Techniques

Each page explains what a method measures or makes, how it works, what it cannot do, and which instrument at the MPaCT Lab in Flagstaff, Arizona performs it.

Start here if you already know the method, or if you know you need an electron microscope or a surface-area measurement but not which machine. If you have a sample in hand, start by sample type. If you are choosing between two methods, start with a comparison. If you already know the make and model, use Instruments.

Characterization - what is this material?

Technique	Answers	Instrument
Transmission Electron Microscopy	Internal structure, crystallography, composition below 0.2 nm	JEOL JEM-F200
Scanning Electron Microscopy	Surface morphology and elemental composition to about 1 nm	JEOL JSM-IT710HR
Focused Ion Beam (DualBeam)	Site-specific milling, cross-sections, and TEM lamellae	FEI Quanta 3D FEG DualBeam
Atomic Force Microscopy	Calibrated surface height and roughness in nanometres, 50 × 50 µm	AFM Workshop B-2
Optical Profilometry	Non-contact 3D roughness and step height up to 50 × 50 mm	Keyence VK-X3000
Spectroscopic Ellipsometry	Thin-film thickness and optical constants, without contact	J.A. Woollam RC2
Photoluminescence Spectroscopy	Emission spectra and lifetimes from UV to mid-IR	Edinburgh Instruments FLS1000
X-ray Diffraction	Crystal phase, texture, film thickness by reflectivity	Rigaku SmartLab
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry	Trace composition versus depth	Hiden SIMS Workstation
Gas Sorption and BET	Specific surface area, pore size distribution, pore volume	Microtrac BELSORP MAX X
Sample Degassing	Clean surface before an adsorption measurement	Microtrac BELPREP VAC
On-Wafer Probing	I–V, C–V, RF, and mmWave on wafers up to 200 mm	MPI TS200
Digital Microscopy	Colour inspection and on-screen 2D measurement	Keyence VHX-7000
Wide-Area Coordinate Measurement	GD&T and laser scan of parts too large for a benchtop CMM	Keyence WM-6000
Impedance Analysis	C, L, R, and Z versus frequency, 20 Hz to 120 MHz	Keysight E4990A
Vector Network Analysis	Two-port S-parameters of 50 Ω networks	Keysight E5063A
Cryogenic Electrical and Optical Measurement	Transport and optical access from 3.2 K to 350 K	Montana CryoAdvance 50; Rutherford Titan 10 LN2
Seebeck Coefficient and Resistivity	Thermoelectric S and four-terminal ρ versus temperature	LINSEIS LSR-3
Benchtop Electrical Measurement	DMM, function generator, and 50 MHz oscilloscope	Keithley 2110, Tektronix AFG1022, TBS1052C
Spatial Light Modulation	Phase-only wavefront control, 400–850 nm	Thorlabs EXULUS-HD2HP

Testing and calibration - will it survive, and can I trust the reading?

Technique	Answers	Instrument
Environmental Stress Testing	Whether a device survives temperature and humidity stress	CSZ MicroClimate MCBH-1.2
Pressure Calibration	Whether a pressure instrument reads true, against a primary standard	Fluke Calibration P3114

Fabrication - how do I make this part?

Technique	Answers	Instrument
Fused Deposition Modeling	Building a part additively, including geometry no cutter can reach	Bambu Lab H2D
CNC Machining	Cutting a part from dense stock to a tolerance	Haas Desktop Mill, Haas Desktop Lathe
Laser Micromachining	Structuring, drilling, and cutting electronics substrates with a picosecond laser	LPKF ProtoLaser R4
Photolithography	Transferring a photomask into resist at 0.5–1.0 µm	SUSS MJB4
Nanoimprint Lithography	Replicating a stamp into resist, ~40 nm to >100 µm	NIL Technology CNI v3.0
Die Attach and Wire Bonding	Packaging a die and connecting its pads with gold wire	Tresky T-4909-AE, West-Bond 7700D
Conductive-Ink PCB Printing	Additive 0.2 mm traces on a desktop printer	Voltera V-One
Wafer Scribing	Top-side scoring and cleaving, 5 mm to 300 mm	PELCO FlexScribe 300
TEM Sample Preparation	Disk grind, dimple, and argon mill to electron transparency	Fischione 160, 200, 1051

Automation and control - how is the process run?

Technique	Answers	Instrument
Industrial Automation and PLC Control	How a controller sequences a production line, and why sensors fail before code does	Amatrol 870 line, Smart Robot Workcell

The equipment catalogue lists every tool, with live status and booking.

MPaCT Lab - Building 98E, South Engineering Lab, 561 E Pine Knoll Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: 928-523-2343 · Email: mpct.nano@nau.edu