Facilities

Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory (AMCL)

  • X-ray diffraction and scattering (wide-/small-angle) with in situ shear cells, liquids cells, tensile testing, heating/cooling, and electrochemistry
  • Dynamic mechanical analysis (oscillatory shear and tensile testing)
  • Thermal analysis (calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis), autosampler, tunable atmosphere (air vs. inert gas)
  • Scanning near-field optical microscope
  • Enables characterization of structure from nanoscale to macroscale computation/experiment fidelity

UD Nanofabrication Facility (UDNF)

  • Fully-equipped and professionally-staffed 8500 ft2 (Class 100 and 1000) nanofabrication facility.
    • Capabilities include:
      • 100 kV electron-beam lithography (features as small as 10 nm)
      • laser-write lithography for rapid prototyping
      • ion milling with SIMS end-point detection, which is critical for hybrid materials in IRG 2
    • Enables fabrication of test structures that allow control and characterization of transduction as well as devices to demonstrate emergent THz functionalities

Keck Center for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis (CAMM)

  • Auriga 60 CrossBeam (focused ion beam [FIB]/field-emission scanning electron microscope [FE-SEM])
  • Talos F200C (200 kV FE-TEM with topography, cryogenic-TEM capabilities, Hummingbird accessories for real-time TEM)
  • Aberration-corrected TEM
  • Dimension-3100 V scanning probe microscope (SPM)
  • Multimode NanoScope V SPM
  • Enables detailed investigation of the interfaces and nanostructures vital to fundamental science advances in IRGs 1 and 2

Materials Growth Facility (MGF)

Director: Joshua Zide

  • MBE 1 – Veeco GENxplor with ten sources
    • Growth and characterization of topological insulator films
    • E-beam source for growth of 2D materials (transition metal dichalcogenides)
  • MBE 2 – Veeco GENxplor with eleven elemental sources
    • Growth of III-V materials
    • In situ characterization including band-edge thermometry
    • Connected under ultrahigh vacuum to MBE 1
  • Sputtering System (MRSEC-supported)
    • Ultrahigh vacuum sputtering system for magnetic materials is connected to both MBE 1 and MBE 2; permits integration of IRG 2 project materials without samples leaving ultrahigh vacuum.

The MGF is a User facility and supports ‘outside’ visitors with a doctoral-level staff member providing assistance or growth.

Peptide-Protein Materials Center (PPMC)

Director – Christopher Kloxin

  • Synthesis of Peptide Substrates
    • Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesizers (high-throughout microwave reactor, large-scale microwave reactor)
    • Peptide purification and analysis
  • Click-Handle Incorporation and Reaction Assessment
    • Dedicated user space for chemical modification with local expertise for training and consulting
  • Click Reaction Databank
    • Searchable click reaction protocols open to outside users for reaction submission and feedback
    • Tutorial videos on click chemistry

Materials design through efficient covalent linking chemistry, and supports collaboration both locally and nationally (MRFN) – user facility to support ‘outside’ visitors.