The Materials Characterization and Fabrication Facility and its assets are available for use. Contact Joseph Mathai for further information.
E-beam deposition system, Kurt J. Lesker AXXIS
Four pocket e-beam deposition system. Mainly used to deposit Metals and Oxides.
DC/RF magnetron sputtering system, AJA Int
Three gun sputtering system to deposit Metals and Oxides. This system can also deposit high density, size controlled Metal Nano particles.
ALD system, Cambridge NanoTech
The XeF2 etcher uses XeF2 crystals and a vacuum chamber to produce fluorine vapors, which isotropically etch silicon. At room temperature, xenon difluoride, or XeF2, is in a solid crystalline form. When exposed to low pressures, the XeF2 crystals become a gas by sublimation. The XeF2 gas selectively etches silicon. It does not etch silica, most photoresist, oxides, nitrides and many metals.
Thermal Evaporator, Kurt J. Lesker Co
Nano 38, Thermal evaporator is used to deposit Metals like, Cr, Ag, Au, Al and Organic films.
Xenon difluoride etcher
The XeF2 etcher uses XeF2 crystals and a vacuum chamber to produce fluorine vapors, which isotropically etch silicon. At room temperature, xenon difluoride, or XeF2, is in a solid crystalline form. When exposed to low pressures, the XeF2 crystals become a gas by sublimation. The XeF2 gas selectively etches silicon. It does not etch silica, most photoresist, oxides, nitrides and many metals.
Fluorescence Microscope
The BX51WI epi-illumination fluorescence microscope delivers high resolution imaging of fluorescent samples. The microscope is equipped with a several filter cubes for imaging common fluorophores including DAPI, FITC, Rhodamine 6G, TRITC, and Cy5. Samples can be viewed using 10x, 20x, 40x, 60x Water immersion, and 100x Oil immersion objectives and imaged using our ORCAFlash2.8 CCD camera or a USB4000 Ocean optics spectrometer. The microscope can illuminate the samples using either a high intensity Xenon arc lamp or halogen spotter lamp.
Bruker Innova AFM
The Innova® Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) delivers accurate, high-resolution imaging and a wide range of functionality for advanced research in physical and material sciences. Lowest Noise, Highest Resolution AFM in its Class
Ellipsometer, J.A. Woollam
VASE (Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometer) is most accurate and versatile ellipsometer for research on all types of materials: semiconductors, dielectrics, polymers, metals and multi-layers. This tool is used to determine thickness and optical properties of materials. Spectral Range – 193nm to 2700nm; Reflection and Transmission Ellipsometry; Generalized Ellipsometry
Thermal Oxidation Furnace
Thermal oxidation of silicon is usually performed at a temperature between 900 and 1200°C. It may use either water vapor or molecular oxygen as the oxidant to grow Oxide layer on silicon wafer.
Agilent G200 Nanoindenter
The Agilent G200 nanoidenter is utilized to characterize the mechanical properties (modulus, hardness) of thin films. This indenter features the XP head and can peform indentation and scratch tests; <0.01 nm displacement resolution; 50 nN load resolution – Max load of 500 mN
Renishaw inVia Raman microscope
InVia Raman microscope is an instrument for materials analysis, including a research-grade optical microscope coupled to a high-performance Raman spectrometer. This new generation Raman microscope offers a powerful non-destructive and non-contact method of sample analysis. InVia Raman microscope is fitted with two diffraction gratings(1800 lines/mm and 2400 lines/mm) to satisfy all requirements for spectral resolution, spectral coverage and optimized sensitivity. This system is fitted with a Renishaw HSES automated XYZ stage coupled to a High resolution color video, 5MP CMOS camera, can provide the mapping and imaging capabilities . Rather than just viewing discrete spectra you can create information – rich maps and images that fully illustrate your most complex samples.
Zeta Potential and Submicron Particle Size Analyzers
This system measures particle size in the range of 0.6 nm to 7 µm and zeta potential of particles in the size range of 0.6 nm to 30 μm using photon correlation spectroscopy and electrophoretic light scattering.The optional autotitrator enables isoelectric point determination by measuring zeta potential over a range of pH values.
Optical Profilometer, Vecco NT 9109
Optical Profiler measure surface topography from nanometer-scale roughness through millimeter-scale steps, with an unmatched combination of sub-nanometer resolution. This interferometry systems provides most precise, 3D surface metrology. Sub-nanometer resolution for roughness analysis of super-smooth surfaces; fast measurement acquisition over large lateral areas.
Tencor Stylus Profilometer
The Alphastep 200 is a stylus step profiler with a manual X-Y stage, and a 9″ video monitor which displays a magnified view of the sample and stylus during the scan, as well as scan profiles and a summary of scan data. The system allows the operator to set, variety of scan parameters such as scan direction, scan length/sampling rate and vertical units (kA vs. Mm). Resolution is ±5nm.
Contact Angle Goniometer
The ramé-hart Model 200 Standard Contact Angle Goniometer is a powerful tool for measuring contact angle and surface energy. The DROPimage Standard software measures contact angle and includes a suite of surface energy tools including: the Acid-Base Tool, the Surface Energy Tool, the Work of Adhesion Tool and Zisman’s Plot Tool.
Nicolet 4700 FT-IR
The instrument is a routine-use, mid-IR (~400-4000 wavenumbers). The maximum resolution is 0.5 wavenumbers. Attenuated Total Reflectance(ATR)-FTIR is also available.
Shimadzu UV-2401 UV-VIS spectrophotometer
The Shimadzu UV-2401 UV-VIS spectrophotometer is a standard research-grade UV-VIS spectrophotometer capable of scanning from 190-900 nm. The software is capable of acquiring data in spectrum mode, photometric mode and kinetic data. There are two attachments available, the standard 2-cell sample/reference holder and other to hold flat substrates.
AutoPellet Press
The self-contained AutoPellet press has 5″ diameter platen and integral safety shield cabinet enclosing electrically powered hydraulic system. It maintains precise alignment and includes provision for a vacuum line connection to the pellet die. Pellet dies are available in different sample sizes of ¼, ½, ¾ and 1 inch in diameter.
Thermal Analysis
Simultaneous DSC TGA (SDT 600): This system provides simultaneous measurement of weight change (TGA) and differential heat flow (DSC) on the same sample from ambient to 1,500°C. The system is equipped with Platinum-Rhodium thermocouple based temperature control unit, horizontal furnace and gas purge system.
Rapid Thermal Processing
The Heatpulse 610 is a rapid thermal annealing system capable of heating a sample to temperatures as high as 1000°C in a very short time. Ramp rates of around 50-60°C/sec are reasonable. The Heatpulse system uses a set of high intensity lamps that surround a quartz isolation tube to heat the sample. An isolation tube is used to create an isolated gaseous environment in which to heat your sample. Currently the process gases available for use are Argon and Forming Gas (5% Hydrogen with Nitrogen balance).
Rapid Thermal Processing
K & S model 4123 wedge bonder is an aluminum and gold wire wedge bonder that can be used for bonding devices. This machine is operated in ultrasonic mode.
Hall Measurement System
MMR’s Variable Temperature Hall System (VTHS) allows the user to make automatic measurements of resistivity, mobility and carrier concentration of a wide range of samples using the Van der Pauw method.
Rigaki X-ray diffractometer
This tool has a multistage goniometer that accommodates powder samples and thin films. Besides, standard diffraction scan, this tool can do the thin film reflectivity measurements to determine the density, roughness, interface roughness of multilayer thin films.
Rigaki X-ray diffractometer
Planetary Ball Mills are used for mixing and size reduction processes. The mills also can perform colloidal grinding and have the energy input necessary for mechanical alloying processes. The extremely high centrifugal forces of a planetary ball mill result in very high pulverization energy and therefore short grinding times.
Hysitron TI Premier Dynamic
This nanoindenter system includes nanoDMA III, in-situ scanning probe microscopy imaging, 2N high-load transducer, rapid property mapping, and dynamic property measurement with depth.
Keyence VHX-930 Digital Microscope
This microscope enables observation methods and three-dimensional analysis across a wide range of magnifications. Real-time depth composition ensures the sample is always in focus.
TA Instruments DTC 300 Thermal Conductivity Meter
DTC 300 is a guarded heat flow meter measuring the thermal conductivity over a wide range of temperatures accordingly to the ASTM E1530 Standard with a range between 0.1 – 40 W/m-K.