Mckittrick group

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering Program

Photoluminescence (PL)

 

Comprised of  two Jobin-Yvon Triax 180 monochromators, and a 450W xenon lamp as an excitation source with spectral output ranging from short UV to infra-red.

 

Both CL and PL share room temperature CCD detection system.

Radiofrequency (RF) Sputtering

 

Capable of depositing luminescent oxide and nitride thin films from corresponding powder source using DC or RF power.  Sustains vacuum down to 10-3 torr.

Thin Film Fabrication

Facilities & Equipment

Cathodoluminescence (CL)

 

System consists of a series of mechanical, turbo and ion pumps that are capable of bringing down the vacuum chamber down to 10-8 torr.  Operated with Kimball Physics electron gun with a range from 1 — 9 keV.  Used to measure luminescence properties of powders and thin films.  Shown with Minolta CS-100 chroma meter on the front window.

Muffle Furnace

 

 

Furnace is primarily used for performing combustion synthesis experiments, and for heating samples to around 800°C.

Reaction Furnaces

Keith High-Temperature Furnace

 

For annealing samples up to 1700°C in open air. Used primarily for annealing and sintering oxide powders.

Tube Furnace

 

 

For heating and reactions to around 1200°C that require flowing gas atmosphere, such as nitriditation process with ammonia.  Two furnaces are available with 12" and 24" heating zones respectively.

 

Maintained by: Ekaterina Evdokimenko

Last Updated April 3, 2013

Mechanical Testing

Instron® Universal Testing Machine (3342 Single Column Model)

 

Equipped with 500N load cell; used for mechanical testing on soft materials. Test types include tensile, compression, bending, cyclic, and fatigue tests.

Instron® Universal Testing Machine (3367 Dual Column Model)

 

Equipped with 30kN load cell; used for mechanical testing on metals, ceramic, composite, and rigid biological materials. Test types include tensile, compression, bending, cyclic, and fatigue tests.

The lab is equipped to synthesize and analyze ceramic oxide and semiconductor nitride powders, as well as depositing luminescent thin films using radio frequency (R.F.) sputtering. The lab also features a luminescence measurement station, high temperature muffle and annealing furnaces, and a high vacuum (~10-8 torr) room temperature cathodoluminescence (demountable) chamber for measuring luminescent materials with electron energies in the range of 1 — 9 keV.