Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Facilities and Instrumentation


Laboratories

All the labs are located on the first floor of the chemistry department

Main Lab

The first lab belonging to the electrochemistry group. Traditionally for general electrochemistry it has now moved foward to meet the group focus on EC-imaging.

Room: C101

Preparation Lab

The lab is dedicated to solution preparation, micro/nano electrode and capillary fabrication. A part of the lab is allocated for crystal investigation.

Room: C114

Electrochemical Scanning Probe Microscopy Lab

The new EC-SPM lab offers an impressive range of EC imaging setups. This lab is the workshop for the development and testing of the most advanced instrumentations.

Room: C103

Sensors Lab

A collaboration with Element6 gave rise to this new lab, which focuses on the development and application of new electrochemical sensors.

Room: B106

Clean Room

This facility houses a thermal sputterer and evaporator, an e-beam evaporator, mask aligner and Langmuir trough, for device fabrication. It is a 35 m2 class 1000 (ISO 6) with H14 HEPA filtration integrated to class 100000 outer lab via gowning room, with A/C and HEPA automated pressure control. All vacuum pumps, process water, chillers are located outside of the clean room in a service room.

Room: A115

Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Lab

Hot and cold wall, and chemical vapour deposition systems are located here for the growth of single walled carbon nanotubes and graphene.

Room: A115

Confocal Microscopy Lab

Dedicated confocal laser scanning microscopy laboratory comprising Leica and Zeiss systems with separate preparation area. Used for high temporal and spatial resolution complementary characterisation of microscale electrochemical systems, biological and membrane processes.

Room: C103b

Electrochemical Scanning Probe Microscopy

Latest development in EC-SPM technique

Room: C103

Small Range 1

State-of-the-art instrumentation for fast electrochemical imaging. Limited xyz range for high precision positioning.

Equipped with:

Rig custodian: James Edmondson

Small Range 2

State-of-the-art instrumentation for fast electrochemical imaging. Limited xyz range for high precision positioning.

Equipped with:

Rig custodian: Cameron Bentley

Mid Range 1

Mid range xyz positioners for general scanning probe microscopy.

Equipped with:

Rig custodian: Lewis Yule

Environmental

High resolution electrochemical scanning microscope fitted with a controlled environmental cell.

Equipped with:

Rig custodian: Enrico Daviddi

Confocal Scan

Electrochemical scanning microscope mounted on a confocal microscope. This setup is suitable for the investigation of transparent surfaces for high resolution illumination and fluorescent detection.

Equipped with:

Room: C103b

Room: C101

Fluorescence Microscope

High resolution electrochemical scanning microscope mounted on a fluorescent microscope. This setup is suitable where fluorescent illumination is required during the scan, such as for biological samples, or for scan area location.

Equipped with:

Rig custodian: David Perry

Soft Piezo

High resolution electrochemical scanning microscope equipped with long range x and y piezo for larger scan areas. In addition, this setup is equipped with a bender actuator on the z-piezo to allow greater sensitivity in the detection of tip oscillation amplitude damping. Furthermore, the bender applies a much smaller force on the sample. This setup is important for imaging using nanoelectrodes or imaging soft samples. Top and side view video cameras are used for tip positioning.

Equipped with:

Inverted Microscope

Electrochemical scanning microscope mounted on a transmission microscope. This setup is suitable for the investigation of transparent surfaces and lower resolution xyz scans.

Equipped with:

Rig custodian: Bryn Jones

Mid Range 2

Mid range xyz positioners for general scanning probe microscopy.

Equipped with:

Rig custodian: Baoping Chen

AFM/STM

Bruker-Nano Catalsyst

Web site

Room: C 104

Bruker-Nano Enviroscope

Atomic force microscope controlled by a Nanoscope IV electronics, suitable for applications requiring controlled environments and big samples. There is a wide range of imaging modes available, as contact, tapping mode, in situ, torsional mode and STM. Additional options such as temperature and atmospheric control is also possible. The scan range is 50 microns

Web site , Extra info

Room: C102

Bruker-Nano Multimode V

Atomic force microscope controlled by a Nanoscope V electronics, it is an excellent AFM for topographic imaging of small samples. The Multimode has low noise and is capable of scanning up to 100 microns. The standard contact, tapping, torsional mode and STM mode imaging are available. It is also complemented with other accessories that offers other imaging modes, as conducting AFM, EFM and flow cells for in-situ imaging under solution.

Web site, Extra info

Room: C102

Book through Science City

 AFMinnova

AFM Innova

Atomic force microscope suitable for non-experienced users (easy to use). There is a wide range of imaging modes available such as, contact, tapping mode, in situ and STM. Ideal for large samples. The scan range is 100 microns.

Web site

Room: C102

Confocal Microscopy

Leica TCS SP5-X confocal microscope

with upright and inverted microscope stands. Equipped with a tunable white light laser (470 - 670 nm), Argon ion laser with emission at 458, 476, 488, 496 and 514 nm, diode laser at 405 nm and 5 detection channels. Scanning speeds up to 16kHz (bidirectional) with resonance scanner. Multiple fluorescent and other widefield complementary modes. With integrated electrochemical scanned probe system. Suitable for combined scanning experiments and high temporal resolution experiments.

Web site , Useful Info and manuals

Room: C103b

Book through Science City

Zeiss LSM 510 confocal microscope

on upright microscope stand equipped with an Argon laser with emission at 458, 477, 488 and 514, and a Helium Neon laser at 543 nm. Suitable for standard dyes and confocal imaging.

Web site

Room: C103b

Crystals

Leica DM4000M upright microscope

Configured for transmitted and reflected light, including brightfield, darkfield and differential interference contrasting modes. Full computer control. Suitable for time-lapse (video) capture and high-resolution optical images.

Leica Light Microscopes

Room: C114

AXIOVERT 40 MAT inverted microscope

Configured for reflected light, Axiovert 40 MAT with 4-position brightfield, darkfield, DIC, fluorescence. Suitable for time-lapse (video) capture and high-resolution optical images.

Zeiss Microscopes

Room: C114

Electrochemistry workstations

General Electrochemistry

A number of electrochemistry potentiostats, electrodes and workstations are available in the group for booking:

Potentiostats

Electrodes


CH Instruments

  • Model 400B Time-Resolved Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM)
  • Model 600D Electrochemical Analyzer/Workstation
  • 5x Model 700D Bipotentiostat
  • Model 800C Electrochemical Detector
  • 2x Model 1000B Multi-Potentiostat
  • Model 1100B Power Potentiostat/Galvanostat

IVIUM Technologies

3x COMPACTSTAT Portable Potentiostats/Bipotentiostats & Impedance Analyser.

Including

  • Peripheral Port Expander (PPE) with 32 banana sockets for easy connection to the various analog and digital inputs & outputs
  • Peripheral Differential Amplifier (PDA) module that allows the simultaneous recording of differential bipolar high-ohmic external voltages, such as reference or pH meters
  • Multi-potentiostat module (MultiWE32) that controls up to 32 WE's simultaneously vs. 1 CE and 1 RE designed especially for applications with low power/current requirements

Modules

PalmSense

PalmSens handheld potentiostat / galvanostat

EC-FIA 1 Rig

General electrochemistry workstation equipped with a flow injection analysis system and an IVIUM CompactStat Bipotentiostat

Room: B106

Heavy Metal Rig

Workstation for heavy metal analysis equipped with a Model 1100B Potentiostat/Galvanostat

Room: B106

Heating Rig

Workstation for high temperature electrochemical studies equipped with a light source and IVIUM CompactStat potentiostat & impedance analyser

Room: B106

Modulated Speed Rotator (MSR)

Intended for use with Rotating Disk Electrodes (RDE), Rotating Ring-Disk Electrodes (RRDE), and Rotating Cylinder Electrodes (RCE) for the study of homogeneous and heterogeneous kinetics, catalysis, and reaction mechanisms.

Web site

Room: C114

Electrochemical QCM

For electro-deposition studies, adsorption effects, crystal growth investigations, and chemical and molecular layer kinetics.

Room: C114

Substrate Preparation

CVD

Thermo Lindberg Blue Tube Furnace

This tube furnace is employed for carbon nanotube and graphene growth. The entire CVD system consists in a different high pressure cylinders connected to a network of pipelines that allow the introduction of the specific mixture of gases into the quartz tube of the tube furnace. All gas mixures are precisely controlled by mass flow controllers (MKS)

Web site

Room: A115

Book

Plasma Asher

EMITECH K1050X

Plasma Treatment Unit consists of a solid state RF generator and associated tuning circuits, for a wide range of plasma etching, plasma ashing and plasma cleaning applications. This usually employs an oxygen/argon mix of gases, through a dual process gas flow monitoring needle valve control.

Web site

Room: A115


Annealing ovens

Room: A115

Book

Sputterer/Evaporator

Moorfields MiniLab 060 Platform

Sputterer with two flexi-hood mangetron sources for targets of 2" and 3", controlled with quartz crystal microbalance for precise process control. The thermal evaporation system consists in 4 boat source, up to 100 A manual control, and quartz crystal monitoring. A turbo pumping with PLC system control keeps the thin film chamber at very high vacuum. A wide range of metal targets are available.

Book and Job Submission

Room: A115 - Clean Room

E-beam evaporator

Moorfield MiniLab 080 platform

Electron beam thermal evaporator, equipped with a quartz crystal for thin film process control, suitable for metals of high melting points. Sample can be heated up to 350'C. Turbo pumping system with PLC system control.

Web site, Manual

Room: A115 - Clean Room

Book

Langmuir Trough

Nima

Langmuir/Schaefer monolayer or film deposition is extensively use to functionalise electrode material.

Web site

Room: A115 - Clean Room

Book

Mask aligner

SÜSS Microtec AG, Model MJB4

Photolithography with UV lamp, equipped with a reliable high precision alignment and high resolution printing capability in the submicron range. Suitable for processing of small substrates and pieces up to 100 mm.

Web site, Extra information

Room: A115 - Clean Room

Book

External Facilities

SEM

ZEISS SUPRA 55-VP

Installed in the summer of 2004 is the latest high resolution FEGSEM for the analysis of materials and semiconductors, and with the variable pressure option the ability to look at beam sensitve and non-conducting samples. The microscope also has an EDAX EBSD system for mapping the crystal orientation of materials.

Info

Room: MAS

Book

FIB

JEOL 4500 FIB/SEM

Equipped with two columns; a vertical 30 kV electron column with a LaB6 electron gun, and an inclined 30kV ion column with a Ga+ ion source. The focused ion beam (FIB) allows very precise cutting to be performed, and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) allows the cutting to be viewed and controlled while it is happening. In addition there is a metal deposition system; an organo-metallic gas is introduced through a tiny tube next to the region of interest, and this is broken down by secondary electrons produced by the ion beam or electron beam, giving selective deposition. Finally there is a micromanipulator, which can be attached to objects using selective metal deposition. This allows small objects to be picked up and moved. They can be fixed in place with metal deposition and the connection with the needle cut away - see the TEM prep page for an example.

Web site, Info

Room: MAS

Book

TEM

JEOL2000fx

Transmission Electron Microscope is used for the analysis of materials structure and composition at magnifications of over 750,000 times.

Web site, Info

Room: MAS

Book

Ambient STM

Scanning tunneling microscope controlled by a Nanoscope electronics, is installed in an acustic and vibration isolated chamber and allow imaging at atomic resolution with a 1 micron scan range piezo.

Room: E0.11a

RAMAN

Renishaw inVia Raman

Two Renishaw inVia Raman microscope are available in the Department of Physics, with wavelengths of 325, 442, 514.5, 633 and 785 nm. Surface mapping is possible using an automated sample stage, and samples can be studied at cryogenic temperatures.

Web site, Info

Room: Millburn House

Book

Ellipsometry

Accurion

The Nanofilm imaging spectroscopic ellipsometer can be used to study thin films or microarrays. Properties such as thickness and refractive index can be measured. A lateral resolution of ~2 µm is possible. Wavelengths available from 360 - 1001 nm.

Web site, Tutorials and manuals

Room: C103a

Book

QCM-D

Q-Sense

q-sense QCM-D E4 unit for the study of surface interactions and adhesion, with sensitivity down to 2 ng cm-2. Sensors can be chemically modified and experiments can be run from 15 – 45 ºC. Up to four flow cells can be run in series or parallel configurations; an electrochemical cell is also available.

Web site ,Info

Room: C206

Book

Software, Computers and Audio Visual Equipment

COMSOL/Matlab

COMSOL is a finite element simulation software used to validate and investigate experimental systems within the electrochemistry & interfaces group. The group currently operates versions 4.x and 3.x both independently, and in parallel with Matlab. Matlab is a MathWorks program used for analysis and visualisation of data.

COMSOL
Matlab
Scripts

SPIP

Dedicated and comprehensive image analysis package for all scanned probe techniques (particularly AFM) with complete range of analysis modules available.

Web site

Leica Application Suite

Dedicated image analysis software for Leica Confocal Microscope allowing 3D image reconstruction, video processing and further analysis

Web site

Lab View

Programming workspace for instrumentation

Web site

Scripts

Adobe Illustrator

Software for editing publication quality images. Booking for the fixed illustrator PC.

Laptops

Printer

Printers

  • Diamond Office - N1403 Argus
  • Prep Lab - N1888 Hector

Follow the instructions provided for connecting a new device.

Portable Projector

Useful Information