Equipment
Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition System
Home-built plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system for thin films and nanostructures. Provides pressure control from 20 Torr to atmosphere, temperature control from RT to 1000 degC, and gas flow control of the following gases: Ar, CH4, H2. Primarily used for fuzzy graphene growth.
P - Chemical Vapor Deposition System
Home-built chemical vapor deposition system for thin films and nanostructures. Provides pressure control from 20 Torr to atmosphere, temperature control from RT to 1000 degC, and gas flow control of the following gases: Ar, O2, H2, NH3, HBr, HCl, HI, CH3NH2. It also features custom-filled bubblers that allow for using liquid and solid precursors.
Glove Box
Vigor Tech glovebox. Enables air- and moisture-sensitive experiments to be performed in nitrogen (O2 less than 1 ppm, H2O less than 0.02 ppm). Can use either large or small anti-chambers for transporting materials in or out of the glovebox.
Rapid Thermal Annealer
ULVAC- RIKO MILA-5000 Rapid Thermal Annealer; used to oxide and/or anneal materials. Can go up to ~1000 deg C in less than a minute; able to program complex heating processes; can perform under vacuum or flow oxygen gas, nitrogen, or forming gas (H2 in N2) during process.
Source Measure Units
We have two Model 2636b Keithley Source Measure Units (SMU) with resolution in the 10s of uV and 10s of fA. They are both connected to computers and run entirely through matlab code.
Solar Simulator
Newport Oriel Solar Simulator Lamp; 150W Xenon lamp, AM1.5G filter; used to illuminate solar devices during characterization.
Custom Laser Microscope
Custom-built microscope with a supercontinuum laser source (450-2400 nm), balanced detectors (Newport) for transmission measurements, and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs, Spectral Products) for reflectance measurements. It is designed to perform broadband meausrements on a single nanomaterial. The measurements include: fluorescence detection, extinction measurements, and photocurrent detection when paired with a source measure unit. A piezo-nanopositioner allows for fine control mapping of optical activities.
Optical Microscopes
Zeiss Axio Imager.A2m and Axio Imager.D1m optical microscopes. Used daily in our lab to image substrates and samples either in brightfield or darkfield configuration. Most imaging is done in reflection mode, but transmission mode is also possible. Easily capture images to computer with AxioCam or view through eyepiece. Lamps include HBO 100 for fluorescence and HAL 100 for most other imaging. Objectives include 2.5x, 5x, 10x, 20x, 50x, and 100x with various working distances.
Spin Coaters
Laurell WS-650MZ-23NPP spin coater. Provides a homogeneous spread of a solution on a substrate. Fits substrates up to 5" x 5", and has a max rotational speed of 12,000 RPM. (More Info)
Thermal Evaporator
Key Model KV-301 high vacuum thermal evaporator. Pressure can reach ~5x10^-7. We have Gold, Chromium, Bismuth, Lead, Nickle, Tin, and Indium.
T-shirt Press
Rotovap
Oven and Centrifuge
Ball Mill Holder
Chemical Vapor Deposition System
Home built chemical vapor deposition system for growing semiconductor nanowires. Provides pressure control from 3 mTorr to atmosphere, temperature control from RT to 1000 C, and gas flow control of the following gases: Ar, H2, SiH4, GeH4, PH3, B2H6, HCl, and NH3.
Lakeshore Probe Station
Lakeshore TTPX probe station. Four probe arms can measure DC to 1 GHz, or two probes can be swapped out to measure to 40 GHz with GSG tips. All measurments can be done under vaccum and 77 K - 350 K. (More Info)
Incident Photon Conversion Efficiency
Newport Oriel Quartz Tungsten Halogen lamp (spectral range 240-2500nm) in line with a Spectral Products CM100 Monochromator (0.2nm resolution) allows for Incident Photon-to-electron Conversion Efficiency measurements. Commonly used for evaluating the performance of solar cells at individual wavelengths of irradiation. Run through MATLAB using a code written by the group.
Fourier-Transform Infrared Microscope
Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) microscope, Hyperion 1000 with Tensor 27 from Bruker Optics for transmission and reflection measurements in mid-infrared wavelength regime. Hyperion microscope is equipped with manual sample stage, 15x objective lens, 15x condensor, liquid nitrogen cooled MCT detector, and manual transparent knife edge apeture for focused reflection and transmission measurements in small area. In addition, conventional FT-IR scpectroscopy can be operated by Tensor 27 with DTGS detector. The measurements system is controlled by OPUS software provided by Bruker Optics.
Potentiostat
CH instruments 604E potentiostat. The potentiostat is used for three-eletrode cell measurements used typically to characterize metal oxide thin films via cyclic voltammetry, and impedance spectroscopy. The potentiostat can also be used for bulk electrolysis, chronoamperometry, and other three-electrode measurements.
UV/ozone
Samco Model UV-1 UV-Ozone Cleaner. Used to remove organic contaminants from surfaces. UV light and ozone generator can be toggled on and off. Sample can be heated to 300 C. (More Info)
Wire Bonder
West-Bond Model 7476D-79 Manual wire bonder. Ultrasonically solders wire to a surface. Used to connect two metal contacts. Calibration settings are needed for each bonded material. Currently uses 1% Si/Al wire.(More Info)
Dry Oven
ThermoLyne 48000 furnace inside a home-built humidity-controlled box. Mainly used for annealing metal oxide films. Furnace can be operated from 100 degrees Celsius to 1093 degrees Celsius, and includes a programmable PID controller for setting ramp and dwell times during runs. Exterior box allows for the flow of house dry air, and humidity can be kept as low as 2% relative humidity.
Helium Leak Check
Alcatel ASM 100 Turbo CL helium leak detection system. Can connect to test pieces or systems via KF40 inlet. Includes roughing and turbo pumps to get down to ~10^-7 torr. Spray helium around potential leak points and listen for the helium detector to sound. Fairly easy and quick to use.
Wet Saw
Sonicator and Purifier
Glass Cutting Station
