Materials Characterization Lab

Molecular Instrumentation Center (MIC)

(A) SEM image of a sectioned W11B12 ingot in backscattered electron (compositional) mode indicating compositional uniformity of WB4.2 (bright) grains. (B) Backscattered electron SEM image of a fractured ingot of an arc-melted sample in the ratio W:B of 1:12. Light regions are the tungsten-containing phase.

Overview

The Materials Characterization lab offers thermal, optical, microscopic, electrical and magnetic characterization of materials and elemental analysis of surfaces via a wide range of instruments including spectrophotometers, optical and electron microscopes, a SQUID magnetometer, and an X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrometer among many other characterization tools.

Leadership

Contact

Email: matatu@g.ucla.edu

Website: Materials Characterization lab

Instrumentation

  • XPS with UPS
  • MPMS3 with AC, Oven and Ultra Low fields (DC and VSM measurement modes)
  • Zeiss Optical Microscope (reflectance optics, CCD camera)
  • GPC with MALS and dRI detectors
  • Spin Coater
  • TGA
  • DSC
  • Contact Angle Goniometer
  • Fluorimeter with integrating sphere (for quantum yield) and time-resolved capabilities
  • Dynamic Light Scattering with Z-Potential
  • Sputterer (Au, Al, Pt)
  • UV/Vis/NIR Spectrometer (transmission, specular reflectance)
  • FTIR Spectrometer and Microscope with ATR capabilities
  • Polarimeter
  • Tube Furnaces with multi-step temperature controllers.
  • Small instruments: Vacuum Oven, Centrifuge, Balances, Multimeters, Keithley Source Meter, LCR meter (conductivity/capacitance/impedance of devices and films), Potentiostat / Galvanostat (cyclic voltammetry, anodic stripping voltametry, etc.), Sonicator bath, Probe sonicator, Ocean Optics Fluorimeter, MiniMatcher Color Viewing System, UV Ozone cleaner, Shaker.

Instruments Materials Characterization

Instrument Rates

If your funding is managed in a department other than Chemistry and Biochemistry, please apply for a chemistry recharge account (download application form)

Once you have been given access, the account number that you provide will be charged an access fee every month. The current rate is $30/month/user. Access fees are only charged to a maximum of 5 users per Research Director. This charge is assessed whether or not you use the lab. Thus, you should notify us that youraccess should be removed if you no longer plan to use the lab. Please make sure that your research director is aware of this charge policy.

Additionally, usage of some of the instruments in the Materials lab will be recharged based on the amount of time they are used. The current rates for the recharged instruments are:

SEM

  • UCLA: $50/hour
  • Federally funded External: $90/hour
  • Commercial External: $140/hour

Sputterer

  • UCLA: $22/hour
  • Federally funded External: $40/hour
  • Commercial External: $60/hour

AFM

  • UCLA: $10/hour
  • Federally funded External: $20/hour
  • Commercial External: $40/hour

TGA & DSC

  • UCLA: $15/hour
  • Federally funded External: $30/hour
  • Commercial External: $50/hour

Light Scattering

  • UCLA: $10/hour
  • Federally funded External: $20/hour
  • Commercial External: $40/hour

Access Fee

  • UCLA: $30/month
  • Federally funded External: $55/month
  • Commercial External: $110/month

XPS

  • UCLA: $245/day
  • Federally funded External: $420/day
  • Commercial External: $620/day

SQUID

  • UCLA: $150/day
  • Federally funded External: $260/day
  • Commercial External: $420/day

Consultation

  • UCLA: $120/hour
  • Federally funded External: $220/hour
  • Commercial External: $380/hour

GPC

  • UCLA: $15/hour
  • Federally funded External: $30/hour
  • Commercial External: $50/hour

User-Run Helium Leak Detector

  • UCLA: $100/day
  • Federally funded External: $180/day
  • Commercial External: $350/day