Facilities & Equipment
Overview
NanoDTC students have access to a wide range of equipment and tools, spread across multiple departments at the University. Some of these facilities are managed directly by the NanoDTC, and are available to both non-NanoDTC University members as well as external users (with an existing departmental host) on a chargeable basis.
University members can explore the available equipment and contact the relevant person listed below for further information or training.
NanoDTC Equipment
Atomic Force Microscope (Asylum/Oxford Instruments, MFP-3D)
Location: Maxwell Lab 0.83
Contact: Xander Peetroons (xprp2); Thomas Williamson (taw55)
Features:
- Standard (Ac/Contact Mode)
- Piezo Force Microscopy
- Magneto Force Microscopy
- Fluid Cell (closed fluid exchanges whilst imaging)
- Electrical Measurements
- Electrostatic Force Microscopy
- Scanning Kelvin Probe
- Conductive AFM (ORCA)
Confocal Inverted Microscope (Olympus FV1200)
Location: Maxwell Lab 0.81
Contact: Sofia Benedetti (sb2670); Andrei Paraschiv (aap69)
Features:
- High resolution, fluorescence imaging, FRAP, FRET, time-lapse, 3D
- imaging, mosaic and multi-point imaging
Fastcam (Photron UX50 on BX51)
Location: Maxwell 0.80
Contact: Dylan Cuskelly (dc820)
Features:
- Triggers before, during or after capture
- Microscope adapter
- Versatile clamp arm
- Strong light
- Macro lens
- Photo-processing software
FT-IR (Perkin-Elmer Frontier)
Location: Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), lab AR-1-002
Contact: Jessica Trevelyan (jet81)
Features: IR spectroscopy of chemicals and nanomaterials (analysis of functional groups on nanoparticles, contaminants, evolution of chemical reactions)
Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZSP
Location: Maxwell Lab 0.80
Contact: Adrian Ho (pth28)
Features:
- Size range maximum diameter 0.3nm to 10 microns
- Molecular weight range 980Da to 2x1E7Da
- Zeta potential range > +/- 500mV
- Mobility range >+/- 20µ.cm/V.s
Gas Sorption (Micromeritics TriFlex)
Location: Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), lab ARG-011
Contact: Ryo Mizuta (rm832)
Features:
High-performance physisorption
Analysis of surface area
Pore size distribution of nanoparticles
MOFS, zeolites, etc.
Raman Microscope (Renishaw inVia)
Location: Maxwell Lab 0.81
Contact: Josiah Riley (jsr70)
Features:
- Excitation sources: 532nm, 633nm (interchangeable)
- Integrated research grade microscope
- Highly automated
- High resolution confocal map scans
- Depth scans
3D printers
Location: Maxwell Lab 0.80
Contacts: James Steele (jmas5); Dylan Cuskelly (dc820); Tolu Agoro (tmna2)
Models
- Creality CR-10 Max
- Ultimaker 3
Further Research Tools
Further research tools are available for NanoDTC students across different departments.
Some of these are available as shared research facilities, while others require approval of the relevant group leader. A full database of major tools and facilities can also be found here: http://www.equipment.admin.cam.ac.uk/
Electron Microscopy Suite
SEM, TEM, FIB, ESEM, Ultra Microtome
Optoelectronics, Nanophotonics & Microelectronics groups
Various device fabrication and Optical measurement tools
Physics of Medicine & Biological and Soft Systems
Optical tweezers, Image analysis, Emulsion PCR, Confocal Microscopy, Microfluidics
Thin Film Magnetism
Scanning Kerr Microscopy, SQUID, Electroluminescence, Quantum conductance
Semiconductor Physics
Clean rooms, Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Electron Beam Lithography
Melville Laboratory
TGA, DSC, GPC, AFM, Spectrascopic ellipsometry, Viscometry FT-IR, Cyclic voltammetry
Chemical Physics Group
Optical/Microcantilever/CNT Sensors, Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy, Microfluidics
Grey Group
NMR, BET, High Temp Ovens, Impedance Spectroscopy, Glove Box, Ball mill, Battery cycler
Nitschke Group
Supramolecular chemical synthesis
Materials Chemistry Group
Raman Spectroscopy, SEM, IR Spectroscopy, TGA, Freeze dryer, HPLC, AFM, Pressure reactor
The Electron Microscopy Group
FEGSEM, FEGTEM, SEM, FIB, Plasma cleaner
The Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride
Cathodoluminesence, AFM, Chemical vapour deposition, TEM, SEM, XRD
The Gordon Laboratory
Cell culture lab, Gas permeability, Plasma electrolytic oxidation, Vacuum plasma spray rig, Nanoindenter
Functional Inorganics and Hybrid Materials
High Temperature Synthesis, Helium Pycnometry, Porosimetry, UV-VIS-IR Fluorescence spectroscopy, Powder XRD
Rolls Royce UTC
High Temperature DSC, Creep testing, Electro-Thermal Mechanical Testing