New transmission electron microscope in Moos Tower available for training and general access

A new FEI Tecnai Spirit BioTWIN transmission electron microscope has been installed in 18-250 Moos Tower.  The Tecnai Spirit is a 20-120 kV / LaB6 general-purpose instrument that is high resolution, digital, and easy to use.  The optics of the microscope are optimized for high contrast and thus particularly suited to exploring the native state of low-contrast, beam-sensitive biological specimens, or other soft materials like polymers.  The microscope is equipped with a 2k x 2k Eagle CCD camera that provides high resolution, fast read-out speed and large dynamic range.  The Eagle camera is fully embedded in FEI's microscope software, giving one unified user interface.  The Tecnai Spirit is outfitted for cryo-imaging and has integrated low dose software.

To arrange training and analytical work on this instrument, please contact our specialist, Dr. Robert Hafner (, 612-625-3974).  See the instrument overview to find out more.

Microscopic Contact Angle meter is now available for training and general access

The contact angle is the angle at which a liquid/vapor interface meets the solid surface.  The contact angle is a result of the interface/surface tensions (surface free energies) between liquid and solid surrounded by vapor.  Contact angle measurement is a quick and easy way to evaluate the cleanness of a solid surface.  The main application of contact angle study is to assess the wettability of solid surfaces, or the solid/liquid interaction.  Other physical properties such as affinity, adhesion, and repellency may also be derived from the contact angle and surface tension measurements.

The new Contact Angle Meter at Charfac employs the sessile drop method to measure the contact angle.  The most unique capability of this instrument is to conduct contact angle measurements microscopically.  The liquid is dispensed out of a capillary with diameter varying from 5 to 50 um, and a droplet with volume of 1×10^-3 to 10^-5 µL can be accurately produced and deposited on the surfaces.  A high speed camera continuously captures images from the moment the droplet adheres to the surface.  An automated algorithm can be applied to each image to measure the contact angles.

The applications of the microscopic contact angle meter could be in the measurement of gaps between microscopic patterns; measurement of thinner filaments like dingle fibers, hairs, etc; pinpoint measurement in micro-areas like jet nozzles, electronic parts, etc.; observation of wetting properties of micro droplets to study differences from conventionally-sized droplets; and many more.

The microscopic Contact Angle Meter is purchased from Kyowa Interface Science Co from Japan.  It is now located in room 29 of Shepherd labs.  A one-hour training session is now offered on the instrument.  To arrange training and analytical work on this instrument, please contact our specialist, Dr. Bing Luo (, 612-625-1841).  Click here to find out more.

Upcoming new equipment additions (early 2012)

Laue X-ray Diffractometer

A successful grant-in-aid proposal and matching funds from the physics department, the CSE dean, the MRSEC and several investigators have enabled the addition of a new capability to the CharFac.

Bruker SPM upgrades to Nano V Multimode 8 systems with PeakForce tapping and FastScan

A successful grant-in-aid proposal and extensive matching funds from the CSE dean and the MRSEC have enabled upgrades from 2-decade old technology to state-of-the-art.