The Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental Center (NUANCE) was established during 2001-02 to integrate complementary analytical instruments and characterization capabilities at Northwestern University. NUANCE serves NU and the broader scientific and engineering community, and provides invaluable resources to the private sector and public institutions in and around the Midwest. An operationally and fiscally efficient solution to the increasing need for advanced analytical and characterization instrumentation, NUANCE leverages staff technical expertise to assist and collaborate with researchers in the physical sciences, engineering, and interdisciplinary fields. NUANCE integrates three complementary instrumentation facilities: EPIC, Keck-II, and SPID under a unified management umbrella. These three facilities are a unique, centralized and comprehensive resource for the NU community and beyond. NUANCE retains the individual identity of the three facilities, but their integration with unified operations promotes synergy among instruments, staff, training, service, technical expertise and new cross-disciplinary initiatives. Our mission is to provide and continually update state-of-the-art and core analytical characterization instrumentation resources, with 24/7 open access, for the NU community and beyond. The word resource includes not only mere instrumentation and access, but also hands-on training, education, research collaboration and outreach. NUANCE aspires to be a pro-active and integral part of all scholarly activities related to characterization at and beyond NU.
NUANCE actively participates in societal and global outreach, innovative course and curricula development, and hands on laboratory access for students, researchers, staff and faculty. NUANCE serves as an anchor for NU global programs and contributes to international collaborations through the exchange of researchers and students. NUANCE is renowned for developing a welltrained and globally informed workforce in interdisciplinary science and technology. Local teachers, museums, and members of the community are encouraged to join NUANCE through open house visits, demonstrations, and online. EPIC: Electron Probe Instrumentation Center Keck-II: Keck Interdisciplinary Surface Science Center SPID: Scanned Probe Imaging and Development Facility
Formed under the NU Materials Research Center (MRC), the Electron Probe Instrumentation Center (EPIC) houses an array of scanning, transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopes (SEM, TEM and STEM), a comprehensive specimen preparation facility, and a BioCryo Facility for imaging and analysis of biological and soft samples. High Pressure Freezer HPM100 (Leica) FEI Vitrobot Plunge Freezer Leica UC7/FC7 Cryo- Ultramicrotome Hitachi HT-7700 S/TEM Hitachi HD-2300 Dual EDS Cryo STEM Hitachi H-8100 TEM Leica EM ACE 600 JEOL JEM-2100F FasTEM EPIC BIOCRYO, TEM & STEM CAPABILITIES SE-, TE-, and Z-Contrast Imaging Electron Diffraction Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) Bright-Field and Dark-Field Imaging High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM) Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) with Annular Bright-Field, Dark-Field, and High-Angle Annular Dark-Field Detectors Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction (CBED) Simultaneous SEM and STEM Imaging at 200keV TEM and STEM Electron Tomography Cryo (Liquid Nitrogen) S/TEM Imaging In Situ Heating, Fluid-Flow, and Electric Biasing TEM/STEM Gatan Image Filter (GIF) System Energy Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy (EFTEM) Nano Beam Diffraction and Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction (CBED)
Hitachi S3400N-II SEM Hitachi S4800-II cfeg SEM Hitachi SU8030 cfeg SEM LEO Gemini 1525 SEM FEI Quanta 600F ESEM FEI Helios Nanolab 600 Dual Beam EPIC SEM CAPABILITIES X-Ray Microanalysis (EDS) Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) Cathodoluminescence (CL) Electron Beam Lithography Ion Beam Nanofabrication Environmental SEM (ESEM) Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Tomography Ultra-High Resolution Imaging In Situ Nanomanipulation and Probing SE and BSE Imaging STEM Imaging Cryo SEM Imaging Site-Specific Sample Preparation EPIC SAMPLE PREPARATION CAPABILITIES Precise Cutting, Grinding and Polishing Chemical Etching Ion Beam Thinning Spin, Sputter, and Os Coating Metal and Carbon Evaporation High-Pressure Freezing Critical Point and Freeze Drying Cryo Plunging and Transfer System Plasma and UV Cleaning Resin Embedding Cryo Ultramicrotomy
Keck-II was established through the support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. It houses state-of-the-art surface analysis and related instrumentation. High Resolution Stylus Profilometer 3D Optical Microscope Confocal Raman Spectroscopy Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy Spectroscopic Ellipsometer Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF- SIMS) X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS/ESCA) Zetasizer KECK-II CAPABILITIES High Resolution XPS XPS Imaging UPS Depth Profiling ToF-SIMS Spectroscopy, Mapping, Depth Profiling FT-IR ATR PM-IRRAS Surface Profiling Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Confocal Raman Spectroscopy Photoluminescence Zeta Potential and Particle Size
The Scanned Probe Imaging and Development (SPID) Facility was established under the leadership of the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), primarily through funding support from the State of Illinois. SPID provides state-of-the-art soft lithographic patterning, atomic and molecular quantitative imaging and analysis capabilities. HORIBA LabRAM HR Evolution Confocal RAMAN System Bruker BioScope Catalyst Hysitron 950 Triboindenter Bruker Dimension ICON PT System Bruker Dimension FastScan AFM SPID CAPABILITIES Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy Fluorescent and Collection Mode Imaging Multiplexed Biomaterials Nanopatterining Low and High Temperature Capabilities Dynamic Modulus and Quantitative Current Mapping Fastscan and Electrochemical AFM Peak Fore TUNA and Conducting AFM Nanoman Aqueous Ambient, Viscoelastic, Quantitative Nanomechnical, Life Science, Phase Contrast, Piezoresponse, and Brightfield and Darkfield Imaging Combined Optical, Fluorescent and AFM Imaging Scratch Testing Nano-Indentation of Soft and Hard Materials High Speed Imaging
Technical Inquiries: Prof. Vinayak P. Dravid Director, NUANCE Center v-dravid@northwestern.edu 847.467.1363 Financial Operations: Outreach and Education: Chad Goeser Raymond Bailey Financial Administrator, NUANCE Center Outreach Coordinator, NUANCE Center nuance@northwestern.edu rgb@northwestern.edu 847.467.2318 847.467.3144 www.nuance.northwestern.edu