Materials Facilities

This facility provides a very wide spectrum of services and apparatus for materials testing, preparation, and characterization.
The facility emphasizes close interaction between staff and users. We value hands-on involvement of students more than efficiency, since new and innovative solutions to research problems and effective graduate education require some trial and error.

		Faculty Advisors Prof. Alexander Gaeta, A&EP Clark Hall Advisor a.gaeta@cornell.edu Prof. Alan Zehnder, T&AM Bard Hall Advisor atz2@cornell.edu
Manager John Sinnott D-21 Clark Hall 607.255.3371 jps39@cornell.edu	Specialist Dr. Jonathan Shu D-22 Clark Hall 607.255.9833 jbs24@cornell.edu
Equipment Technician Ronald C. Kemp D-21 Clark Hall 607.255.2367 rck5@cornell.edu	Equipment Technician Paul D. Bishop B57 Bard Hall 607.255.3371 pdb6@cornell.edu
Main Locations: D-21 Clark Hall and B-57 Bard Hall

Surface Analysis (Surface Analysis Equipment)

Scanning Probe Microscope
Veeco Dimension 3100: Automated atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM), electric force microscopy (EFM), and scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) techniques measure surface characteristics of samples up to 200 mm in diameter. Lateral resolution <5nm; vertical resolution <1nm.

229B-Mag Force Microscopy.pdf
AFMmanualv11.pdf
Blank_AFM_Usage_Sheet3.doc
Chp 9 - STM.pdf
D3100.pdf
DI3100Training_ContactMode.mp4
DI3100Training_ContactMode.wmv
DI3100Training_TappingMode.mp4
DI3100Training_TappingMode.wmv

Confocal/Multiphoton Microscope
Bio-Rad 1024: Epifluorescence imaging with high Z resolution. Excitation wavelength from UV to far red. Three-color simultaneous acquisition; 3-D reconstruction and rotation. X-Y-Z motorized stage. (Owned and operated by NBTC.)

Stylus Surface Profilers
Tencor AlphaSteps 200 and 500: Stylus-based profiler for measuring the thickness of deposited thin films, surface topography, and other specialty measurements.

AFM image of a 2-D surface layer ('S-layer') protein crystal (Sonny Mark)

Optical Microscopes
Leitz Laborlux 12hl: Basic optical microscope with 5x, 10x, 25x, 50x, and 100x objective lenses, transmitted and reflected light sources, condenser system and polarizer, digital camera, and Image Pro Plus® software.

X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer
Surface Science Instrument SSX-100: UHV system for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), also known as electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). Quantitative elemental analysis as well as chemical bonding information are possible on a variety of samples. Ion sputtering for depth profiling; in-situ sample tilting.

AnalysisDepthWorksheet.xls
Casainfotalk_v3.ppt
CPSvsAngle.xls
Submitting Samples for XPS.doc
ThickogramDoubleBlank.pdf
ThickogramSingleBlank.pdf
XPSinfosession2.pdf

Ring of iron nonoparticles (9nm) used as a catalyst for growing carbon nanotubes (Luke Donev)

Mechanical Testing (Test and Measurement)—310 Kimball; Contact John Sinnott

Electromechanical Mechanical Test System
Instron 4400: 20,000 lbf capacity electromechanical test system with a large assortment of grips and fixtures, an environmental chamber capable of temperatures of -60°C to 400°C, and an optical extensometer for noncontact strain measurements.

Servo-Hydraulic Test System
MTS: 10,000 lbf capacity test system, capable of tensile, compression, and fatigue testing of materials from static loads to 60 Hz.

Spectrometers (Test and Measurement, Surface Analysis)

FTIR Spectrometer
Mattson Model 5020: Spectrometer with resolution of 0.4 cm-1, covering the range from 400 cm-¹ to 6000 cm-¹. Analysis of bulk, thin film, powder, and fluid samples in transmission, absorption, and reflection modes.

Raman Spectrometer
DilorXY 800 Spectrograph: 800 mm focal length triple spectrograph, f/6 subtractive or additive fore-monochromator - Gratings 1200 g/mm, spectral range 27,000 cm-¹ to 5 cm-¹. Multichannel - O.M.A. CCD, 256 to 1024 px. Single channel: Hamamatsu PMT, GaAs cathode. 2 W Argon Laser, 514.5 nm, or 488 nm, 10 nW HeNe, 632.8 nm. Motorized xy stage for confocal microscope, 0.1 µm resolution, software for Raman Map.

UV-VIS-NIR Scanning Spectrophotometer
Shimadzu UV-3101PC: Spectroscopy in either reflection or transmission for wavelengths from 190 nm to 3200 nm. Cell temperature can be controlled by an external bath from 0°C to 100°C. (Owned and operated by CNS.)

Thin-Film Deposition (Processing)

BY Electron-Beam
24" diameter chamber: CTI 10 cryopump, two Temescal four-hearth electron beam guns, 14 kW power supply, two Inficon XTC thickness monitors, hot and cold stages, and a large variety of source materials.

BY Magnetron Sputtering
18" diameter chamber: CTI 10 cryopump, three 2" diameter US magnetron sputter guns, bias-sputter stage, substrate heater to 1200°C. Sputter targets: Ag, Al, Au, C, Co, Cr, Cu, Ge, Mo, Nb, Ni, Pd, Pt, Ru, Si, Ta, Ti, V, W.

BY Thermal Evaporation
Bell jars: diffusion-pumped; three sources; W boats, filaments, and Cr-coated W rods available. Inficon thickness monitor. Temperature-controlled sample stages capable of -125°C to 200°C.

Furnaces and Ovens (Processing)

Vacuum Furnaces
GCA Vacuum Industries: 8"x 9"x 23" hot zone, 1200°C tungsten heating elements, programmable ramp and soak controller, diffusion-pumped, system pressure 10-7 Torr.

Lindberg: 5"x12" hot zone, 1200°C, turbo-pumped quartz tube, system pressure 10-7 Torr.

Hot Presses
H.D. Brew: Vacuum furnace with a water-cooled stainless steel chamber. 3"x 6" hot zone with graphite elements capable of 2000°C, 2" diameter vertical graphite push rods, programmable ramp and soak controller, diffusion-pumped, system pressure 10-7 Torr.

Grimco: Compression molding press, with two 15"x 15" electrically heated platens, 425°C, vertical 50-ton hydraulic cylinder, programmable ramp and soak temperature and pressure control.

Air Furnaces
Assorted tube and box furnaces with Kanthal and MoSi2 heating elements, temperatures to 1700°C, programmable ramp and soak temperature control.

Controlled Atmospheres Furnaces
Assorted tube furnaces with alumina and quartz retorts, connections for gaseous atmospheres, MKS mass flow controls for up to four gases, temperatures to 1700°C, programmable ramp and soak temperature controllers.

Hydrogen Furnace
Stewart tube furnace: Pure hydrogen atmosphere, 4.75" diameter x 12", hot zone 1200°C.

Drying and Vacuum Ovens
Various, up to 260°C.

Vacuum Equipment (Support)

He-Mass-Spectrometer Leak Detectors
Edwards Spectron 300E and Varian 959-50 Porta-Test: He mass-spectrometers, cart- mounted and portable; both are diffusion-pumped. Leak rate scales from 10-6 to 10-9 Torr. A turbo-pumped Varian 979 portable system also offers a He sniffer attachment.

Portable Pumping Stations
Two cart-mounted turbo-pump systems with an Edwards backing pump and ion gauge control. Available for loan.

Cutting, Dicing, and Mounting (Support)

Abrasive Waterjet Machining Center
OMAX Model 2626: CAD-driven abrasive waterjet cutting system, that handles simple to complex designs in a variety of materials. Utilizes pressurized water up to 55,000 psi, forcing it through a small sapphire orifice at 2,500 feet per second. A garnet abrasive is then pulled into this high-speed stream of water and directed at the material to be machined. Table travel is 737 mm x 660 mm. X-Y motion of the cutting head is controllable to +/-0.1 mm. Handles simple to complex designs in a variety of materials.

Wafer Saws
MicroMech: 3", 4", and 6" diamond wafering blades. Table has power feed with a 5" x 10" magnetic chuck. Cutting is done under a water coolant mixture.

Accu-Cut™ Model 5200: Semiautomatic cutting system for substrates up to 4" x 4" x 3/4" thick. Samples are mounted with a pneumatic vise to a 360° theta stage for part alignment and a monocular microscope for cut alignment.

Wire Saw
Well 4240: Large 120 mm x 120 mm work area, gauges to monitor the wire speed, wire tension, and feed force.

Diamond Wheels
Buehler Low Speed: 3", 4", and 6" diameters. Various sample mounting fixtures.

Pneumatic Press
Buehler Simplimet II: For mounting specimens in thermosetting plastics. Cold mounting supplies, epoxies, resins, and molds.

Impact Grinder
Sonic-Mills: Converts high-frequency electrical energy into mechanical motion for
milling, drilling, and shaping applications in silicon, silicon glass, alumina, and many other technical ceramics.

Cutoff Saws
Leco and Buehler: 8" and 12" diameters carborundum and diamond wheels.

Grinding and Polishing (Support)

Struers Roto-Pol: Semiautomatic grinding and polishing system. Controls force, time, and abrasive application. Software can save stored routines for repeatability.

Buehler and Leco: 12" and 8" diameter wheels. Large selection of abrasives, cloths, and lubricants.

South Bay Polishing Fixture: Two-axis goniometer capable of mounting on an X-ray track for orientation by Laue back reflection. Various other fixtures for hand polishing.

Bonding and Welding Equipment (Support)

Wire Bonding
MEI: Manual wire bonder electrically connects devices to packages with 0.001" diameter aluminum wire or 0.0005" x 0.002" gold ribbon.

Miller Intellitig 40 TIG Welding
Tungsten inert gas welding.

Spot Welders
Unitek: Two portable, one stationary, with adjustable power supply.

Various Torches and Tools for Soldering.

Vacuum Brazing (Support)

R.C. Chambers: 11" x 11" x 11" hot zone capable of 1100°C, Molybdenum heating elements. Programmable ramp and soak temperature controller, diffusion-pumped, vacuum system pressure 10-7 Torr.

Miscellaneous Equipment (Support)

Glove box, nitrogen atmosphere with less than 1 ppm of O? and H?O • Wilson Rockwell hardness tester • ultrasonic cleaners • various machine tools: lathes, vertical millers, grinders, and an electrical discharge machine (EDM) • hydraulic laboratory presses: 1 to 50 ton • electropolishing and plating operations • coil winder with automatic tensioning system and turns counter • abrasive blast cabinet: uses aluminum oxide to abrasively drill holes in materials • glass bead-blasting cabinet: uses glass beads as an abrasive medium to clean surfaces. • large number of hand tools • chemistry room.

Most equipment is available around the clock to qualified users.