Skip to content Skip to navigation

Materials Characterization Lab

Crystallography
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy
Focused Ion Beam
Magnetic Characterization
Powder Synthesis and Characterization
Scanning Probe Microscopy
Spectroscopy
Surface Preparation / Characterization
Thermal / Mechanical Analysis
X-ray Diffraction

The Materials Characterization Lab (MCL) is a fully-staffed, user research facility at Penn State’s Materials Research Institute that offers researchers convenient and affordable access to a wide-range of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation and services.

Instrumentation: 
  1. AES-Physical Electronics 670; 50nm spatial resolution; in situ fracture stage
  2. AFM-Bruker Dimension Icon; contact mode, tapping mode, peakforce tapping, PFQNM, MFM, PRM, EFM, PFKPFM, and SCM
  3. AFM-Dimension 3100; contact mode, tapping mode, and phase imaging
  4. Electrical Characterization-Impedance/Current/Resistance Measuremnets, PE and Strain, Breakdown, Poling Samples
  5. ESEM-FEI Quanta 200 Environmental SEM; 10nm Resolution, BSE, EDS, and Temperature Control
  6. FESEM-FEI NanoSEM 630; 1.7nm Resolution, BSE, EDS, Beam Deceleration
  7. FIB-FEI Quanta 200 3D FIB; 3.5nm SEM Resolution, 10nm Ga+ Beam, Pt GIS, and Selective Carbon Etch GIS
  8. FIB-FEI Helios NanoLab 660; DualBeam SEM/FIB Platform-pushing the limits of extreme high resolution characterization in 2D an 3D, nanoprototyping, and sample preparation
  9. FTIR-Bruker Hyperion 3000 Microscope; Transmission, Specular Reflectance, ATR, and Relflection Absoprtion
  10. FTIR-Bruker IFS 66/S and Bruker Vertex V70; Near-IR/Mid-IR/Far-IR, Step Scan, Interchangeable Optical Components
  11. Nanoindentation-Hysitron TriboIndenter TI 900;
  12. Optical Profilometer-ZYGO NewView 7300; Surface Topography, Coating Thickness, Step Height, and 3D Imaging
  13. Particle Sizing-Malvern Mastersizer "S"; Laser Diffraction for Coatings, Ceramics, Cosemetics, Cement, Food, and Clays
  14. Particle Sizing/Zeta Potential-Malvern Zetasizer ZS; Dynamic Light Scattering for Proteins, Polymers, Micelles, Carbohydrates, Nanoparticles, Colloidal Dispersions, and Emulsions
  15. Raman-WITec Confocal Raman
  16. SAXS-Molecular Metrology SAXS
  17. STEM-FEI Titan 3 G2; 0.7A Resolution, EDS, EELS, and EFTEM
  18. STEM-JEOL 2010F; 2.0A Resolution, EDS, and EELS
  19. Surface Area-Gemini 2360 Surface Area Analyer
  20. Surface Area-Micromeritics ASAP 2020
  21. Surface Area-Micromeritics ASAP 2920
  22. TEM-JEOL 2010; 2.3A Resolution, EDS, EELS and EFTEM
  23. TEM-Phillips 420; 3.4A Resolution with EDS
  24. TGA-MS-TGA Q50 with a Pfeiffer Vacuum Mass Spectrometer
  25. UV-VIS-NIR-Perkin-Elmer Lambda 950 UV-VIS NIR Spectrophometer
  26. XPS-Kratos Analytical Axiz Ultra
  27. XRD-Multiwire Laue; Back-Reflection Mode for Single Crystal Applications
  28. XRD-PANalytical Empryean; Reflection Mode for Powder/Bulk Applications
  29. XRD-PANalytical Xpert Pro MPD; Reflection Mode for Powder/Bulk/Thin Film Applications
  30. XRD-Phillips MRD; Reflection Mode for Bulk and Thin Film Applications
  31. XRD-Rigaku DMAX-Rapid II; Reflection or Transmission Mode for Powder/Bulk/Thin Film/Single Crystal Applications
Facility URL: 
https://www.mri.psu.edu/facilities/mcl/
MRFN Facility URL: 
https://mrfn.org/facilities/center-nanoscale-science/materials-characterization-…