Center for Imaging and Surface Science

The ISS Center enables research and development programs by providing expertise and access to state-of-the-art equipment for electron microscopy, spectroscopy, and other surface characterization measurements.

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ISS provides training of students and postdoctoral researchers in microscope imaging and related technologies, as well as igniting the interest of students in formal courses through demonstrations of microscope applications.

Electron Microscopy

The facility houses one scanning electron microscope and two transmission electron microscopes to provide detailed imaging of surfaces, thin films, and nanostructures. Microstructural crystallographic analysis via electron diffraction and elemental analysis via energy dispersive spectroscopy are available.

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Surface Analysis

Material surfaces can be characterized via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry, ellipsometry, and profilometry. Investigable properties include elemental identities, chemical states, surface roughness, and hydrophilicity.

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Sample
Preparation

Available resources for sample preparation include a gold sputter coater, carbon coater, critical point dryer, plasma cleaner, ultramicrotomes, glass knife breaker, and sample embedding equipment. Most often, these are used in preparation for electron microscopy.

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Need any other analytical services? Make sure to check out our other ARC branches:

ARC-BIO: proteomics-, metabolomics-, ionomics- mass spectrometry, targeted quantitative mass spectrometry

ARC-MMA: chromatography, mass spectrometry, materials analysis (thermal, magnetic, physical properties), NMR, spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scattering