The University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC), Missouri Institute of Defense and Energy (MIDE), Material Characterization Lab (MCL) provides state-of-the-art instruments for nanometer-scale characterization of material surface chemistry and physical properties.
The specific aim of the MCL are to: perform world-class research; educate students in the relevant scientific and engineering disciplines; promote interdisciplinary group and single-investigator grants to improve the university’s national research competitiveness. To accomplish these goals the MCL facilities are open to all UMKC researchers as well as external researchers.
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) provides 3 dimensional topographic information about a sample by probing its surface structure with a very sharp tip. The tip is scanned laterally across the surface, and the vertical movements of the tip are recorded and used to construct a quantitative 3 dimensional topographic map. The lateral resolution of the image can be as small as the tip radius (typically 5-15 nm), and the vertical resolution can be on the order of angstroms.
The MultiMode 8 performs a full range of SPM techniques for surface characterization of properties like topography, elasticity, friction, adhesion, and electrical and magnetic fields.
System details:
Location: FH274
When IR radiation is passed through a sample, some radiation is absorbed by the sample and some passes through (is transmitted). The resulting signal at the detector is a spectrum representing a molecular ‘fingerprint’ of the sample. The usefulness of infrared spectroscopy arises because different chemical structures (molecules) produce different spectral fingerprints. The Fourier Transform converts the detector output to an interpretable spectrum.
System details:
Location: FH274
Ellipsometry measures the change in polarization of reflected or transmitted light. As such, it is primarily used to look at film thickness, roughness, and optical constants.
With fast measurement speed and push-button operation, the alpha-SE is ideal for qualifying thin films. Single-layer dielectrics on silicon or glass substrates can be measured in seconds. Log results for easy-to-use comparisons in both graphical and tabular formats. Advanced models provide quick and efficient fits for a wide variety of materials you may encounter. Patented technology allows accurate measurements on any substrate: metal, semiconductor, or glass. On transparent substrates, the alpha-SE measures depolarization to correct for light returning from the backside of the substrate. This unwanted light can confuse other ellipsometers, but the alpha-SE ensures accurate optical constants.
System details:
Location: FH274
UV-Vis spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique to determine the optical properties (transmittance, reflectance and absorbance) of liquids and solids. It can be applied to characterize semiconductor materials, coatings, glass and many other research and manufacturing materials. UV-Vis operates in the optical range between 190 nm to 1100 nm.
The HP 8453 includes both a tungsten and a deuterium lamp which collectively cover the range from 190 nm to 1100 nm. The instrument includes a standard 1 cm x 1 cm quartz cuvette holder as well as an eight-cell, multicell transport.
System details:
Location: FH274
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is a surface-sensitive spectroscopy technique which provides valuable quantitative and chemical state information from the material being studied. This technique is based on the Photoelectric Effect. When a material is irradiated with x-rays, photoelectrons are subsequently ejected from atoms in the near surface. The kinetic energy of an emitted photoelectron is equal to the difference between the photon energy, and the binding energy of the electron (K.E. = hν - B.E.). The technique is inherently surface sensitive because the x-ray energy is low (‹1,500 eV). The majority of the signal detected originates from the outer 1-10 nm of a sample. The spectra contain information about the elemental composition, concentrations and chemical environments (i.e. oxidation states) of surface and near surface atoms. The analyses are non-destructive for many, but not all materials.
With fast measurement speed and push-button operation, the alpha-SE is ideal for qualifying thin films. Single-layer dielectrics on silicon or glass substrates can be measured in seconds. Log results for easy-to-use comparisons in both graphical and tabular formats. Advanced models provide quick and efficient fits for a wide variety of materials you may encounter. Patented technology allows accurate measurements on any substrate: metal, semiconductor, or glass. On transparent substrates, the alpha-SE measures depolarization to correct for light returning from the backside of the substrate. This unwanted light can confuse other ellipsometers, but the alpha-SE ensures accurate optical constants.
System details:
Location: FH208
For Information or to request work, contact Michelle Paquette.
Flarsheim Hall, Room 251
5110 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110
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