Materials Characterization
Within the Materials and Processes Sciences Center at Sandia National Laboratories, an extended group of experts address the many varieties of materials analysis and characterization. Materials characterization specialists regularly and readily team with other Sandia experts to provide cost-effective solutions to materials and processing questions, and to characterize new materials. At their disposal is a large and unique suite of instrumentation and facilities as well as many world-class materials experts upon whom they can call.High-resolution transmission electron micrograph of an SiO2-Si interface.
Capabilities
Sandia maintains a state-of-the-art capability in electron-optical instrumentation, including:
High-resolution transmission electron micrograph of an SiO2-Si interface. - Transmission Electron Diffraction.
Scanning electron micrograph of a dust mite on a silicon micromachine. - Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with low-vacuum capabilities, image analysis, and Electron MicroProbe (EMP).
Vickers hardness indentation test. - A metallographic laboratory with hardness testing.
- X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) with small area stress, phase, and texture analysis.
X-ray area detector image of bulk lead zirconate titanate (PZT). - Vibrational and optical spectroscopies, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy.
- Surface spectroscopy, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning Auger, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS).
- Analytical chemistry, with instrumental and wet-chemistry expertise.
Vesicles of concentric porous silica shells formed by evaporation-induced self-assembly in an aerosol. - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).
Other Major Resources
Sandia maintains a state-of-the-art capability in electron-optical instrumentation, including:
- We invest in technique, detector, and instrumentation research and development.
- We have a unique installation for in-situ analysis for rapid process and materials development.
Recent Accomplishments
Sandia maintains a state-of-the-art capability in electron-optical instrumentation, including:
- We have developed a unique micro x-ray diffraction system for crystallographic phase analysis and determination of stress on small areas to understand part failures and the prediction of component life, even for small feature sizes.
- R&D Magazine's 100 Award for an analytical system for the scanning electron microscope, based on backscattered electron Kikuchi patterns. This powerful materials characterization tool, PHASE ID, allows the unequivocal identification of micron- and submicron- sized phases using a scanning electron microscope.
- Development of unique chemometrics techniques (the application of advanced statistical correlation methods to chemical data). These techniques have greatly enhanced the sensitivity of our analytical tools (by a factor of 10 or more) and allow extracting information that is impossible using standard methods. By applying these chemometric techniques to our analysis tools, we get better elemental, molecular, and imaging data. We continue to develop new tools for data extraction, exploration, and enhancement for materials characterization and analytical chemistry analysis.
These capabilities, when used in an integrated way and coupled with the skills of our scientists, provide analysis and characterization of new or existing materials in such areas as microelectronics, micromachines, direct-fabrication techniques, primary-metals production and application, corrosion, ceramics, and polymers. Such an extensive collection of equipment, highly trained operators, and topical experts cannot be found in the private sector nor at any university.
Other Major Resources
- We invest in technique, detector, and instrumentation research and development.
- We have a unique installation for in-situ analysis for rapid process and materials development.
Recent Accomplishments
- We have developed a unique micro x-ray diffraction system for crystallographic phase analysis and determination of stress on small areas to understand part failures and the prediction of component life, even for small feature sizes.
- R &D Magazine's 100 Award for an analytical system for the scanning electron microscope, based on backscattered electron Kikuchi patterns. This powerful materials characterization tool, PHASE ID, allows the unequivocal identification of micron- and submicron- sized phases using a scanning electron microscope.
- Development of unique chemometrics techniques (the application of advanced statistical correlation methods to chemical data). These techniques have greatly enhanced the sensitivity of our analytical tools (by a factor of 10 or more) and allow extracting information that is impossible using standard methods. By applying these chemometric techniques to our analysis tools, we get better elemental, molecular, and imaging data. We continue to develop new tools for data extraction, exploration, and enhancement for materials characterization and analytical chemistry analysis.
Contacts: Jim Aubert
Access
Those that desire access to the Material Characterization Facilities and Capabilities must submit a proposal. Full cost recovery applies.
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