Materials Characterization Core Facility
听
Dalhousie鈥檚 shared research facilities provide essential equipment, services, and expertise that drive research excellence across the university. These "core" facilities are central to Dalhousie鈥檚 mission and depend on sustained, centralized support. In 2020-21, a consultative review led by the Offices of the Vice President of Research and Innovation and Vice President of Finance and Administration identified ways to enhance support for these facilities, leading to the creation of the DalCore program. Funded by Canada鈥檚 Research Support Fund, DalCore promotes the development and sustainability of critical research resources by improving accessibility, streamlining administrative processes, and implementing coordinated, data-driven strategic planning.
In the Summer of 2024, CTRI was approved to join this program and established the Materials Characterization Core Facility (MCCF) to support research excellence at pilipili漫画. MCCF provides Dalhousie researchers with access to a range of instruments for diverse analytical applications organized by technique:
MICROSCOPY
Provides spatial information about materials.
ELECTRON
- Hitachi S-4700 FE Scanning Electron Microscope
Comments:听Magnifications up to approximately 500,000x, secondary and back-scattered electron image formation, X-ray spectra/mapping (EDS, for Z > 5), digital image acquisition, coating units (gold and carbon).
Contact:听Dr. Eric Moreau,听Mechanical Engineering
OPTICAL
- Optical Microscope
Comments:听up to 1000x, bright/dark field, polarized light, interference contrast, Nemarski contrast, oil immersion lenses, Polaroid, 35 mm and digital image acquisition (black and white).
Contact:听Dr. Kevin Plucknett, Mechanical Engineering
- 3D Laser Scanning Microscope 鈥� VK-X1000
Comments:听Non-contact profile, roughness and film thickness measurements, nanometer resolution, material and shape independent鈥攆ully automatic measurement and analysis.
Contact:听Dr. Eric Moreau, Mechanical Engineering
OTHER
- Bruker Bioscope Catalyst Atomic Force Microscope with Horiba Raman Spectrometer
Comments:听100 microns XY scanner; 22 microns Z-range.
Contact:听Dr. Laurent Kreplak, Physics & Atmospheric Science
- Focused ion beam (FIB) microscope
Comments:
Contact:
SPECTROSCOPY/SPECTROMETRY (Also see Chemistry Mass Spectrometry Core Facility)
Measures听the interaction of energy with matter.
- State-of-the-art 213 nm laser ablation system coupled to a Thermo iCAP Q quadrupole mass spectrometer
Comments: Microsampling capability using laser spot sizes of 25-150 microns; analytical sensitivity for a wider variety of elements into the ppb range; selection of matrix-matched sulfide and silicate standards, User-friendly data reduction using Iolite software.
Contact: Laser Ablation ICP鈥慚S Lab
RAMAN
- Nicolet NXR 9650 FT-Raman spectrometer
Comment:听Nd: YVO4听1064 nm laser; spectral range: 4000 cm-1听to 50 cm-1;听variable temperature cell (-150 to 150 掳C);听depolarization accessory.
Contact:听Mike Johnson
X-RAY
- VG Microtech MultiLab ESCA 2000 X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS)
Contact:听Andrew George, Physics and Atmospheric Science
- VersaProbe III PHI Scanning X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer
Comments: Monochromatic, micro-focused, scanning X-ray source with cluster ion gun for depth profiling of soft materials.
Contact:听Andrew George, Physics and Atmospheric Science
DIFFRACTION/SCATTERING
Uses interference or elastic interaction of energy with matter.
- Siemens D500 Powder X-ray Diffractometer
Comments:听structural analysis of powdered samples (4K to room temperature).
Contact:听Andy George, Physics & Atmospheric Science
THERMAL ANALYSIS
Uses heat energy to examine phase changes or decomposition in a sample.
- TA Instrument Q200听Differential Scanning Calorimeter
Comments:听Temperature range of -170藲C to 500藲C
Contact:听Mike Johnson
- Netzsch LFA 427 High-Temperature Laser Flash Thermal Diffusivity Apparatus
Contact:听Dr.听Stephen Corbin,听Mechanical Engineering
- Netzsch 404 F1 Pegasus Differential Scanning Calorimeter
Comments: Pt furnace (RT to 1500掳C), Turbomolecular vacuum pump + high purity inert gasses
Contact:听Dr. Eric Moreau, Mechanical Engineering
- Netzsch STA 449 F1 Simultaneous Thermal Analyser (Differential Scanning Calorimetry + Thermogravimetric Analysis) with GCMS
Features: SiC furnace RT to 1550 C and Silver furnace -120 to 675 C. In-line Agilent technologies 7820A gas chromatography + 5975 mass spectrometer for evolved gas analysis.
Contact:听Dr. Eric Moreau, Mechanical Engineering
听