Find a method or a sample¶
The MPaCT Lab at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff is a shared-use characterization and fabrication facility. These guides match what you already have - a sample, a method, or a choice - to the instrument in Building 98E that does that work.
You do not need a model name or a booking to start.
Where to start¶
| If you have | Open | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A sample in hand | By sample type | a film, a wafer, a powder, a part, a packaged device |
| A method in mind | Techniques | TEM, XRD, 3D printing, photolithography |
| Two methods and need to choose | Choosing between methods | SEM or AFM? Print it or mill it? Mask or stamp? |
| A machine name | Instruments | Bambu Lab H2D, Haas Desktop Mill |
| A term to look up | Concepts | ladder logic, Seebeck coefficient |
A technique page explains the method: what it measures or makes, what it cannot do, and which machine performs it. An instrument page is the hardware: sizes, speeds, and limits. Most of the lab is documented by method. Instrument pages exist for machines that people look up by make and model.
The equipment catalogue lists every tool, with live status and booking.
The sections¶
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By sample type
Start from the material you already have.
Thin films · Wafers and coupons · Powders and porous solids · Bulk solids · Prototype parts · Devices and packages
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Techniques
What each method measures or makes, how it works, and its limits.
Characterization - TEM · SEM · DualBeam · AFM · Optical profilometry · Ellipsometry · Photoluminescence · XRD · SIMS · On-wafer probing · Digital microscopy · Wide-area CMM · Impedance · VNA · Cryogenics · Seebeck · Benchtop electrical · SLM · Gas sorption and BET · Degassing
Testing and calibration - Environmental stress testing · Pressure calibration
Fabrication and automation - FDM 3D printing · CNC machining · Laser micromachining · Photolithography · Nanoimprint · Die and wire bonding · Conductive-ink PCB · Wafer scribing · TEM sample prep · PLC and automation
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Choosing between methods
Decision tables, then the rule that resolves the trade-off.
TEM vs SEM vs AFM · Inspecting a surface · 3D printing vs CNC · Photolithography vs nanoimprint
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Instruments
Machines people look up by name, with sizes, speeds, and hard limits.
Bambu Lab H2D · Haas Desktop Mill · Haas Desktop Lathe · Amatrol 870 line · Smart Robot Workcell
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Concepts
Terms used in these guides, defined once and grouped by domain.
Microscopy · Thin-film metrology · Microfabrication · Electrical · Packaging · Porosity · Calibration · Additive · Subtractive · Automation
Contact¶
MPaCT Lab - Building 98E, South Engineering Lab
561 E Pine Knoll Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: 928-523-2343 · Email: mpct.nano@nau.edu