The researchers, laboratories, and equipment of this department have a depth of knowledge and abilities. Advanced equipment and facilities are used to process and characterize materials of a variety of types (semiconductors, metals, polymers, ceramics, etc...). There exists a particular emphasis on interfaces and surfaces, though the length scale may vary from sub-Angstrom to meters. Additionally, microscopy and spectroscopies are a strong suit, as demonstrated by the type of equipment and facilities. Annual expenditures for sponsored research is in excess of $3 million.

• Crystal Design and Synthesis Group
• Center for Nanomaterials and Sensor Development
• Center for Thermal Spray Research
• Environmental Nanotechnology Research Group
• Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces
• LEED and Surface Structure
• Magneto-Optics Group
• Materials Characterization Lab
• Mechanical Testing Lab
• Mesoscopic Integrated Conformal Electronics (MICE)
• Surface Analysis and Corrosion Science Lab
• Synchrotron X-ray Topography Group

• Lab Phone Numbers

Types of equipment in the department:

• Microscopes
  • STEM: Scanning Transmisison Electron Microscope
    with EDAX: Energy Dispersive Xray Spectroscopy for elemental indentification
    also EELS: Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy for elemental indentication
    also with TV, Polaroid, and plate-film cameras
  • SFEG-SEM: Schottky Field-Emission Gun on a Scanning Electron Microscope (LEO-1550)
    with EDAX, BS, AC, EBSP, SE, InLens detectors
  • Vision Engineering Lynx Dynascope, stereoscope with eye relief
  • Several Unitrons metallographs
  • Several stereoscopes
  • Several Meiji binocular metallurgicals
  • Nicolet FTIR uscope
  • Olympus and Nikons
  • AFM
  • STM
  • Zygo Profilometer
• Infrared Spectroscopy
• ESCA: Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis
• XPS: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
• AES: Auger Electron Spectrocopy
• S-SIMS: Scanning - Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy
• SIMS: Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy
• S-AES: Scanning - Auger Electron Spectrocopy
• LEED: Low Energy Electron Diffraction
• BH Looper
• Loop tracers
• Vibratory Magnetometer
• Ellipsometer
• Mossbauer
• Mechanical
  • Dilatometer
  • Porosimeter
  • DTA
  • Tensile Testers
  • Hardness, macrohardness, microhardness testers
  • Fatigue tester
  • Surface roughness tester
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter
• I/V Potentiostats
• Xray
  • XRD: X-Ray Diffraction (powder and Laue)
  • X-ray Topography
  • Lang Camera
  • Four-Axis
• Sample Preparation
  • Duo Ion Mill
  • Polishing Wheels
  • Furnaces
    • Box, air
    • Tube
    • Vacuum
    • Arc
    • Crystal Growth Furnaces
      • Low-temperature reactors
      • High-pressure puller
      • High-temperature furnace for oxide materials
  • Deposition
    • MBE: Molecular Beam Epitaxy
      Riber, multi-cell
    • MBE: 3 gun
    • Reactive Ion Etcher
    • Dual 12-inch box-sputtering system
    • Carbon/Gold for SEM prep
    • Bell-Jar with RF-Mag, thermal, e-beam, QMB
    • UHV with dual DC-Magnetron
    • several bell jars
• Thermal Spray
• Thermal Spray
• Thermal Spray
• Thermal Spray
• Thermal Spray

For questions and more information, please contact us via email or snail mail.