Surface Science Laboratory

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Surface Science Lab Staff

Manager

Dr. Paul H. Davis

Micron School of Materials Science & Engineering

• Email:  pauldavis2@boisestate.edu
• Lab Phone: (208) 426-5604
• Surface Science Lab:  MCMR 126
• Office:  MCMR 210H

Student Researchers (Current)

• Ashton Enrriques (Materials Science and Engineering)
• Audrey Parker (Materials Science and Engineering)
• Victor Nguyen (Business and Economic Analytics)
• Fabian Molina (Pre-Engineering, College of Western Idaho)
• Alejandra Almaraz (Materials Science and Engineering)

Student Researchers (Recent Alumni)

• Sophia Mitchell (Materials Science and Engineering)
• Olivia Maryon (Materials Science and Engineering)
• Jesse Schimpf (Materials Science and Engineering)
• Sam Ryan (Bishop Kelly High School/United States Military Academy)

• Kari Livingston Higginbotham (Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering)
• Katie Livingston Yocham (Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering)
• Corey Efaw (Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering)
• Jasen Nielsen (Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering)

Facilities & Equipment

The SSL (MCMR 126) has recently expanded and moved into a 925 ft² lab housed in the new Micron Center for Materials Research (MCMR). Located on a 12″ thick isolated concrete slab, the SSL is specifically engineered to provide a constant temperature, low noise environment for optimal AFM and SEM operation. Currently, the SSL contains a Phenom tabletop SEM and 5 Bruker AFMs with complementary capabilities situated atop either passive or active vibration isolation tables and housed in acoustic dampening enclosures, with the latest addition a Bruker Anasys nanoIR3-s AFM-IR/s-SNOM system that was installed Spring 2021. In addition, a Herzan VA-2 3-axis accelerometer (PDF) is available for characterizing and monitoring the vibrational noise spectrum. More details regarding the SSL’s capabilities can be found in the SSL Brochure (PDF), and a recent quote regarding the SSL’s suite of Bruker AFMs can be found on the Bruker Surface Analysis website alongside testimonials from other high profile Bruker AFM users around the world.

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) or Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) Systems

• Bruker Dimension Icon FastScan Bio SPM with 64 bit Nanoscope V Controller housed in an MBraun controlled atmosphere (<1 ppm oxygen, <1 ppm water) 3-glove Labmaster glovebox.
  • • Interchangeable Icon and FastScan Bio XYZ Closed Loop Scanners
    • Electrochemistry cell with heated sample chuck, CH Instruments 760E bipotentiostat, and Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) capabilities

• 

  Bruker Dimension Icon FastScan Bio SPM with 64 bit Nanoscope V Controller

  • • Interchangeable Icon and FastScan Bio XYZ Closed Loop Scanners
    • 8″ Wafer and Multisample Chucks
    • Dimension Heater/Cooler Accessory
• Bruker MultiMode 8 SPM with Nanoscope V Controller
  • • EVLR Vertical Engage Sealed Piezo Scanner for Fluid Imaging
    • PicoForce Closed Loop Z Scanner for Force Spectroscopy
    • MultiMode Heater/Cooler Accessory
• Bruker Dimension 3100 SPM (formerly Digital Instruments/Veeco) with Nanoscope IV Controller
  • • Hybrid XYZ Closed Loop Scanner
    • 6″ Wafer Sample Chuck
    • DS83 Dimension Heater/Cooler Accessory
• Hysitron TS 75 Triboscope Nanomechanical/Nanoindentation System for use with Dimension 3100 SPM

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Systems

• Phenom Tabletop SEM

AFM/SPM Capabilities

• 

  Topography and Surface Roughness Analysis

  • PeakForce Tapping/Scan Asyst
  • Noncontact Tapping
  • Tapping Mode
  • Contact Mode
• Fluid Imaging
• Electrical Characterization
  • Conductive AFM (CAFM) and Tunneling AFM (TUNA)
  • Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM) and Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) or Surface Potential (SP) Imaging
  • Scanning Capacitance Microscopy (SCM)
• Magnetic Properties Evaluation
  • Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM)
• Nanomechanical Properties Measurement
  • Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping (PeakForce QNM)
  • Force Volume
  • Nanoindentation and Scratching
• Frictional Forces Assessment
  • Lateral Force Microscopy (LFM)
• Nanomanipulation and Nanolithography System (NanoMan)
  • Nanomanipulation (Pushing)
  • Nanolithography (Scratching)