Material Characterization Platform

Internal users from EPFL as well as academic or non-academic external users are invited to contact Arnaud Magrez for informations about equipment availability and access fees.

The facility is located in PH J0 511

(Contact: Arnaud Magrez and Wen Hua (David) Bi)

PHILIPS X’Pert DIFFRACTOMETER

We use an X’Pert system equipped with a 1D X’Celerator detector, Bragg-Brentano beam optics and parallel beam optics. The high power ceramic X-Ray tube allows for measurements both in line and point focus.

The Reflection-Transmission spinner is combined with a sample changer with one magazine having 15 sample positions (maximum sample dimensions are 46mm diameter and 6.5mm thick).

The diffractometer is equipped with programmable divergence slits (or hybrid monochromator) as incident beam optics.


Rigaku Synergy-I single crystal diffractometer

Booking the Rigaku

MultiWire Laue back-reflection diffractometer

Booking the Laue

 

PANALYTICAL EMPYREAN DIFFRACTOMETER

We use an Empyrean system (Theta-Theta, 240mm) equipped with a PIXcel-1D detector, Bragg-Brentano beam optics (including hybrid monochromator) and parallel beam optics. The high power ceramic X-Ray tube allows for measurements both in line and point focus.

The Reflection-Transmission spinner is combined with a sample changer with a maximum of 3 magazines having 15 sample positions (maximum sample dimensions are 46mm diameter and 6.5mm thick).

The programmable XYZ stage allows sample positioning and mapping (X,Y: range 54mm, minimum step size: 10µm ; Z: range 25mm, minimum step size 1µm). Maximum sample dimensions are 95mm length and width, and 53mm height. Maximum sample mass is 2kg.

The system allows stress and texture analysis using the quarter-circle cradle with Chi, Phi, X, Y, Z motions (Chi-range:-3 to 93deg; Phi-range: 2x 360deg; X-Y- range: 54mm; Z-range: 12mm, max. sample mass: 0.5kg) on which samples with a maximum diameter and height of 80mm and 16mm respectively can be placed.

From top to bottom: i) The reflection transmission spinner with the sample changer. ii) the programmable XYZ stage. iii) Eulerian cradle for stress and texture measurement.

  Booking the XRD Empyrean Diffractometer

Booking the XRD Empyrean 2022 thin film Diffractometer

UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometry

The Cary 500 (Varian) is a high performance UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer with high photometric performances in the 175-3300 nm range. The instrument is a powerful tool for materials characterisation. Thin films, solids, liquids and biomaterials can be measured in transmission and reflection.

Contact: Arnaud Magrez

Booking the Cary 500 Spectrophotometer

Thermo Nicolet Nexus 470 FTIR

This high-resolution spectroscope has a spectral range from 400 to 5000cm-1 with a spectral resolution of about 0.125cm-1.  This instrument allows the measurement of thin films, solids, liquids as well as biomaterials.

Contact: Arnaud Magrez

Booking the Nicolet Spectroscope

Confocal Raman Spectroscope

A state of the art confocal Raman spectroscope will be installed in the laboratory in 2015.

Contact: Arnaud Magrez

Booking the Raman Spectroscope

X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry

The Orbis PC Micro EDXRF analyzer system is equipped with a Rh micro-focus X-ray tube (50kV and 1mA) and X-ray multiple Optic turret with 30um poly-capillary X-Ray optics, 1mm and 2mm collimators. The detector is an Apollo XRF-ML50 Silicon Drift Detector with an energy resolution lower than 135eV at the Mn Kalpha. Limit of detection can be as low as few ppm but it depends on the element, the matrix and the measurement duration. The sample chamber (D: 360 mm, L: 310 mm) is equipped with a high precision XYZ sample stage (travel 100mm x 100mm x 100mm) which allows chemical mapping (with 512×400 pixels) ans line scans (1024pixels).

Contact: Arnaud Magrez

Booking the XRF spectroscope

Complementary Centers for Material Characterization at EPFL

Interdisciplinary Center for Electron Microscopy CIME
High resolution SEM, TEM, STEM – FIB

Molecular and Hybrid Materials Characterization Center MHMC
Gel Permeation Chromatography, Dynamic Light Scattering
Thermogravimetry analysis, Differential scanning calorimetry, Isothermal titration calorimetry
Atomic force microscopy, Ellipsometry
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy

ISIC X-ray
Structure determination from powders and single crystals

ISIC NMR Analysis

ISIC Mass Spectrometry

ISIC Elemental Analysis

Additional characterization techniques are available in the III/V lab of IPHYS as well as at the CMI