Capabilities, Instruments, and Expertise

Access to the following capabilities, tools, and facilities is provided through a peer-reviewed proposal submission process. Although capabilities are grouped by theme, many capabilities cut across theme lines and can be used across the CNM scientific portfolio. Novel applications of capabilities in ways that overlap more than one area are encouraged. Before submitting a proposal for access, prospective users should familiarize themselves with all capabilities offered and communicate with a CNM contact to confirm that the desired capabilities are available and to identify CNM staff who can best enable their research.

• Electronic & Magnetic Materials & Devices
  • Synthesis
  • Characterization
• Nanobio Interfaces
  • Synthesis
  • Characterization
• Nanofabrication and Devices
  • Lithography
  • Resist Processing
  • Plasma Processing
  • Wet Processing
  • Metrology
  • Deposition
• Nanophotonics
• Theory and Modeling
  • Support
• X-Ray Microscopy
  • Hard X-Ray Nanoprobe

Electronic & Magnetic Materials & Devices

Synthesis

• Langmuir-Blodgett, Kibron MicroTrough X
• Lithographically directed self-assembly
• Physical vapor deposition (Lesker CMS18 and Lesker PVD 250)
• Oxide molecular-beam epitaxy (DCA R450D Custom)

Characterization

• Electrical characterization (Keithley 4200-SCS/F Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer and associated high-sensitivity test systems)
• Magnetometry (Quantum Design PPMS-9 and MPMS XL)
• Luminescence spectrometer (Perkin-Elmer LS 55)
• Optical microscope (Zeiss Axio Imager Z1 M Upright)
• Rheometer (AntonPaar Physica MCR301)
• Scanning probe microscope [Veeco Multimode with NanoScope V Controller, contact or tapping mode, fluid imaging, low-current scanning tunneling microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, variable temperature imaging (-30 to 250°C)]
• Solar simulator (Oriel)
• Scanning probe/scanning electron microscopy (Omicron UHV Nanoprobe)
• Thermal analysis (Differential scanning calorimetry, Mettler Toledo 823 and Thermogravimetric analysis, Mettler Toledo 851)
• Ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectrometer (Perkin-Elmer Lamda 950)
• VT-UHV-AFM/STM: Variable-temperature, ultra-high-vacuum, atomic force microscope/scanning tunneling microscope (Omicron VT-AFM XA). Measurement modes include contact and non-contact AFM, magnetic force microscopy (MFM), and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (I/V, dI/dV, I/z, etc.). 40-400 K temperature range (tip always at room temperature); Nanonis electronics controller; load lock; preparation chamber; basic surface analysis tools. Preparation tools include resistive sample heating (<1100 K), direct current heating, e-beam heating (>2300 K), sputter ion etching (SPECS.de, IQE 11/35), gas dosing, and e-beam evaporation (Omicron EFM 3); analysis chamber with combined four-grid LEED/Auger optics (Omicron Spectaleed).
• X-ray diffractometer (Bruker D8 Discover, point detector, VÅNTEC-1 linear detector; Bragg-Brentano powder, Grazing incidence, high-resolution four-circle, reciprocal space mapping, reflectivity, rocking curves)

Nanobio Interfaces

Synthesis

• Centrifuges (Beckman Coulter Optima L-100 XP Ultracentrifuge and Avanti J-E Centrifuge)
• Biological safety cabinets [Labconco Purifier Delta Series (Class II, B2)]
• Functionalization
• Glovebox (MBraun LabMaster 130)
• Polymerase chain reaction (future)
• Peptide synthesis (CSBio CS136XT)
• Post-self-assembly processing (dip-coating, external field, spin-coating, ultrasound)
• Schlenk lines
• Solvent purification (MBraun Auto SPS)
• Surface modification of nanoparticles
• Synthesis of metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, and quantum dots

Characterization

• Field-emission scanning electron microscope (JEOL JSM7500F)
• Electron paramagnetic resonance-spectroscopy
• High-performance liquid chromatography (LabAlliance)
• Laser scanning confocal microscope (Zeiss LSM 510 Meta)

Nanofabrication and Devices

Lithography

• 100-kV electron-beam lithography (JEOL 9300 FS)
• 30-kV electron-beam lithography (Raith 150)
• Focused ion beam/scanning electronc microscopy (FEI Nova 600 NanoLab Dual Beam)
• Step-and-repeat nanoimprint (Nanonex NX-3000)
• Optical mask aligner (Karl Suss MA6)

Resist Processing

• Spin coaters
• Hot plates
• Bake oven
• HMDS priming oven

Plasma Processing

• Inductive coupled plasma reactive ion etching chlorine chamber (Cl₂, SF₆, BCl₃, HBr, CHF₃, CO, O₂, Ar) (Oxford Instruments Plasmalab 100)
• Reactive ion etching fluorine chamber (SF₆, CF₄, CH₄, CHF₃, HCFC-124, H₂, O₂, Ar) (Oxford Instruments Plasmalab 100 )
• Table-top reactive ion etching chlorine chamber (Cl₂, CH₄, H₂, O₂, Ar) (March Plasma)
• Table-top reactive ion etching fluorine chamber (SF₆, CF₄, H₂, O₂, Ar) (March Plasma)
• Table-top reactive ion etcher (CF, SF₆, Ar, O₂) (Plasma Sciences 600)
• Barrel asher system (Ar, N₂, O₂) (PlasmaTherm)

Wet Processing

• Wafer rinse dryer tool (2-, 4-, and 6-inch)
• Electroforming (Au, Cu, Ni, Pt)
• Silicon anisotropic etching, membrane fabrication
• Wet etching
• Potentiostat

Metrology

• Optical microscope (Olympus MX-61)
• Three-dimensional surface profilometer (Veeco Dektak 8)
• Profilometer (Tencor Alpha Step 500)
• Reflectometer (Filmetrics)
• Scanning vibrating electrode (Princeton)
• Far-ultraviolet – near-infrared spectroscopic ellipsometer (Horiba Jobin Yvon UVISEL)
• Scanning probe microscope (PSIA XE-HDD with 6-inch wafer stage)
  • Contact and non-contact modes
  • Scanning thermal microscopy
  • Magnetic force microscopy

Deposition

• PECVD nanocrystalline diamond deposition (Lambda)

Nanophotonics

• Apertured and apertureless near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM)
• Laser excitation: 400-900 nm
• Pulse width: CW, 3 ps, 125 fs
• Confocal Raman Microscope
  • Raman and fluorescence imaging and mapping
  • Laser excitation: 325, 442, 514, 633 nm
  • Temperature-controlled stage (77-875K)
• Time-correlated photon-counting fluorescence detection with 10-ps time resolution
• NSOM fiber puller
• Nanophotonics Nanoparticle Synthesis Laboratory
• Size-selected clusters and cluster-based nanomaterials for nanophotonics
• Photocatalytic size-selected metal and composite clusters and cluster-based nanostructures
• Ultrafast pump-probe/time-correlated single photon counting
• Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy

Theory and Modeling

• Access to computational nanoscience codes
  • Density-functional-based tight-binding electronic structure package
  • MPI-based parallel versions of the nanophotonics and tight-binding codes
  • Time-domain nanophotonics simulation package
  • Web-based magneto-optic simulation package

Support

• Facilitation of access to Argonne computer facilities
• Support for experimental projects
• Support for theoretical projects

X-Ray Microscopy

Hard X-Ray Nanoprobe

• Full field transmission microscopy (8-12 keV)
  • Two-dimensional imaging in absorption contrast and phase contrast (Zernicke)
  • Tomography
• Scanning probe microscopy (8-12 keV)
  • Differential phase contrast imaging (not available at this time)
  • Magnetic imaging (not available at this time)
  • Nanodiffraction
  • Time-resolved experiments (available September 2009)
  • X-ray fluorescence microscopy
• Combined full-field/scanning probe