Nanoscale Research Facility (NRF)
The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering's Nanoscale Research Facility (NRF) support and enhance the research, education, and public service missions of the University of Florida by providing access to characterization and process instrumentation. Expert staff provides the assistance and guidance necessary so that students, faculty, and industry get the most effective and appropriate use of facility resources.Read More >
News & Announcements
Microscopy & Microanalysis 2024 Presentations Posted on Tue, Jul 23, 2024 at 4:50 PM
Correlated Multi-Scale Characterization of Crystals in a Conductive Polymer
Research service facilities are routinely challenged with requests to analyze various materials, including some with unknown components and structures. With a wide range of instrumentation and analytical techniques, information can be obtained with complementary characterization modalities and across different measurement scales.
One case that required this multimodality, multi-scale characterization approach came from a user working on cyclic polyacetylene conductive polymer films. During a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) session, it was noticed that the samples had unexpected micron-scale crystals that needed to be identified. It was important to verify if the crystals were remnants from the catalyst synthesizing the polymer.
Integration of Transformational Capabilities in Research Service Center Facilities
X-ray tomography is a significant component of a unique group of instruments and techniques at the RSC supporting research requiring tomography and 3D imaging x-ray tomography (CT), diffraction contrast tomography (DCT), electron tomography, scanning electron photogrammetry, focused ion beam (FIB) slice and view, plasma FIB slice and view, Raman tomography, and optical profilometry. Incorporating a new imaging and analysis technique into the RSC facilities proved to be a worthy challenge, allowing the support of a new research community, expanding the center's activities, enabling cross-disciplinary research efforts, and expanding the center's visibility.
New State-of-the-Art Instrumentation Posted on Mon, Jan 13, 2020 at 4:58 PM
The Helios G4 Plasma Focused Ion Beam CXe Workstation is a fourth generation, fully digital, Extreme High Resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE SEM) equipped with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) focused ion beam (PFIB).
The Talos F200i S/TEM is a flexible and compact 200 kV FEG Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (S/TEM), which is designed for fast, precise and quantitative characterization of nanomaterials.
The 300 kV Themis Z is a FEG Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (S/TEM) with a high-tension voltage range of 60-300 kV.
The Research Service Centers in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering are the new home to three state-of-the-art, high-resolution electron microscopes.
The microscopes will provide support and enhance the research, education and public service missions of the University of Florida by providing access to characterization and process instrumentation and facilities. With expert staff on hand to provide assistance and guidance, the students, faculty and industry researchers who use these facilities are ensured the most effective and appropriate use of the center's capabilities.
All of the equipment is scheduled to be available for use and training in Spring of 2020. Announcements on utilization, service and training will be sent to the UF research community upon achieving the installation milestones necessary to start accepting users.