrical feedthroughs (4 and 7 electrodes) for in situ electrical characterization including electron beam induced imaging (EBIC) capabilities. In addition, the system allows to bias independently the micromanipulated probe (Omniprobe) and the stage, allowing multiple sample biasing configurations.

Monitor physical properties during the growth of metal and oxide thin films. With four DC magnetron sputtering guns (two capable of RF sputtering), a heated substrate holder, and a biased stage, we can deposit a number of novel materials including complex oxides, high entropy alloys, and thick epitaxial films. The laser curvature tool and surface acoustic wave (SAW) monitoring system, measure internal stress and modulus of films as they are being growth.

This capability allows to characterize solution synthesis of materials grown on substrates (e.g. inorganic, organic, or hybrid thin films) via in situ optical spectroscopy during spin-coat deposition and subsequent heat treatment.

Integrated UV-Ozone Cleaner and Molecular Vapor Coater (Nanonex Ultra-100)

We use methods of machine learning to determine optimal feedforward (time only) and feedback (time- and state-dependent) protocols for nanoscale self-assembly and dynamics, including elementary computing operations such as bit flipping

The Zeiss Ultra 60 is a Scanning Electron Microscope using the good imaging capabilities of the GEMINI® field emission column (FESEM). It comprises dual In-column detectors for ultra high resolution topographical and compositional imaging.

The Molecular Foundry Zeiss Cross-beam is one of the most versatile lithographic and inspection tools allowing fabrication of complex prototypes for nanoelectronics, nano-optical antenna, modifying scanning probe tips, rapid electrical contacting and many other applications. The 1500XB Cross Beam combines the Gemini field emission column (FESEM) with the Orsay Physics focused ion beam (FIB). In addition, the instrument offers a multi-channel gas injection system to allow ion and electron beam induced deposition (IBID and EBID) and chemically assisted ion beam etching (CAIBE).

The Ion Beam Materials Laboratory at LANL is a pioneer accelerator lab devoted to the characterization and modification of surfaces through the use of ion beams. The 6,000 sq. ft. facility hosts several accelerators and sample preparation lab space.

A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor, dedicated to growth of high-quality and electrically doped Si/Ge nanowire heterostructures with controlled interfaces. Features of the CVD system for Si/Ge nanowire heterostructures guarantee precise control of electrical doping concentration and interfacial widths of heterostructure, uniformity in a substrate, and reproducible growth of sophisticated nanowire heterostructures.

Create nanoscale patterns in electron beam resist across large areas at high speeds

The JEOL IT800HL SEM provides high resolution imaging of a variety of samples. The SEM is equipped with several detectors and analytical tools, including secondary and backscatter electron detectors, energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning transmission detection, low vacuum mode, and electron backscatter diffraction system. Gentle beam mode allows for improved resolution with insulating or beam-sensitive samples.

The JEOL NeoARM enables atomic-resolution imaging at accelerating voltages ranging from 30 kV to 200 kV. The microscope features a cold field emission gun as well as a Cs corrector (ASCOR) that compensates for higher order aberrations.

The main research focus of the Joule-Thomson scanning probe microscope are electronic phase transitions in quantum materials (superconductivity, charge density waves, metal insulator transitions, magnetic transitions). To this end, the microscope enables atomically-resolved microscopy and spectroscopy of conductors and insulators down to T=1.2 K.

The system allows high-resolution color imaging, non-destructive measurement, and no material restrictions. Accurate 3D observation is possible even for targets with steep angles and large height differences.Accurate nano-level measurements on transparent substrates (i.e. glass, quartz). The system is doing evaluation of surface roughness on a larger scale (cm2) and contact-free, in contrast to contact measurements by AFM (mm2) or stylus profilometry (line scans).

Fast, true color, high resolution 3D surface profiling of polymer film, composites, nanofabricated lithographed features, 2D devices.

This is a flexible, high-resolution scanning curvature, stress, thickness, tilt, and absolute reflectance measurement system. It simultaneously measures the sample curvature in two orthogonal directions using a two-dimensional laser array. It performs high resolution XY scanning of semiconductor wafers, optical mirrors, lenses, or practically any polished surface. kSA MOS UltraScan XY scanning provides uniform spatial scan resolution over the entire wafer/sample surface. Scans are fully programmable for line scans, selected area maps, and full area maps, perfect for circular, square or patterned samples. The system also provides quantitative film stress analysis by first scanning the sample and then re-scanning the sample post-process.

Lambda 915 MHz Microwave Plasma CVD. This system is used for the growth of nanocrystalline diamond with a dedicated hydrogen gas supply and with a level of moisture less than 1 ppm, which significantly improves thin-film quality. It was updated with isotopically pure methane and nitrogen gases to allow synthesis of isotopically pure undoped and nitrogen-incorporating diamond thin films.

LAMMPS is a classical molecular dynamics code with a focus on materials modeling.

Olympus OLS 4000 LEXT (ACR) is a laser confocal microscope that can take high resolution 3D images by acquiring successive images of the sample between two heights. It then recombines the laser acquired images and the color images to produce a 3D projection that can be measured. It can measure dimensions, roughness, area, volumes, etc. Its specially developed lenses produce high quality images of the sample. The z axis resolution is 10 nm and the x-y resolution is 120 nm.

Laser Pattern Generator Laser Writer (LW405). This is a direct-write optical laser pattern generator capable of direct write on multiple-sized substrates, ranging from wafers to photomasks. Non-flat samples can be exposed. It is capable of rapid prototyping and can be used in a mix-and-match mode with our e beam lithography tools. The system includes a pattern generator that can accept standard layout file formats such as GDSII and CIF.

LatticeAx420 is a high accuracy indent and cleaving system that delivers cleaving accuracy of 10-μm in <5 min. and can accommodate a variety of sample sizes, thicknesses and materials. The base is integrated with a vision package that includes a monocular microscope with 4-μm optical resolution, color CCD camera and real-time image acquisition and display software, and an X-Y stage. This dedicated cleaving workstation is designed so any user can survey, align, micro-indent, cleave, and inspect processed samples.

LatticeAx420 is a high accuracy indent and cleaving system that delivers cleaving accuracy of 10-μm in <5 min. and can accommodate a variety of sample sizes, thicknesses and materials. The base is integrated with a vision package that includes a monocular microscope with 4-μm optical resolution, color CCD camera and real-time image acquisition and display software, and an X-Y stage. This dedicated cleaving workstation is designed so any user can survey, align, micro-indent, cleave, and inspect processed samples.

Kurt Lesker Dual Chamber Sputtering-Electron-Beam Evaporation System. This tool, managed by the QEM Group, is housed in the clean room facility. It offers sputtering and e-beam evaporation capabilities with a wide range of deposition parameters by which polycrystalline and amorphous films of a wide group of materials can be deposited onto substrates up to 6 inches in diameter. A common load-lock assembly and robotic arm allows sample transfer from one system to the other without breaking vacuum. The addition of a 2nd e-beam gun during FY 2016 allows for the sequential evaporation of up to 10 different materials, thus increasing the efficiency and productivity of the tool, in addition to having the capability for co-evaporation of metals and alloys.

Three separate physical vapor deposition systems (all Kurt J. Lesker PVD75) are available for thin-film sputter, thermal, and electron-beam deposition of a wide variety of materials.

Three separate physical vapor deposition systems (all Kurt J. Lesker PVD75) are available for thin-film sputter, thermal, and electron-beam deposition of a wide variety of materials.

Kurt Lesker Dual Chamber Sputtering-Electron-Beam Evaporation System. This tool, managed by the QEM Group, is housed in the clean room facility. It offers sputtering and e-beam evaporation capabilities with a wide range of deposition parameters by which polycrystalline and amorphous films of a wide group of materials can be deposited onto substrates up to 6 inches in diameter. A common load-lock assembly and robotic arm allows sample transfer from one system to the other without breaking vacuum. The addition of a 2nd e-beam gun during FY 2016 allows for the sequential evaporation of up to 10 different materials, thus increasing the efficiency and productivity of the tool, in addition to having the capability for co-evaporation of metals and alloys.

Three separate physical vapor deposition systems (all Kurt J. Lesker PVD75) are available for thin-film sputter, thermal, and electron-beam deposition of a wide variety of materials.

The LightCycler® 480 system enables you to perform real-time, online PCR combined with rapid cycling of up to 96 or 384 samples (depending on the thermal block cycler installed).

Capabilities include local electron density of states around local impurities/defects, as well as vortex cores in the mixed state of superconductors, providing a theoretical underpinning for scanning tunneling microscopy; providing the description of bulk properties like superfluid density, nuclear relaxation rate (NMR).

A field-emission low-energy electron microscope (Elmitec LEEM V) allows for in-situ microscopic studies of dynamic surface processes.

Ion-beam and low-kV e-beam lithography with NPGS patterning system in the Helios dual-beam microscope.

A low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) / diffusion furnace located in the CORE Integration Lab. Mechanical support allows for high-density films (e.g. low imperfections) without significant stresses. For micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS), the ability to tailor the stress is key as stress and stress gradients are dominant, device failure-inducing mechanisms.

This low temperature high magnetic field scanning tunneling microscope (LTHB STM) and molecular-beam-epitaxy (MBE) combined system enables structural, electronic, and spin studies of the surfaces of quantum materials.

Createc 4K STM/AFM with thin film preparation and characterization facilities (441/pad #4). This instrument is available for atom manipulation and is capable of imaging both conducting and non-conducting samples at 4.8 K and 80 K substrate temperatures. The system also has the capability to apply an internal vertical magnetic field of up to 2.5 T. The STM/q+AFM setup allows simultaneous measurement of tunneling current and force signals, thereby enabling tunneling and force spectroscopy experiments at sub-atomic resolution. The STM/q+AFM scanner and the bath cryostat are housed in a UHV chamber that can be separated from the main UHV chamber via a gate valve. The main UHV chamber includes state-of-the-art UHV pumps and pressure monitoring instruments, an Omicron VT STM setup, an Omicron low-energy electron diffraction system, a Varian reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) system, an ion sputtering system, and a manipulator with XYZ translational and rotational stages. The sample temperature at the manipulator stage can be varied from 20 K to 2000 K using liquid helium cooling and e-beam and/or resistive heating. The chamber also has a standard load-lock system, and a fast entry load-lock system separated by gate valves.

An upgraded Createc low-temperature UHV scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with atomic force microscope (NC-AFM/HR-AFM operation modes. Default operation at 5K STM and sample temperature. Using Q-Plus sensor (30kHz) with FIB shaped 25um PtIr tip wire. Full time support by CFN staff knowledgeable in various preparation methods for molecule structure imaging and beyond.

Utilize state-of-the-art neural network models (HIPNN, ANI, etc.) for interatomic potentials for performing large-scale molecular dynamics in molecular and solid systems; Active Learning protocol for automatic generation of training dataset in the regions of large uncertainties; PyTorch Semiempirical Quantum Mechanics (PySeQM) for training reduced quantum-mechanical models.

The Molecular Foundry Machine Shop is available to support projects at the Molecular Foundry through rapid in-house design, fabrication, and modification of custom instrumentation, as well as physical infrastructure. Examples of parts made by the shop include custom sample holders, ultra-high vacuum components, tool enclosures, seismic restraints, and more. Fabrication staff expertise is also available for design consultation on outsourced projects.

Size exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering, broad band dielectroc spectroscopy, UV, FTIR, rheological and thermal properties,

The ideal tool for investigating nanotubes, nanowires, nanocomposites, and other materials when workhorse SEMs lack the low-voltage resolution required for sensitive surface imaging. The FEI Magellan 400 SEM provides sub-nanometer spatial resolution from 1kV to 30 kV.

Prepare high-quality metal nanocrystals with a target functionality in mind. Exploit or develop new methods that afford control over particle size-dispersity, crystallinity, stability, and magnetic properties, e.g., plasmonic, catalytic, and low-melting compositions as growth fluxes for nanowire growth.

An MPMS sample magnetometer provides solutions for a unique class of sensitive magnetic measurements in key areas such as high-temperature superconductivity, biochemistry, and magnetic recording media.

Visible and Near-IR Microscope. This is an inverted microscope-based spectroscopy system with a 300 mm triple-grating spectrograph and dual (visible and short-wave near-IR) 2D array detectors. The visible CCD detector (1360 x 100 pixels) covers 300 to 1000 nm and a thermoelectrically cooled InGaAs detector (640 x 512 pixels) covers 800 to 1650 nm. The system is capable of performing absorption/reflection spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (excitation provided by continuous wave and pulsed diode lasers), and visible photoluminescence lifetime measurements. Additionally, the system is equipped with source meters that enable electroluminescence measurements on nanoscale materials incorporated into transistor structures. A microscopy cryostat is available for measurements to 5K.

MALDI coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is used to sequence proteins, map biomolecules in tissues, identify microorganisms, and analyze several thousand biochemical assays in a day.

We develop and use many-body perturbation theory (GW/BSE) calculations as implemented in the BerkeleyGW package (berkeleygw.org). We study excited states within complex materials, such as complex organic donor-bridge-acceptor molecules to understand photon-induced charge separation at donor/acceptor interfaces; the nature and energy of excitations within organic crystals and at organic/organic interfaces; energy level alignment for molecules adsorbed on metal interfaces, relevant to electronic transmission through single-molecule junctions; and energy level alignment at molecule/inorganic semiconductor interfaces for optimizing photocatalytic activity.

Nanoscale mechanical testing methods, including indentation, tension, compression, and scratching, — developed to probe various mechanical responses of materials at depths of tens of nanometers over regions with dimensions of hundreds of nanometers.

Mech-El model 909Z ultrasonic wedge bonder with 45 degree wirefeed. Heated workholder and controller, Bausch & Lomb microscope, LED ring light and 2” wirespool holder.

Magneto-Electro-Optical Spectroscopy (MEOS). This is a comprehensive measurement suite that can characterize electrical, magnetic and optical properties of nanodevices or materials. It is equipped with two continuously tunable external-cavity lasers: one in the telecom C band (1520-1570nm), and the other in the 765-780nm band, all with sub-picometer resolutions. It also microwave vector network analyzers that goes up to 20 GHz, and an electromagnet that can provide magnetic field up to 1 T. All the characterizations can be coherent, and multiple different characterizations can be simultaneously carried out. With all these capabilities combined, this tool is suitable for applications such as electro-/magneto-optical characterization, microwave-optical conversion, etc.

Culture and differentiate adult-derived mesenchymal stem cells for the study of their interaction and altered cell-fate with polymers, nanostructured substrates (hard and soft materials of varied tensile strength and patterning), and radiation of varied frequencies.

A user-friendly, multi-physics, phase-field simulation tool for both modelers and experimentalists alike to study the dynamic evolution of microstructures and their associalted properties.

Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition of films and nanowires of GaP, InP and their alloys. It has a single 3-inch susceptor pocket. With an expandable precursor bay, this system lends itself to more flexibility in materials and dopant options. Automated software control gives the ability to grow reproducible samples with timed precursor delivery for making precisely controlled heterostructures.

The graphene induction furnace or GRIFter enables the growth of high-quality graphene monolayers on SiC through high-temperature annealing up to 1700C.

Extensive capabilities for nanofabrication of plasmonic and metamaterial samples, on both passive, dielectric substrates (glass or undoped semiconductors) and active, semiconductor heterostructure substrates.

Utilize distinctive platforms for investigating standard or hybrid materials. Our 100 mm facility has an exceptional tool set, which accommodates a wide range of substrates, films, and chemicals. We work closely with other centers and laboratories to integrate unique materials or processes into prototype micro/nano systems.

Utilize Raman spectroscopy to gain insight about chemical/molecular structures or micro-photoluminescence to study the optical and electronic properties of nanostructures.

A variety of spectroscopic capabilities for characterization of both ensemble and individual optically active nanoparticles.

The Unisoku USM 1600 STM realizes the lowest base temperature and high magnetic field for STM. It has a Cryogenic dilution refrigeration cryostat operating at 40 mK with superconductor vector magnet, controlled by Nanonis™ SPM control system. It is a high-end performance STM for detection and manipulation of electronic and magnetic states and low-energy excitations, fundamental to study superconductivity and low temperature physics with atomic fidelity.

The mIRage optical-photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) plus Raman instrument provides sub-500nm spatially resolved infrared and Raman spectra on the same spot at the same time with the same spatial resolution.

Maskless Lithography: This state-of-the-art, high-precision, highly flexible technology is ideal for use in both R&D as well as environments where rapid-prototyping of feature sizes greater than 1 µm are required. The maskless lithography technique allows you to bypass the long process of ordering a photomask and enables you to transfer the design directly to the wafer without the need for a photomask. In maskless lithography the pattern is exposed directly onto the substrate surface with the help of a spatial light modulator, or SLM, which serves as a “dynamic photomask”. Simply upload and convert the design file and the maskless aligner will take care of the rest. As your pattern evolves, simply reload the design and do as many exposures as is necessary over a much shorter period of time than what is possible with a traditional mask-based technique.

We perform precise synthesis of functional polymers with special emphasis on polymerization, selective deuteration, small molecule synthesis, and ionic polymerization, as well as macromolecular characterization. We utilize the best high yielding and controlled reaction condition including the use of Schlenk lines, glass blown custom-made reactors, autosamplers, and flow chemistry reaction methods including online monitoring.

The stacker is a robotic 2D materials transfer system designed to precisely manipulate stamps and substrates containing exfoliated 2D materials for the fabrication of 2D heterostructures.

This instrument is capable of determining friction and wear measurements in controlled environments. Unique capabilities include: (a) Quantitative measurements of friction/wear and characterization of chemical states within the wear track at the same time. (b) Both linear and rotating friction tests are possible. (c) The tool has an integrated tribometer, profilometer and Raman spectrometer. (d) A variety of environmental conditions including dry, humid, high vacuum and high temperatures. (e) Raman mapping of the wear track along with topographic information at the micron scale.

An invaluable and robust tool for quick characterization of a variety of precursors.Sensitive to 30 different nuclei, the 90 MHz Anasazi multinuclear FT NMR spectrometer instrument is an invaluable and robust tool for quick characterization of a variety of organic, inorganic, and organometallic precursors used in our laboratories.

This instrument consists of Multi-Photon Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope (Olympus FV1000) with a Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Attachment (Becker & Hickl). It is among the most advanced, commercially-available optical imaging systems, and offers a world-class capability for optical characterization of any array of biological, synthetic, and hybrid nanomaterials.

Ultra-high-resolution 3D printing.

This is an ultra-high vacuum scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a hemispherical energy analyzer and an x-ray source. It can perform local Auger spectroscopy for surface chemical analysis with few-nm, resolution, higher than any other technique, and complementary to bulk measurements in analytical TEM. XPS and local reflection energy-loss spectroscopy (REELS) are also supported, as well as in situ heating and sample preparation.

The Ion Beam Materials Laboratory (IBML) — Devoted to the characterization and modification of surfaces through the use of ion beams.

The NanoIR instrument is capable of performing both scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) and photothermal infrared spectromicroscopy (PTIR) with a spatial resolution of 10nm in tapping mode and 50nm in contact mode.

Simulate experimental microscopy and diffraction based on molecular dynamic simulations of nanostructured materials.

A multiprobe system combining scanning probe microscopy, near-field scanning optical microscopy, confocal microscopy, and chemical nanolithography in a unified system. It supports as many as four probes operating simultaneously and independently, with each probe having its own feedback and scanning capabilities.

Multiphoton lithography to create unique 3D polymer architectures

Commercial EOS pump-probe broadband transient absorption/reflectivity spectrometer capable to measure time-resolved spectra with nanosecond resolution in VIS and NIR in combination with a 1 KHz regenerative amplifier, two TOPAS OPAs (290nm-2600nm) and a supercontinuum Leukos laser for probing.

The latest in nanoparticle tracking analysis. With machine learning-enabled NS Xplorer software, measurements are fully automated, removing subjectivity and ensuring high-quality size and concentration data for both light scatter and fluorescence analysis.

Deposit novel materials including complex oxides, strain engineered multilayers, graded high entropy alloys, and thick epitaxial films. Heated and biased stages allow for intimate control over several microstructural features such as texture, density, chemistry, and grain size.

NCEM Computer Lab & Software

NCEM In Situ Capabilities

NCEM Sample Prep Labs

Near field optical microscopy and spectroscopy setup that allows 3 modes of near field tip excitation and detection: 1) Fiber tip excitation on sheer force head, detection back through fiber or via bottom optics. 2) Side illumination of near field tip, detection from side or bottom optics. 3) Bottom illumination of near field tip, detection back through bottom optics.

Nikon Eclipse T2 inverted microscope with long working distance objectives and laser based LED white light source, Acton HRS500-Pixis100 spectrograph/CCD camera (400nm-1050nm) for recording scattering and fluorescence spectra, spectroelectrochemistry attachment, bright field imaging, chirality and polarization modes.

The Low-voltage (60-100kV) monochromated, aberration-corrected (MAC)-STEM/EELS (Nion Hermes) is equipped with a Cold FEG and ultrahigh vacuum column and offers high energy-resolution EELS.

The low-voltage Nion UltraSTEM offers relatively easy atomic resolution Z-contrast images and is ideally suited for thin or 2D samples.

Non-blinking nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) that emit in the visible and the near-infrared — developed by exploring effects of shell thickness, core size, core/shell electronic structure, and internal nanoscale interface properties. These NQDs are also characterized by strongly suppressed Auger recombination and are essentially non-photobleaching. Their characteristic large effective Stokes shift affords minimized self-reabsorption.

Perform the modeling study of quantum phase transition and criticality in f-electron heavy-fermion systems, and the local electronic structure around Kondo impurities and Kondo holes.

The Online Library of Internally Validated Experimental Recipes (OLIVER) is a free database of common lab processes, synthetic recipes and science tutorials provided by Foundry users and staff. The website contains notes and details that may not be well described in the literature yet are common knowledge to those routinely working in a particular field. The site also features a tutorial section intended to simplify common Foundry science to non-experts.

The Scienta Omicron VT SPM is the most reliable SPM for room- and variable temperature applications. The classic Beam Deflection AFM for contact and non-contact AFM offers the flexibility for many operational modes and different cantilever types.

Atomic resolution low temperature scanning tunneling microscope (LT-STM) capable to cool down a sample to 5K. The microscope is attached to a sample preparation chamber. The system’s capable techniques: sample sputtering, sample annealing, physical vapor deposition (PVD), controlled gas dosing, temperature programmed desorption (TPD), atomic-scale imaging, scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS).

We develop tools for simulating a range of optical spectroscopies, including Raman, second harmonic generation/sum frequency generation, time-resolved pump-probe, and magneto-optical spectroscopies. We extend and apply these computational tools beyond weakly-interacting regimes, such as Raman spectra in highly anharmonic systems or close to resonances, higher-order susceptibilities and photocurrents, and carrier dynamics and interactions beyond the dilute limit. Current applications span energy-relevant materials such as hybrid organic-inorganics to 2D or topological materials for quantum applications.

The Cary UV-Vis-NIR has an absorbance range of 190-3300nm and is capable of transmittance and absorbance measurements for both films and solutions. An internal diffuse reflectance accessory is available, providing exceptionally low photometric noise and a 200-2500nm data collection range.

This spectrometer collects spectra from 350-7,800 cm-1. The HATR assembly has a ZnSe 45-degree plate to simplify sample prep.

The fluorometer is equipped with multiple detectors, allowing spectra to be collected from 290-1600nm. The system works for standard fluorescence measurements, 3D, and PL lifetime (in the visible region).

This spectrometer operates using fiberoptic cables, allowing data to be collected at an impressively fast time frame. This instrument collects spectra from 250-2500nm and has a Muglight attachment available for diffuse reflectance measurements.

Capabilities include software and hardware for automated image acquisition including time-lapse imaging, multi-channel image acquisition, and multi-field of view stitching. Control over temperature ranging from ambient to ~60°C can be achieved.

Advanced spectroscopic techniques can be combined with optical microscopy to provide a suite of tools for characterizing spatially dependent properties of nanoscale materials

Characterize fundamental and quantum optical properties including colloidal nanocrystals, quantum dots, nanowires, carbon nanotubes, 2D materials, and solitary quantum defects in wide variety of solid state hosts.

Omicron UHV VT AFM/STM with Optical Access

The Agilent Cary 5000 UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer measures absorbance from 175–3300 nm for solid, liquid, and thin film samples in transmission mode.

The facility has two thermal evaporators, both of which are integrated with nitrogen glove boxes and offer rate and thickness control. 1) The MBRAUN evaporator is used to deposit thin layers of organic and metallic materials onto substrates under vacuum conditions of up to 10–6 mbar. 2) The Angstrom Engineering evaporator is used to deposit thin layers of organic, metallic, and lead halide precursors.

The Hamamatsu Quantaurus-QY Plus spectrometer allows for measurement of absolute photoluminescence quantum yield in the wavelength range of 400-1650nm (UV-NIR).

For sample processing (spin coating, solution preparation, hot plate use, device encapsulation) and for loading devices into sealed test cells for measurement outside of the box.

The Lakeshore CPX-HF Probe Station is used for testing devices up to 1” in diameter under vacuum (up to 10–5 torr), at temperatures between 4.2–400 K, and/or under a magnetic field (1 T horizontal field split-pair superconducting magnet, LHe cooling required).

A 150 W Thermal-Oriel Solar Simulator (with AM1.5G filter) is available for measuring IV-characteristics of devices with a Keithley 2400 source meter. An Enlitech QE-R Solar Cell Quantum Efficiency Measurement System allows for measurement of both external and internal quantum efficiency (EQE and IQE) of devices from 300–1800 nm.

The Dektak 150 surface profiler is a thin and thick film step height measurement tool used to profile surface topography and waviness, as well as measure surface roughness in the nanometer range.

Measures thickness and refractive index from spectral reflectance data collected from the film sample, with thickness measurements in the range of 15 nm–100 um and wavelengths covering 380–1050 nm.

Enlitech LQ-50X LED test station measures from 300–1100 nm, consisting of a Keithley 2400 source meter and an integrating sphere to measure the electrical characteristics and luminescence.

Uvisel Plus ellipsometer characterizes thin films and interfaces in a spectral range of 190-2100nm. It is phase modulated for higher accuracy than ellipsometers with rotating elements. It's highly versatile for thickness and optical constant measurements for single- and multi-layered thin films.

Spin coaters (located in nitrogen glove box, fume hood, and laminar flow hood)

High quality perovskite single crystal and thin film deposition techniques for opto-electronic device integrations.

Image, measure, and analyze samples optically.

Quorum SC7620 Mini Gold Sputter Coater is used for depositing thin (1–30 nm) conductive coatings on SEM samples for improved imaging.

Kruss easydrop optical contact angle meter (Model: FM41)

Karl-Fischer titrator

Cyclic Voltammetry Princeton

Apply films to substrates with this automated blade coater.

IR Probe

UV Crosslinkers

A Lesker ALD150LX and Oxford FlexAl system are available to deposit ultra-thin conformal films of oxides and nitrides.

This ICP Reactive Ion Etching system (Oxford Instruments Plasmalab 100) has an inductively coupled plasma source for high-speed, anisotropic plasma etching.

Oxford Plasmalab System 100 ICP-CVD. This tool produces high-quality films with high-density plasmas at lower deposition pressures and temperatures than PECVD. Compared with PECVD, ICP-CVD provides lower film contamination, a higher control of film stoichiometry, more dense films, reduced radiation damage by direct ion-surface interaction, and more stable device performance at high temperatures. Typical deposited materials include silicon dioxide, nitride and amorphous silicon thin films (SiO2, Si3N4, SiON, poly-Si, and SiC) at substrate temperatures as low as 20°C. This temperature enables lift-off processes for dielectrics and semiconductors, and deposition on soft materials such as plastics, membranes, and polymers. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) but only using an 8” carrier wafer, and 8” wafers.

The system is a state-of-the-art etch systems that provides transfer of patterned nanoscale features of arbitrary shape on to a variety of substrate materials of different sizes and shapes. The control of the entire system is done through a computer. The RF generator provides an output up to 300 W, and the ICP plasma etch source up to 3000 W with automatic impedance matching. The cathode temperature is controlled between -120oC and 400oC. The gases are: Ar, O2, Cl2, BCl3, CF4, N2, CHF3, C4F8, H2, SF6 and HBr. The nominal flow rates are between 10-100 sccm. The base pressure is lower than 10-5 Torr. Atomic Layer Etching kit permits doing this new technique in the same chamber.

The Park NX-20 atomic force microscope is capable of surface imaging at ambient conditions at room temperature, as well as at elevated temperatures.

The instrument provides characterization of nanoparticle sizes and diffusion in liquids. The LM10 allows rapid analysis of the size distribution and concentration of different types of nanoparticles from tens of nanometers to microns.

The AAPPTEC Apex 396 automated peptide synthesizer is capable of synthesizing 1-96 peptides in parallel. The tool is useful in synthesizing peptide libraries that can be screened for various materials properties. In addition to peptides, peptoids (a sequence controlled polymer system analogous to peptides) have been synthesized on this tool.

Perlmutter, based on the HPE Cray Shasta platform, is a heterogeneous system comprised of 3,072 CPU-only and 1,792 GPU-accelerated nodes. Perlmutter is a HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) Cray EX supercomputer.

A comprehensive suite of on-the-fly, non-adiabatic excited state molecular dynamics capabilities including Surface Hopping or ab initio multiple cloning with multiconfigurational Ehrenfest algorithm, solvent effects, analytic gradients and non-adiabatic couplings and many more.

This fluorometer (ISS PC1 Multifrequency Cross-Correlation Phase and Modulation Fluorometer) is capable of steady state and lifetime measurements (from 1 millisecond to 1 picosecond).

The optoelectronic probe station (Rucker Kolls and Newport) measures photovoltaic device parameters and external quantum efficiency at room temperature. The system is equipped with a customized probe station, 150W solar spectrum simulator, 300W xenon arc lamp, monochromator, and precision semiconductor parameter analyzer.

The system is a manual probe station designed to measure the action spectra of optoelectrical devices (e.g., external quantum efficiency of solar cells, spectral responsivity of photo-detectors). Equipped with solar simulator, xenon arc lamp, monochromator, and semiconductor parameter analyzer & potentiostat, the system can measure the optoelectric spectral response of solar cells, photo-detectors, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells.

Available measurement options include all required hardware and electronics to immediately begin collecting publication-quality data and the system is also easily adapted to custom user experiments.

The PPMS performs low voltage DC and low frequency AC (< 200 Hz) electrical measurements from 0.35 K to 400 K under 0-12 T magnetic field.

This thin film deposition system (Kurt J. Lesker PVD75) is used for the synthesis of inorganic thin films by thermal evaporation and DC magnetron sputtering (e.g., metals for electrical contacts and a number of metal oxides). The tool is equipped with a substrate heater and an argon ion mill.

The PECVD is a dual frequency plasma-enhanced deposition tool. Materials can be deposited including undoped amorphous silicon, silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride. Deposition temperatures range from O-400 °C. Wafer pieces to 8″ wafers can be accepted.

The FlexAl tool enables the deposition of thin films of a wide variety of materials with single atomic layer thickness control. Gas phase precursors are alternated with water or plasma (oxygen, nitrogen, ammonia) to induce high quality, conformal deposition. Plasma allows room temperature deposition, making processes on sensitive and soft materials possible. It can accommodate wafers up to 200 millimeters, and samples as tall as 1 centimeter. Our standard, well developed, processes currently include:Hafnium oxideAluminum oxideTitanium dioxideSilicon dioxideTungsten oxideCobalt oxide

This deposition system (Trion Orion III) provides plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of thin films. Current capabilities include precursor gases for deposition of SiO2, Si3N4, and amorphous silicon films.

For 2D material fabrication, this module will be used for surface and interface cleaning as part of pre- and post-processing. Additionally, as part of the QPress cluster, this module also functions as a load lock for transferring samples in and out of the glovebox.

DRIE: PlasmaTherm VersaLine Deep Reactive Ion Silicon Etcher III. The system is used for Si deep etching. The system provides profile control and side wall smoothness while utilizing award-winning fast process control. Outstanding flexibility and process latitude are offered as well as the highest selectivity to mask material. The system offers: profile control with parameter morphing, smooth side wall with short process step times (with fast gas switching, fast and stable pressure control, and solid state RF tuning), notchless silicon-on-insulator etching (with innovative RF bias waveform con and patented endpoint algorithm techniques), aspect ratio dependent etching reduction, process stability (temperature stabilized ICP), integrated multifunctional endpoint capability with OES using EndpointWorks, high-aspect-ratios, smooth sidewalls, high uniformity, high selectivity, notchless SOI, profile control, optimized etch rates. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) but only using a 6” carrier wafer, and 6” wafers.

Monolayer synthesis allows researchers to tailor surface properties utilizing small molecule organic synthesis and polymerization techniques. Surface properties are critical in many nanosystems, and the control of surface properties such as wetting, adhesion, and friction are of primary concern. Either in-situ or ex-situ syntheses can be performed where appropriate. Multilayers or gels may be produced using similar techniques.

A lithographic patterning tool for soft nanomaterials including polymers, nanoparticles, DNAs, proteins, and virus particles.

Malvern Panalytical’s OMNISEC is a Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) system for the measurement of absolute molecular weight, and also provides hydrodynamic radius, intrinsic viscosity, branching, etc. for synthetic polymers.

The crosslinker operates at 254 nm and 365 nm, and at 90W.

A TA Instruments Q200/RCS90 DSC (with Modulated DSC) allows for characterization of material thermal properties such as glass transition, melting and crystallization, phase changes, product stability, as well as heat capacity in the temperature range of –90 °C to 400 °C.

The TA DHR-2 is a rheometer equipped to measure viscosity of liquids or suspensions, and viscoelastic properties of polymers including shear modulus, creep compliance, and stress relaxation.

Prepare and characterize controlled-dispersity polymers with various architecture and end-group chemistry.

This new capability within the Nanofabrication & Devices Group characterizes the optical and mechanical spectrum of high-frequency piezo-optomechanical nano devices. The tool features precise fiber side alignment for infrared (IR) optical input and detection, in combination with the piezoelectric actuation capability from a microwave antenna to drive nano-mechanical motions of the device. High-frequency mechanical motions up to tens of GHz can be detected. The setup is on a movable platform so it can also be used in other labs if needed.

The Bruker D8 Venture is a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer to determine the crystal structures of small organic molecules and metal coordination compounds including MOFs.

The Rigaku Miniflex 6G XRD is a benchtop X-ray diffraction system that can be used to determine phase identification, phase quantification, percent crystallinity, lattice parameter refinement, Rietveld refinement, crystallite size and strain for organic and inorganic crystalline materials.

This approved program provides Foundry users with regular access to ALS chemical crystallography beamline 12.2.1 for single crystal determination of weakly diffracting samples.

ASAP 2020 and ASAP 2020C are part of the adsorption measurement cluster at the organic facility that are used to measure Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and porosity of solid materials.

Tristar 3020 is also used to measure BET surface area and porosity of solid materials. It is an automated three station analyzer.

The purpose of critical point drying is to dry out a sample without introducing large forces on the structure due to phase boundaries such as surface tension. This is particularly important to the activation of nanoporous materials such as MOFs and COFs. Autosamdri®-931 offers a convenient way to remove the final solvent (usually ethanol) out of the pores and maintain the framework integrity

Grow and maintain prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Explore a wide variety of nanoengineered substrates, nano-probes (e.g., quantum dots), and nanoscale imaging techniques for the study of physiological cell behaviors. CINT has the capabilities to grow and maintain prokaryotic (i.e., bacterial) and eukaryotic (e.g., fungal) cells and mammalian cell lines, as well as tissues.

VT X-BAND PULSED ELECTRON PARAMAGNETIC RESONANCE (EPR) WITH LIGHT EXCITATION CAPABILITY. Pulsed EPR techniques enable controllable manipulation of electron spins and spin dynamics in the nanosecond time regime. With a wide variety of pulse sequences, the Bruker ELEXSYS-II 580 X-band EPR spectrometer allows one to ascertain extensive knowledge about structural properties surrounding probed spins as well as their mutual interactions. Coupled with light excitation, pulsed EPR gives unprecedented control of the excited states, their spin populations, and the mechanisms of their interaction with the environment. This variable temperature system provides detection resolution of 1 nanosecond and excitation and detection of signals up to 1 GHz. This allows for the study of quantum phenomena in crystalline and optically active media.

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) typically uses a pulsed nanosecond laser beam to vaporize pellets of target material in a low pressure, typically oxygen-containing, environment. Under these conditions, a nearly stoichiometric “plume” of that material is transported to a heated substrate where the material nucleates to create well-controlled thin films, or layered structures of multiple films, with nanometer-scale precision.

The pulsed laser deposition system (PVD Products PLD-MBE 2300) is used for synthesis of complex metal oxides or nitride thin-films by laser ablation.

The Quantum Spin-Polarized Low-Energy Electron Microscope (QSPLEEM) is an Elmitec LEEM III microscope. It is a unique, highly-modifiable low-voltage electron microscope for the study of surfaces and interfaces with a liquid helium sample stage cryostat designed to reach temperatures of ~4 K. The instrument is very sensitive to structural and electronic properties of sample surfaces and is well-suited for in-situ research within a highly controlled sample environment with the ability to vary sample temperature and apply fields and biases. Spin-polarization of the electron beam permits imaging of magnetic domain microstructure.

Quantum Design Magnetic Properties Measurement System (MPMS XL) is a high-sensitivity SQuID magnetometer system that provides vital information on the magnetic properties of high-temperature superconductors, biomagnetic systems, and magnetic nanoparticles and thin films at temperatures ranging from 1.9 K to 400 K. It is equipped with a 7-tesla High Uniformity magnet, the Reciprocating Sample Option with a DC measurement sensitivity of 1 x 10-8 emu, the 7-tesla AC Measurement System (M123) for measuring from 0.1 Hz to 1 kHz, and both horizontal and vertical sample rotators (M101D). The maximum sample size is 9 mm.

Quantum Design Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS-9) is a versatile system for characterizing materials properties at temperatures from 1.9 K to 400 K at magnetic fields up to 9 tesla (longitudinal field). This system features an open architecture that is designed to perform a variety of automated measurements but can also be adapted to a wide range of experiments requiring variable temperature and/or magnetic field. Many options are available, including DC resistivity with 12 connection points, an AC susceptibility/DC magnetization measurement option, an AC transport property measurement system, a high-resolution horizontal sample rotator with high-resolution computer- controlled stepper motor, and a heat capacity measurement system.

Utilize the long quantum coherence of nitrogen vacancies in diamond — the same property that makes them a potential qubit platform — to detect small magnetic fields in a widefield mode.

Characterize low dimensional electron systems, quantum materials and qubit systems.

Investigate complex physical behaviors in systems including, but not limited to, strongly correlated materials, plasmonic response, and wave propagation in 2D materials, nano-wires and carbon nanotubes, resonances in metamaterials, and other nano-structured materials and functional photonic devices.

Investigate complex physical behaviors in systems including strongly correlated materials, low-dimensional solid-state structures, 2D materials, nanoscale quantum systems, and other nano-structured materials and functional devices through electronic measurements at cryogenic temperatures.

Multi-ion direct write processing at the wafer-scale

This confocal Raman microscope acquires Raman (80-4000 wavenumbers) and photoluminescence spectra (500-1600 nm) at single points or over 2- and 3-dimensional volumes. Available lasers are 532, 785, and 1064 nm. Available objectives are 10, 50, and 100x. Typical acquisition times are 0.5 s/spectrum.

Raman spectroscopy and spatial mapping are available with laser sources spanning ultraviolet thru near-infrared.

This tool (March Plasma CS1701F) is used for radio frequency (RF) plasma etching of organic and inorganic thin films using combinations of six process gases (SF6, CF4, CHF3, O2, Ar, and CF3Br).

This tool (Filmetrics F20) is a spectro-reflectometer which measures the thickness and reflective index of thin film deposited on flat substrate. It can handle samples with multilayer thin film.

Anton Paar PHYSICA MCR301 Rheometer determines the viscosity and viscoelastic properties of a wide range of materials and is capable of examining their behavior under specific experimental conditions. With the use of an environmental control unit, the temperature-dependent viscoelastic properties also can be explored. The rheometer can perform a wide range of steady and dynamic tests in both controlled-stress and controlled-strain modes, with minimum torque of 0.1 mNm and a resolution of 0.001 mNm. The rheometer is permanently associated with the APS Sector 8 beamline for the shared APS/CNM Rheo-XPCS capability.

This is a capability jointly developed by a collaboration between CNM and APS. The instrument allows simultaneous measurement of rheological properties of complex fluids, structure measurement through in situ small angle x-ray scattering technique, and dynamics of structural evolution through x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

March Plasma CS-1701 Tabletop RIE Tool, Fluorine Chemistry. This tool is dedicated to rapid prototype etching. It supports most basic etch needs, leaving the Oxford Instruments tool available for more complex etch work. This easy-to-use tool serves as an educational vehicle for novices in plasma-reactive ion etch processing. The gases available are Ar, O2, CF4, H2, and SF6. The estimated etch rates are 50 nm/min for TiW and 30-70 nm/min for SiO2. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) until 6” wafers.

This system is a single-process-station ICP-RIE equipped with chlorine- and fluorine-based etch chemistries and a single automatic load-lock/transfer chamber. Wafers and substrates with dimensions of 5 mm x 5–150 mm can be heated from room temperature to 600°C. The gas chemistries are designed for maximum flexibility to etch metals, dielectrics, complex oxides and other nonconventional thin films. The gases available for this system are Ar, O2, SF6, CHF3, BCl3 and Cl2. This system is optimized for etching Nb, Si, SiO2 and SiN. The process chamber is coupled to an optical spectrometer and an integrated laser interferometer to be used as end-point detectors. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) with using a 6” carrier wafer, and 6” wafers.

Oxford Instruments Dual-Chamber ICP-RIE Plasmalab 100. This system has a single load lock that connects to two chambers, one each dedicated to chlorine-based and fluorine-based etch chemistries. Both chambers have a cryo-cooling option for high-resolution etching, and can be heated until 400°C. The gas chemistries are designed for maximum flexibility to etch metals, dielectrics, complex oxides, and other nonconventional thin films. The gases available for the ICP-Chlorine chamber are Ar, O2, Cl2, BCl3, CO, SF6, CHF3, and HBr. The gases available for the ICP-Fluorine chamber are Ar, O2, CF4, CH4, SF6, CHF3, HCFC-124, and H2. The ICP-Fluorine chamber was upgraded to enable a Bosch-like process for deep etching of silicon. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) but only using a 4” carrier wafer, and 4” wafers.

Oxford Instruments Dual-Chamber ICP-RIE Plasmalab 100. This system has a single load lock that connects to two chambers, one each dedicated to chlorine-based and fluorine-based etch chemistries. Both chambers have a cryo-cooling option for high-resolution etching, and can be heated until 400°C. The gas chemistries are designed for maximum flexibility to etch metals, dielectrics, complex oxides, and other nonconventional thin films. The gases available for the ICP-Chlorine chamber are Ar, O2, Cl2, BCl3, CO, SF6, CHF3, and HBr. The gases available for the ICP-Fluorine chamber are Ar, O2, CF4, CH4, SF6, CHF3, HCFC-124, and H2. The ICP-Fluorine chamber was upgraded to enable a Bosch-like process for deep etching of silicon. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) but only using a 4” carrier wafer, and 4” wafers.

The new industry standard for multipurpose X-ray diffractometers. A highly versatile automated X-ray diffraction (XRD) system, this newest addition to the SmartLab series of high-resolution X-ray diff raction analyzers is engineered to provide the best performance in all X-ray diffraction or scattering applications by offering not only breakthrough hardware, but also advanced “User Guidance” functionality within the new SmartLab Studio II software.

The Signatone CM-170 has four high quality micromanipulated probes for DC and low-frequency electrical characterization. It is equipped with an Agilent 4155C Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer, and other test equipment (like LCR meters and lock-in amplifiers) are available depending on the user project needs.

The system is a state-of-the-art etch systems that provides transfer of patterned nanoscale features of arbitrary shape on to a variety of substrate materials of different sizes and shapes. The control of the entire system is done through a computer. The RF generator provides an output up to 600 W. The process temperature is 20oC. The gases are: Ar, O2, CF4, and SF6. The nominal flow rates are between 10-100 sccm. The base pressure is lower than 10-5 Torr.

This microscope is appropriate for materials science (non-inverted, dry samples). 5x to 100x objectives; bright field/dark field/DIC/Polarization in transmitted or reflected light; color camera and software.

Appropriate for sample inspection, probing and manipulation, 19 mm working distance, magnification 11 to 180x, color camera and software.

Westbond 7476D

Various sample preparation tools including UV ozone cleaner, oxygen plasma cleaner, mg balance, ultrasonic bath, 200 C oven and thermal evaporator, ultra-microtome, plunge freezer, fiber probe assembly station, and tools for TEM liquid cell assembly.

This Nanoprobe system is capable of performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning Auger microscopy (nanoSAM), 4-point probe measurements, and low energy electron diffraction (LEED).

This scanning electron microscope (Hitachi 4800 SEM) is a cold field emission instrument capable of 1.5 nm resolution at 15 kV and 2.5 nm resolution at 1 kV.

SEM VEGA 3 is a fully PC-controlled scanning electron microscope with a tungsten heating filament with best resolution of 2 nm at 30 kV in high-vacuum mode and 2.5 nm at 30 kV in low-vacuum mode. It has excellent SE and BSE imaging capabilities. The VEGA3 is equipped with a Fisher Scientific silicon drift EDS system. This instrument is best suited to imaging and analysis of coated samples that are stable under the electron beam, e.g. rocks, minerals, ceramics, metals and alloys, but can also image uncoated samples in low-vacuum mode. The techniques available: high-vacuum and variable-pressure secondary electron imaging, backscattered electron imaging, qualitative EDS X-ray microanalysis, quantitative EDS X-ray microanalysis, qualitative, quantitative X-ray element mapping. It can handle small samples (i.e. 5x5 mm) up to 6” wafers. Mechanical tilt from -30 to +90 degrees and rotation by 360 degrees are possible. The system is able to obtain high-resolution images in variable pressure mode.

The Qnami ProteusQ Scanning NV Microscope is a complete quantum microscope system. It is the first scanning NV (nitrogen-vacancy) microscope for the analysis of magnetic materials at the atomic scale. By combining NV magnetometry and scanning probe microscopy techniques into a single instrument, scanning NV magnetometry provides simultaneous acquisition of the sample's topography and its surface magnetic fields with nanoscale resolution.

A temporal and spatial resolved optical spectroscopy system used to probe emission and photoconductivity simultaneously from a perovskite device.

This microscope has a 90 micron closed-loop XY scanner, Z displacement and integrated optical imaging. A range of AFM contrast methods are available including contact imaging, non-contact (“tapping”) phase and amplitude imaging, electrical methods including conductivity, electrostatic and Kelvin probe surface potential imaging, mechanical methods including loss tangent, contact resonance, AMFM, nanoindentation, and magnetic imaging with variable field unit. The system has numerous small-volume closed fluid cell that can be used for rapid, controlled humidity experiments or liquid experiments with fluid exchange. Sample heating is available for work in liquids. The control software is easily customized for specialized force or lithography experiments.

This microscope has a 90 micron JV scanner for large scans, 10 micron EV scanner, and 1 micron A scanner for very high resolution work. An integrated optical microscope provides easy sample location with 5 micron resolution. A range of AFM contrast methods are available including contact imaging, non-contact (“tapping”) phase and amplitude imaging, Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping (Peak Force Tapping). Sample temperature control is available. The closed fluid cell has 100 microliter volume for precious analytes. The control software is highly automated and easy to use.

The Cypher ES is well suited for controlled environment AFM experiments. Specific gases or fluids can be delivered to a sealed cell including corrosives and organics. This microscope has a 40-micron scanner with high precision sensors allowing molecular lattice resolved imaging in closed loop. The integrated optics are excellent allowing precise positioning of the sample before engagement. It can only accommodate small samples of at most 25 mm in diameter. A range of AFM contrast methods are available including contact imaging, non-contact (“tapping”) phase and amplitude imaging, electrical methods including conductivity, electrostatic and Kelvin probe surface potential imaging, mechanical methods including loss tangent, contact resonance, and AMFM. The Cypher is equipped with the VRS sample stage for high speed scanning at up to ~ 10 frames per second. Sample heating is available and the control software is easily customized.

The Jupiter AFM is designed to be easy to use and scan large areas quickly making it ideal for our general user population. The software is highly automated which substantially reduces training requirements. The sample stage can access all area of 200mm wafers and provides a 100um scan range. A wide array of mechanical and electrical modes to complement rapid topographical imaging.

The Park NX10 is an easy to use AFM capable of performing topographical and electrical characterization of materials. The 50 micron XY scanner and fast Z piezo provide high resolution imaging with low tip wear.

Veeco NanoScope V Scanning Probe Microscope is capable of atomic force imaging in standard contact and tapping mode, with possible simultaneous collection of eight data channels. This instrument is also capable of torsional resonance imaging to obtain lateral force information, fluid imaging, variable-temperature (-35°C to 250°C) imaging in an inert atmosphere, and low-current STM. The microscope is situated on an active vibration isolation table within an acoustic chamber, thereby eliminating the vast majority of external noise.

The Createc Low Temperature STM/AFM is a customized microscope that operates in an ultra high vacuum and at temperatures between 4 K and 370 K. The instrument is a combination of PAN-type slider STM with highest spectroscopy performance (1 meV energy resolution), scan range over 800 nm at 4K, and a q plus AFM that allows to perform ultra high resolution AFM. In addition, we incorporated optical access to both couple light directly into the tunnel junction or collect light from the tunnel junction, enabling to study the local electronic structure with atomic resolution while being optically excited. Both, STM and AFM provide subatomic spatial resolution due to the outstanding stability (dz<1 pm) AFM and STM can per operated simultaneously without cross-talk using constant frequency or constant height control.

The Scios 2 LoVac dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB) scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a versatile tool for high-resolution imaging, 2D & 3D analysis, and high-quality sample preparation. A variety of conductive and non-conductive samples can be examined with the electron beam in high/low vacuum environments.

Focused ion beam scanning electron microscope for ultra-high resolution, high-quality sample preparation and 3D characterization. The Scios 2 LoVac Dual Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) produces fast and high resolution images from a variety of different conductive and non-conductive samples through electron beam imaging in high/low vacuum environments.

Preparation of high-quality semiconductor nanocrystals — quantum dots and quantum rods — while exploiting or developing new methods that afford control over particle size-dispersity, crystallinity, stability and optical/electronic properties.

Synthesize high-quality, single-crystalline semiconductor nanowires for a range of compositions using a solution-phase catalyzed growth process known as solution-liquid-solid (SLS) growth.

Use simulations to determine structure and interactions on the nanoscale. Simulation data provides unique insights into the molecular mechanisms of nanoscale phenomena.

Use thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry techniques to investigate a material’s response to different temperatures — mass change (e.g., decomposition or sublimation temperatures) and thermal changes often unaccompanied by the mass change as a function of temperature

Investigate nanoscale materials including quantum dots, quantum wire, colloidal nanocrystals,carbon nanotubes, 2D layered semiconductors, and individual defects/dopants implanted in those nano materials under high magnetic field and low temperature.

A state-of-the-art tool for characterizing size and structure of nanomaterials ranging 1–1000 nm. The versatile Xenocs Xeuss 3.0 supports wide q-range and covers USAXS, SAXS, and WAXS (0.0001–4.0 Å−1) to characterize a wide range of nanomaterials including polymers, biomacromolecules, and inorganic/metallic nanoparticles and films.

The SaxsLabs Small Angle X-ray Scattering instrument investigates the structure of materials from angstroms to ~200 nm length scales by providing SAXS/GISAXS and WAXS capabilities.

Rigaku SmartLab is a universal diffractometer capable of characterizing thin films, bulk powders, and surfaces.

Shape-preserved replication of biological cells, tissues and organisms for cellular (re)engineering, specimen preservation and enhanced functions. Using sol-gel approaches, lithographically defined biopolymers, gels, and single cells can be replicated into both hard (silica, glassy carbon, etc.,) and soft synthetic (e.g., PEG) materials.

SMI is a powerful x-ray scattering beamline providing frontier structural measurement capabilities, operated through a partnership between CFN and NSLS-II. The SMI beamline provides world-leading capabilities to study the structure, energetics, and assembly of soft and hybrid materials, in particular focusing on the critical role of interfaces. SMI is a high-flux undulator-based beamline with excellent focusing and energy-tuning capabilities. SMI enables simultaneous measurement across a very wide q-range through the use of a novel three-detector setup (simultaneously GISAXS/GIMAXS/GIWAXS), allowing correlating between molecular and nanoscale properties.

Computer clusters, software and data storage; diverse software tools that include deep learning frameworks, density functional theory packages for solids, surface and quantum chemistry, molecular-dynamics packages, and specialized tools for electronic excitations and optical properties.

The purpose of the solution-shearing station is to produce layers of materials on flat substrate by shearing blade.

WANDA is an automated robot for the synthesis of colloidal inorganic nanomaterials. WANDA features two liquid handling robot arms with heated and non-heated needles for dispensing and aspirating 10 µL-5 mL volumes into 200 µL – 40 mL reaction vials at rates of 20-1500 µL/s. Microplates with 6-96 vials can be heated and stirred in parallel from 30-120 °C in six on-deck microplate bays. 6-20 mL reactions in disposable glass vials can be heated at 30-325 °C and stirred independently with high precision in WANDA’s 8-reactor LTMR array with temperature ramp rates up to 40 °C/min. Aliquots can be sampled from reactions with 40 s duty cycles. Vials can be transported across the deck using the vial gripper tool and weighed in WANDA’s automated balance (0.00001 g precision). The entire system is enclosed in a nitrogen-filled glove box for air-free reactions.

The Hamilton Microlab Nimbus4 robot is a general purpose liquid handling robot that features four independent liquid handling channels that can aspirate and dispense liquids with disposable 50, 300, and 1200 µl tips. Pipetting options include liquid level sensing and anti-drip control for both aqueous and organic solvents. The Nimbus is housed in a fume hood, and it features a microplate reactor (6-96 well plates) capable of performing aqueous and organic reactions at temperatures up to 95 °C with shaking up to 2500 rpm. Samples are exposed to air, and aqueous reactions are allowed on this robot.

HERMAN is a second generation robot for the synthesis of inorganic, organic, and hybrid nanomaterials. This Freeslate CM3 robot is housed in a nitrogen-filled triple glovebox and features automated solid dispensing (<1 mg precision), multichannel liquid dispensing with 6 disposable or 4 fixed tips (1 ml), and viscous liquid dispensing using positive displacement tips (e.g. Eppendorf CombiTips, 100 µl-20 ml). Up to 96 reactions can be performed in parallel using HERMAN’s heating/stirring bays (25-160 °C) or its vortexing bays. HERMAN has a prototype, custom high temperature microplate reactor that heat reactions up to 350 °C with magnetic stirring with the option of degassing reactions under vacuum. Water and oxygen are not allowed in this robot.

This commercial microplate reader measures absorption spectra from 200-1000 nm and photoluminescence spectra from 250-800 nm, with typical acquisition times of 3 s/spectrum. The instrument has a high-intensity xenon flash lamp and a lower intensity tungsten lamp. Standard format microplates (including polypropylene and quartz plates) can be shaken and heated during runs. PL intensities can also be measured with filters on User-installable filter wheels. The instrument can perform time-resolved lifetime measurements (>10 microseconds) and kinetic acquisitions. Multiple types of acquisitions can be performed in a single run.

This Foundry-built microplate reader measures absorption and reflectance spectra from 350-2500 nm. Liquid and solid samples in any format microplate or substrate can be used. Typical acquisition times are 1 s/spectrum.

For demanding electron-beam and optical microscopy and nanomechanics characterization. More demanding electron-beam and optical microscopy and nanomechanics characterization studies may require specialized sample preparation for optimal results.

The SPECTRE S/TEM is a probe-corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) installed in Autumn 2024. It enables multimodal and correlative electron characterization, with capabilities for energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), monochromated electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and 4D-STEM diffraction characterization all within one microscope.

This ellipsometer (J.A. Woollam M-2000 Spectroscopic Ellipsometer) allows analysis and mapping of thin films and interfaces, with temperature control in air and liquids.

SpinBot One, liquid handling robotic platform for the synthesis of thin films via spin coating. The platform is directly connected to optical characterizations (UV Vis, PL with excitation at 540 nm) and can be operated in a closed-loop fashion.

This tool is used for forming organic thin films from solution. System includes a spin coater with variable spin speed/acceleration (between ~500-6000 RPM). It is located in the 6 foot wide hood (1L-10-1) (with HEPA filtration on the hood exhaust), suitable for nanomaterial processing.

The SPTS uEtch HF Vapor etch tool is a single wafer system designed for vapor etching of silicon dioxide to undercut suspended silicon and silicon nitride devices. This process uses anhydrous hydrofluoric acid (HF) vapor in order to eliminate stiction, which may cause the collapse of delicate nanostructures using conventional liquid HF processing. There are multiple etch rate processes available, and this processing is compatible with several masking materials so please consult with the tool custodian.

The benchtop DC sputter coater (Cressington 208HR) deposits thin noble metal films (Au, AuPd, or Pt) by DC sputtering. It is typically used for preparing samples for scanning electron microscopy.

We study nanoscale pattern formation, self-assembly and phase transformations using the tools and techniques of statistical mechanics. Our work includes the development of coarse-grained models designed to identify the effect on self-assembly of specific physical mechanisms, independent of the molecular origin of such mechanisms, as well as the development of multiscale models that treat molecular detail of specific experiments. Recent work includes the development of multiscale models to understand molecular self-assembly at surfaces, and the study of self-assembly of multicomponent structures “far” from equilibrium, where we lack predictive theoretical tools.

I-line ASML PAS 5000 5X Reduction Stepper. Acquired from NIST in late 2013 using the government equipment exchange program, the stepper was modified to process up to 150-mm-diameter wafers using 5–inch reticles. The tool has demonstrated 500-nm lines and spaces with an automated layer-to-layer alignment of approximately 100 nm. The lens has a 0.48 numerical aperture and a field size of 21.2 mm.

Image static cellular structure or selected nanomaterials. A super-resolution microscope based upon single molecule detection and localization (e.g. PALM, STORM, or d-STORM), including both acquisition and analysis software.

The system measures the feature height or surface roughness of the samples by scanning over it with a stylus. Features and specifications: designed to accommodate wafers upto 6” in diameter, contact based 2D topography measurement, thin film stress measurement, vertical range: 50 Å to 1mm, scan length range: 50 m to 100 mm (200 mm stitched), stylus tracking force: 0.03 to 15 mg, maximum sample thickness 1”.

SUSS MA6/BA6 Contact Aligner. This tool is used for micropatterning and permits exposure in different modes. In vacuum contact printing mode, a resolution of 0.8-m critical dimensions can be achieved, with <1 m front-to-front alignment accuracy, and 1-m front-to-back side alignment accuracy. It also can expose in proximity, soft contact, hard contact, low-vacuum contact and high-vacuum modes. It can handle flat substrate sizes including 6-, 5-, 4-, and 3-inch wafers; 7-, 5-, and 4-inch square masks; also smaller pieces. G- and I line lithography is available using specific filters. Photoresists and other photosensitive materials in the range of 350–430 nm can be used.

Synthesis capabilities in surface modification of nanoparticles, functionalization, quantum dots, metal nanoparticles, and metal oxide nanoparticles.

Design, synthesize, and characterize advanced porous materials, focusing on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs).

The Phenom SEM is equipped with a light optical camera with a magnification of 20-134x, and an electron optical magnification range of 200-1,000,000x (and down to 10 nm particle resolution).

FEI Talos F200X TEM. This is a scanning/transmission electron microscope with an X-FEG field-emission gun and specializing in high-resolution STEM imaging. It is equipped with a Super X energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) allowing for fast and precise EDS mapping.

Visible and Near-IR Microscope. This is an inverted microscope-based spectroscopy system with a 300 mm triple-grating spectrograph and dual (visible and short-wave near-IR) 2D array detectors. The visible CCD detector (1360 x 100 pixels) covers 300 to 1000 nm and a thermoelectrically cooled InGaAs detector (640 x 512 pixels) covers 800 to 1650 nm. The system is capable of performing absorption/reflection spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (excitation provided by continuous wave and pulsed diode lasers), and visible photoluminescence lifetime measurements. Additionally, the system is equipped with source meters that enable electroluminescence measurements on nanoscale materials incorporated into transistor structures. A microscopy cryostat is available for measurements to 5K.

TEAM 0.5 is a double-aberration-corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscope (STEM/TEM). The basic instrument is a modified Thermo Fischer Titan 80-300 microscope equipped with a high-brightness Schottky-field emission “X-FEG” electron source, a source monochromator, a CEOS DCOR probe corrector, and a CEOS CETCOR image corrector.

TEAM I is a double-aberration-corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscope (STEM/TEM). The basic instrument is a modified FEI Titan 80-300 microscope equipped with a high-brightness Schottky-field emission “X-FEG” electron source, a source monochromator, a CEOS DCOR spherical-aberration STEM probe corrector, and a CEOS CEOS CCOR combined spherical/chromatic aberration TEM corrector, and a high-resolution Gatan Imaging Filter (GIF) Continuum K3 spectrometer with direct electron detection.

The 200kV FEI monochromated F20 UT Tecnai is designed to produce optimum high resolution performance in both TEM and STEM. In addition, the incorporation of a monochromator into the gun permits electron energy loss spectroscopy to be performed with an energy resolution of ~0.15eV.

A multi-purpose, multi-user tool with TEM, EFTEM & STEM operating modes. The Tecnai G2 F30 S-TWIN microscope provides optimal balance between contrast at high inclination angles and excellent resolution. With a dedicated tomography holder, even larger tilt angles are possible, allowing high-resolution tomography on the system.

Temescal FC2000 Electron Beam Evaporator. This instrument deposits thin layers of metal films (Au, Pt, Ti, Cr, Al) in the range of 10-300 nm with a maximum wafer size of 6 inches.

Fischione NanoMill, Fischione Ion Mill, Gatan cross-section mills, Gatan PIPs Ion Mill, Thermo Fischer Vitrobot, Leicia EM high pressure freezer, Leica EM cryo ultramicrotome

Broadband terahertz time-domain (THz-TDS) spectroscopy provides simultaneous amplitude and phase information, and becomes a powerful tool for the characterization of materials and devices including semiconductors, complex metal oxides, multiferroics, metamaterials, and fingerprints in many chemicals and biological tissues.

This Thermo Fisher Spectra 200 scanning/transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) is under installation and expected to open to users in the first quarter in 2023. It has a cold-field emission gun (C-FEG with 0.3 eV energy resolution), a Cs probe corrector for sub-0.1 nm resolution HAADF imaging; a Super X energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) for atomic resolution EDS mapping, Gatan energy-filter imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS); a bi-prism; and an EMPAD for 4D-STEM.

The image corrected FEI ThemIS (in situ) 60-300 microscope at NCEM is primarily used for in situ experiments including liquid cell, heating, biasing and mechanical testing and for Lorentz TEM and MicroED. Its main components are an X-FEG gun, 5.2 mm pole gap super-twin objective lens, image aberration corrector, Bruker SuperX energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector, a Ceta2 CMOS camera, and a Gatan direct electron K2 camera.

Techniques include molecular theory including classical density functional theory for fluids; Polymer Reference Interaction Site Model (PRISM) theory; molecular dynamics simulations.

Analytical Techniques include Keldysh non-equilibrium Green's function;scattering theory based on transfer matrix; Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwij theory.

Investigate complex physical behaviors in systems, including strongly correlated materials, plasmonic respons and wave propagation in 2D materials, nanowires and carbon nanotubes, resonances in metamaterials, and other nano-structured materials and functional photonic devices.

Vecco Savannah S200 is a thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) system equipped with an integrated quartz microbalance, 8-inch sample chamber, and 6-precusor manifold. It is capable of ultrathin, conformal coatings of high-quality dielectric materials and electroactive metal oxides, and also supports the vapor-phase infiltration synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid materials.

The ThermoFisher Plasma Focused Ion Beam (PFIB) is a multi-beam ion microscope. It includes a milling workstation with an extreme high resolution (XHR) field emission scanning electron microscope (FE SEM) and a multiple ion species inductively coupled plasma (ICP) focused ion beam (PFIB). The PFIB will enable in-situ large area sample preparation and high-resolution imaging and analysis of areas hundreds of microns across to ensure collection of relevant and representative results. It will provide high performance site-specific, high-volume material removal for top-down deprocessing, cross-sectioning and fast characterization of nanometer details and analysis in 2D and 3D, high quality sample preparation for TEM analysis and in-situ materials testing.

Thermogravimetry (TGA) is a technique that measures the change in weight of a sample as it is heated, cooled or held at constant temperature. Its main use is to characterize materials with regard to their composition. Application areas include plastics, elastomers and thermosets, mineral compounds, ceramics and nanomaterials. Main Features and benefits of the METTLER TOLEDO TGA/DSC 3+

The Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) performed on this instrument is sensitive to <0.1ug with a temperature range from ambient to 1200C. This system has great baseline stability and coupling the system to a sensitive mass spec allows better analysis of samples.

The Mettler-Toledo TGA is used to perform thermogravimetric and calorimetric measurements in nitrogen or oxygen from room temperature to 1500 °C.

Precise focused ion beam (FIB) milling and etching combined with metal/insulator deposition for nanoscale prototyping, machining, 2D and 3D-characterization, and analysis

Ellipsometry, FTIR-ATR, FTIR Microscopy, Contact Angle Goniometer

This thin material transfer system consists of three stacked transfer stages coupled to an optical microscope. The stacked stages allow 3D motions of the samples. A temperature control unit is also installed for heating samples.

The lab is equipped with an amplified Ti:sapphire laser system capable of 40-fs and an optical parametric amplifier (OPA). Currently, the primary use of the system is for static and time-resolved THz absorption measurements.

Olympus IX81 inverted confocal PL microscope with objective scanning stage, various high NA objective lenses, Si-based single photon counting detectors (400-1050nm range) for time-resolved PL imaging and probing, with single molecule sensitivity. Includes Handbury Brown and Twist single photon source characterization.

Fluorescence/Phosphorescence Lifetime Spectrometer (Picoquant FT 200) for time-resolved PL probing in UV-VIS-NIR (450-800nm, 850-1450nm). Uses a Hamamatsu microchannel plate-PMT detector for UV-VIS (25 ps response) and a Hamamatsu InGaAs PMT for NIR (400-ps response). Uses 442nm and 532nm pulsed diodes with variable repetition rate (30kHZ-80MHz).

Visible and Near-IR Microscope. This is an inverted microscope-based spectroscopy system with a 300 mm triple-grating spectrograph and dual (visible and short-wave near-IR) 2D array detectors. The visible CCD detector (1360 x 100 pixels) covers 300 to 1000 nm and a thermoelectrically cooled InGaAs detector (640 x 512 pixels) covers 800 to 1650 nm. The system is capable of performing absorption/reflection spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (excitation provided by continuous wave and pulsed diode lasers), and visible photoluminescence lifetime measurements. Additionally, the system is equipped with source meters that enable electroluminescence measurements on nanoscale materials incorporated into transistor structures. A microscopy cryostat is available for measurements to 5K.

Tool for modeling nano-scale optical devices that solves Maxwell's equations directly.

This lab is equipped with an amplified Ti:sapphire laser system capable of 40-fs and an optical parametric amplifier (OPA). A few-picosecond time-resolution, single-photon sensitive streak camera with response from ~250-900nm for time-resolved photoluminescence measurements.

The Fianium white light super continuum laser provides a tunable laser source for a wide variety of materials spectroscopy and microscopy. Wavelengths are continuously tunable from 450-800nm and adjustable pulse repetition rates range from 1MHz – 40MHz.It supports user projects in many experimental modes including:* Photoluminescence Excitation (PLE) spectroscopy measurements* Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) microscopy* High resolution photoluminescence (PL) mapping* Exciton diffusion experiments

This laser is the cornerstone of the Nano-Optics lab ultrafast spectroscopy user program and is a recent upgrade from the original laser system (Coherent MiraTi:SAF + OPG) acquired as part of the original Foundry equipment in 2006. The new laser has more power and broader tuning range, adding near UV and mid IR ultrafast capabilities. It is more reliable and user-friendly due to full computer control with remote vendor alignment, combined with integration of pump and primary laser in one sealed unit. It supports user projects in many experimental modes including:Two-photon 3D photoluminescence lifetime mapping for photovoltaic characterization.One or two photon TRPL – Time Resolved Photoluminesence Lifetime mapping and spectroscopy, for characterizing nanoscale structures including up-converting nanoparticles and 
single-photon emitters (antibunching)TDTR C Time-Domain Thermo-Reflectance, for characterizing nanoscale thermal properties.TPPL – Two-Photon Photo-Luminescence, for characterizing plasmonic devices.

Samples can be measured at temperatures from 4K – 350K, with electrical and RF connections. A number of of pulsed and CW sources and CCD/CMOS/APD detection schemes can be coupled into this system.

Samples can be measured at temperatures from 1.67K – 350K under +/-9 magnetic field (Voigt and Faraday) in a confocal geometry with 0.7NA objective and 0.5 micron spot size, with electrical connections. The excitation sources include femtosecond-pulsed laser with second-harmonic generation unit that can excite samples anywhere from 350 to 1300 nm, an ultranarrow (50 kHz), tunable (690 to 1050 nm) continuous wave unit, an several fixed lasers (532 nm/635 nm) as well as white light excitation. The detection capabilities include two spectrometers, one designed for low-frequency Raman and one connected to a Streak Camera which can measure down to 2 ps resolution and several photodiodes.

A fundamental technique for uncovering fundamental physical properties of nanomaterials and their coupling to the environment.

Aberration-corrected STEM with EDS and EELS allows us to both image and perform microanalysis of materials in the same experiment connecting structure and chemistry at nanometer and sub-nanometer length scales. Examples of materials analyzed include nanoparticles (e.g., core shell), epitaxial semiconductors and oxides, metals and alloys, battery materials, etc.

The uncorrected FEI TitanX 60-300 microscope at NCEM is equipped to do fast energy dispersive X-ray mapping (EDS), 4D-STEM, S/ TEM imaging and tomography. All TEM holders that are compatible with FEI microscopes can be used for heating, cooling and other in-situ experiments.

A parallel, classical density functional theory code for inhomogeneous atomic and polymeric fluids.

This lab is equipped with a 5kHz amplified Ti:sapphire laser system capable of 80-fs and an optical parametric amplifier (OPA). Currently, the primary use of the system is for time-resolved absorption out to ~2.5ns with ultraviolet, visible, or near-infrared probing.

The general purpose plasma etch tool (Trion Phantom III) is used for etching thin films generally 1 µm or less in thickness.

Tunable low-frequency Raman system is used to characterize structures and phases of different materials including emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials. This system allows studying very low frequency vibrations in layered 2D materials that provides valuable information about their crystal structure and phases.

Fabricate heterostructures composed of 2D materials and freestanding membranes with controls of translational and rotational movements in high resolutions

Grayscale Lithography using Two-photon-enabled Laser Scanning System.

Omicron 4K SPM (441/pad #2). This instrument is capable of imaging conducting samples at 4 K with an external field up to 6 Tesla. It includes two ultra-high-vacuum chambers equipped with basic surface preparation and analysis tools. A tip exchange mechanism and appropriate adapters allow the preparation of magnetic tips for spin- polarized STM. Vertical stability of below 10 pm can be achieved.

UHV-MultiProbe Surface Analysis System (STM\XPS\UPS\ISS\LEED\TPD) is capable of in-situ clean sample preparations, nanostructure fabrications, and complementary surface characterizations including atomic-resolution surface structures, chemical compositions/states, relative atomic concentrations, and physical and chemical properties, aimed at exploring structure-properties relationships.

A suite of ultrafast excitation and diagnostic capabilities spanning wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared are available for dynamic nanoscale characterization.

The UEM’s application is for investigating ultrafast (sub-picosecond) structural and chemical dynamics in materials at the nanoscale using electrons. The instrument is based on a JEOL JEM2100PLUS electron microscope and Altos Photonics lasers and has the following features: (a) a tunable femtosecond laser with a high repetition rate, (b) multiple routes to produce a pulsed electron beam, (c) a synchronous laser-pumped, pulsed transmission electron microscope that is outfitted with high-sensitivity cameras and electron energy filtering. This tool opens the door to an area of scientific understanding not available with any standard electron microscope, namely, the understanding of fast (sub-picosecond to nanosecond) dynamics and short-lived metastable phases in materials with sub-nanometer spatial resolution. This key analytical tool can deliver insights on ultrafast structural and chemical changes to a wide range of systems.

Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy is a powerful approach to understand fundamental exciton dynamics in 2D materials. It can be used to explore ultrafast charge transfer and hybrid exciton formation in 2D heterostructures, which is required for many applications including photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and photodetection.

This lab is a beam-line style User Facility for lithography, characterization, and deposition technique development. A two-photon photolithography instrument will allow for three-dimensional photolithographic structures on the sub-micron scale. This instrument will be implemented with a force probe and near-field plasmonic tip structure to allow for 3D structure lithography at single-digit nanoscale dimensions. For characterization, an ultrafast-systems transient absorption spectrometer has been installed and allows the monitoring of electronic relaxation dynamics on sub 100-femtosecond time scales. In addition, femtosecond stimulated Raman instrumentation is being developed to probe charge transfer dynamics and gas phase thin film deposition precursor photochemistry. Finally, we are developing a new type of atomic layer deposition process that will use gas phase photochemistry to prepare active precursors of a wide variety of materials. Coherent Libra amplified femtosecond laser (45 fs pulse duration)Coherent OPerA solo OPA tunable source (270 nm – 2600 nm)Ultrafast systems transient absorption spectrometerHome-built femtosecond stimulated Raman system for solid, liquid, and gas phase (~20 fs temporal resolution)Home-built high temporal resolution transient absorption system for both bulk and microscopic samples (~20 fs)Home-built second harmonic generation microscopeBiophotonic solutions MIIPS Box 640 pulse shaper for coherent control and microscopy applications

The multi-probe scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) laboratory hosts two independent state of the art 4-probe STM instruments. The facility is dedicated for determination of electronic transport properties in variety of system at scales ranging from several micrometers down to single atom level.

The UVISEL FUV-NIR HORIBA Spectroscopic Ellipsometer is a metrology system for thin-film applications, non-destructive optical technique, based on polarization change upon reflection from a sample and dependent on properties of the sample. It can do measurements spectroscopic or single wavelength, and measures thicknesses and optical constants. The spectral range is from 190-2100 nm or 0.6-6.5 eV, and variable angle. Classes of materials: metals, semiconductors, insulators. Ellipsometry provides information for: film thickness, optical properties, surface roughness, interfacial mixing, composition, crystallinity, anisotropy, depolarization, optical band gap, alloy composition, and uniformity by both depth and area. It can handle small samples up to 6” wafers. It has a motorize stage and full grid wafer map can be acquired and analyzed.

Contact mask aligner is used to pattern features as small as 1 um using UV exposure at 405 nm or 240 nm wavelength and a suitable mask. Substrate sizes range from small chips (~10 mm x 10 mm) to 4” diameter wafers.

This system offers photoluminescence from 365 nm to 500 nm. Available excitation sources are pulsed 266 nm and CW 325 nm. The UV microscope objective available is a 50x Mitutoyo with numerical aperture of 0.4 and a working distance of 12 mm.

Perkin-Elmer Lamda 950 UV/Vis/NIR Spectrometer is a double-beam, double-monochromator ratio recording system with pre-aligned tungsten-halogen and deuterium lamps as sources. The wavelength is guaranteed to an accuracy of 0.05 nm from 175 to 3300 nm in the UV-Vis region, and to an accuracy of 0.2 nm in the NIR region. It has a photometric range of +/−8 in absorbance.

This spectrometer (PerkinElmer Lambda 950) is equipped with three detector modules to cover spectral rage from 170 to 3500 nm. In addition to liquid sample measurements, the instrument is equipped for studies of films and powders in specular and diffuse scattering regimes.

The Lambda 25 is a double beam UV/Vis spectrophotometer from PerkinElmer, packing pre-aligned Tungsten and Deuterium Lamps. This model has a wavelength range of 190-1100nm with a spectral bandwidth of 1nm (fixed slit).

Two instruments are available: V-VASE and IR-VASE.

Use assembling techniques such as dielectrophoresis and nanomanipulation to position individual nanowires or tubes on Transport Discovery Platforms, which permit temperature-dependent measurements of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient.

The MMR VTMP spans the temperature range from 70 to 730 Kelvin under controlled atmosphere and optical excitation.

This variable temperature scanning tunneling microscope (VT-STM) system operates in ultra-high vacuum (UHV). It detects structural, electronic, and spin textures, and measures thermal voltages of surfaces and thin films.

Electronic structure simulation tool for performing ab initio quantum mechanical calculations using either Vanderbilt pseudopotentials, or the projector augmented wave method, and a plane wave basis set

Visible and Near-IR Microscope. This is an inverted microscope-based spectroscopy system with a 300 mm triple-grating spectrograph and dual (visible and short-wave near-IR) 2D array detectors. The visible CCD detector (1360 x 100 pixels) covers 300 to 1000 nm and a thermoelectrically cooled InGaAs detector (640 x 512 pixels) covers 800 to 1650 nm. The system is capable of performing absorption/reflection spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (excitation provided by continuous wave and pulsed diode lasers), and visible photoluminescence lifetime measurements. Additionally, the system is equipped with source meters that enable electroluminescence measurements on nanoscale materials incorporated into transistor structures. A microscopy cryostat is available for measurements to 5K.

Two-Color NIR Transient Absorption and Emission Spectrometer is built off of an amplified Newport Spectra-Physics amplified femtosecond laser system. It is equipped with two OPAs, one operational in the visible and NIR, and the other in the NIR to IR regions. Requests for semiconductor quantum dots (QD) and nanotube photophysics require probe wavelengths beyond 1400 nm. The system is also equipped with a Hamamatsu C5680 streak camera system with 2-ps temporal resolution, and a closed-cycle liquid He cryostat.

Variable Temperature UHV Atomic Force and Scanning Tunneling Microscope (VT-AFM/STM) (440/B102). This is a commercial Omicron system capable of imaging insulating and conducting samples at temperatures between 50 K and 500 K. It includes two UHV chambers equipped with basic surface preparation and analysis tools. A tip exchange mechanism and appropriate adapters allow the preparation of magnetic tips for magnetic force microscopy and spin-polarized STM measurements. Vertical stability of below 20 pm has been achieved.

Capabilities include techniques and methods required for the synthesis, fabrication and study of novel hybrid structures and functionalities using regulated nanoscale assembly and self-organization approaches. Capabilities and expertise include solution-based synthesis of a variety of soft, biological, hybrid and inorganic nanomaterials, advanced functionalization routes for surfaces and nano-objects, selective biomolecular recognition and DNA scaffolding.

WiTec Alpha 300 combination microscope integrates confocal Raman microscopy, atomic force microscope, scanning near-field optical microscope, confocal microscope within the same field of view.

Enhanced with automation and machine-vision software, the system performs rapid tile scans, identifies material flakes, and automatically classifies them based on predefined criteria. The resulting database enables researchers to quickly locate flakes that meet specific experimental requirements, significantly accelerating the heterostructure fabrication process and supporting more efficient and impactful scientific investigations.

Xetch, XACTIX–X4 XeF2 Isotropic Silicon Etcher. This tool provides a vapor phase etch with high selectivity of silicon to photo-resist, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and aluminum. It is designed for manual wafer loading to ensure substrate geometry flexibility and can be used to etch silicon wafers up to 150 mm in diameter.

Xetch, XACTIX–X4 XeF2 Isotropic Silicon Etcher. This tool provides a vapor phase etch with high selectivity of silicon to photo-resist, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and aluminum. It is designed for manual wafer loading to ensure substrate geometry flexibility and can be used to etch silicon wafers up to 150 mm in diameter.

The CFN XPEEM/LEEM facility at the Electron Spectro-Microscopy (ESM, 21-ID-2) beamline at NSLS-II has capabilities for full-field imaging at nanometer scale, as well as the micro-spot spectroscopy, including uXPS, uXAS and uARPES. The beamline provides high-brightness beam with energy 15-1500 eV, and a full control of the polarization of the light, enabling magnetic domain imaging with XMCD and XMLD. In-situ material deposition and gas dosing are possible, and the sample temperature can be controlled from ~85K up to ~1800K. The microscope is equipped with a new CMOS-based detector (TVIPS camera TemCam-XF416 UHV). The new detector offers large dynamic range, superior signal to noise ratio in comparison with the traditional MCP detector, and 4K x 4K pixel resolution that allows for significantly improved spatial resolution at lower magnifications.

The Thermo-Fisher K-Alpha Plus XPS/UPS is a highly automated, high-throughput, instrument capable of performing quantitative chemical analysis of the top 10 nm of a sample’s surface. It consists of a monochromatic Al X-Ray source (1.486 eV), a high-efficiency electron lens system, hemispherical analyzer and multi-channel detector, a combined low energy electron/ion flood source for charge neutralization, a dual monoatomic and gas cluster Argon ion source for depth profiling and sample cleaning, and an ultraviolet light source (He1 of 21.2 eV and He2of 40.8 eV).

Bruker D2 Phaser Diffractometer with LYNXEYE Detector provides rapid X-ray characterization of polycrystalline samples. The D2 Phaser is equipped with a line detector that greatly decreases the data acquisition time while providing better signal-to-noise ratio than the scintillation detector on the D8 Discover system. The D2 Phaser reduces the demand for the high-resolution Bruker D8 Discover diffractometer while providing better-quality polycrystalline characterization in much less time.

Bruker D8 discover instrument is a cutting edge x-ray material structure characterization instrument, with application in both thin film and powder samples. The D8 DISCOVER with DAVINCI design increases ease-of-use with real-time component detection, plug-and-play functionality and fully integrated 2-dimensional XRD2 capabilities. These unique features allow the user to easily switch between all materials research X-ray diffraction applications, including reflectometry, high-resolution diffraction, grazing incidence diffraction (IP-GID), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), as well as residual stress and texture investigations. It has Im Cu source and Eiger 2R 500 area detector.

Bruker D8 discover instrument is a cutting edge x-ray material structure characterization instrument, with application in both thin film and powder samples. The D8 DISCOVER with DAVINCI design increases ease-of-use with real-time component detection, plug-and-play functionality and fully integrated 2-dimensional XRD2 capabilities. These unique features allow the user to easily switch between all materials research X-ray diffraction applications, including reflectometry, high-resolution diffraction, grazing incidence diffraction (IP-GID), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), as well as residual stress and texture investigations. It has Im Cu source and Eiger 2R 500 area detector.

The powder x-ray diffractometer is equipped with a Vantec-500 area detector and is operated at 35kV/40mA with a CoKa wavelength of 1.79Å .

This platform accommodates site-specific TEM sample preparation, 3D data acquisition, nanofabrication and manipulation, and other advanced uses. Simultaneous electron and ion scanning offers unique imaging and fabrication opportunities.

Merlin FE-SEM can achieve an image resolution of 1 nanometer and is coupled with a Bruker energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) system

Helium and neon offer extensive possibility for imaging and exploring creation of functional defects in materials

The Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS measures the size (dynamic light scattering) and electrokinetic potential (phase analysis light scattering) of proteins, colloids, and nanoparticles from 0.3 nm to 10 um. For measurements in organic solvents, a dip cell is available.