Researchers from UK higher education institutions can apply to use equipment at several new services. These services provide free access at point of use to UK academic researchers, including travel and accommodation. There are no closing dates and you can apply at any time.

Summary of Services

University of Bath

Electron Beam Lithography
Advanced electron-beam lithography system (Hitachi S-4300 scanning electron Microscope & Raith ElphyPlus professional lithography attachment) and supporting processes including thin film deposition and wet/dry etching facilities.
Dr Spartaco Landi

Cardiff University

XPS Analysis
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis centre. The Kratos Axis Ultra-DLD system combines x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro XPS and imaging XPS.
Dr Albert Carley

NanoAccess@Cardiff
The NanoAccess@Cardiff project allows free of charge access for UK academics to the following nano fabrication and characterisation equipment at the Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC), Cardiff University:

• Dual-beam FIB/SEM system for ion beam lithography and characterisation.
• Step and Flash® (S-FIL) Nano Imprint Lithography (NIL) system, Imprio® 55.
• Nanometrology equipment (AFM/STM and 3D Interferometric Profiling Microscope).
• Electroforming system for producing Ni masters and parts;
• Thermal nanoreplication equipment (hot embossing and injection moulding).
• Manufacturing of UV and thermal nanoimprinting masters (photolithography, reactive ion etching, laser machining, AFM lithography).

Dr Georgi Lalev

University of Nottingham

Nanotechnology and Nanonscience Centre
Coordinated open-access centre offering a range of techniques for comprehensive materials analysis:

• Dual-beam focussed ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM)
• Field emission gun transmission electron microscopy (FEG-TEM)
• Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM)
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
• Time-of-flight secondary ionisation mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS)
• Electron probe microanalysis

Dr Peter Milligan

University of Oxford

Materials HRTEM Facilities
High resolution transmission electron microscopy facilities available from 1 January 2008. Instruments include:

• JEOL 2200FS
• 3000F
• 4000EX(HREM)
• 4000EX-SE

Dr Crispin Hetherington

Queen Mary, University of London

Department of Materials
Environmental scanning electron microscope (SEM) available from February 2008.
Dr Asa Barber or Dr Andy Bushby

University of St Andrews

Electron Microscope Facility
School of Chemistry electron microscope facility:

• Jeol JEM 2011 high resolution transmission electron microscopes (HRTEM)
• Jeol JSM 5600 scanning electron microscope (SEM)

Dr Wuzong Zhou

University College London

Nanotechnology access programme
‘Triple-beam’ focussed ion-beam (FIB) microscope at the London Centre for Nanotechnology.
Dr Paul Warburton

Access to Materials Equipment

The new services were awarded grants by EPSRC as part our activity on improving access to materials research equipment. We have also developed a materials equipment database to help researchers to share their equipment.