Carleton Nano Imaging Facility (NIF)
Science Capability
Overview:
The NIF is home to two state-of-the-art Electron Microscopes, a scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope. Using these machines, we are able to image both surface (scanning) and internal structures (transmission) of specimens, and detect their elemental composition.
Centre Capacity:
- SEM: Minimum resolution is 3nm at 30kv and high vacuum mode, magnification ranges from 3x to 500,000x
- TEM: Minimum point/line resolution is24nm/0.144nm at 200kv, with a maximum magnification of 1,050,000x
Personnel:
- Facility manager: Jianqun Wang
- Co-Director: Professor Shelley Hepworth
- Co-Director: Professor Sean Barry
Industrial Application
Focus:
Electronics, High Tech, Manufacturing, Aerospace, Automobile, Petroleum, Mining, Forestry, Medical, Chemical/Biochemical, Food, Environmental Protection, Sustainable/Renewable Energy, Forensics
Project Examples:
Visualization of blade fatigue structures of aero-craft turbo engines, high-resolution imaging of pollutant particles of soil, integrated-circuitry failure identification, drug delivering capsule imaging under simulated human-body environment, alloy and ceramic elemental quantification for both automobile and aerospace industries, elemental mapping of geological specimens for mining purposes, pollutant identification of tailing ponds
Engagement types and co-funding
- R&D partnerships (up to 80% cash contributions available)
- contract research and consulting
- for-fee tool use
- Industrial-partnered student internships (50% cash contributions available)
Point of Contact:
- Jeff Smirle – Business Manager – Faculty of Science; 613-875-1355
- Website