News

Webinar on Advanced Battery Research

Battery research has rapidly grown in both scale and importance over the past decade. Join expert speakers who will be covering the latest research into optimizing existing energy storage solutions, developing novel technologies and deploying them in the real-world to meet our present and future energy demands.

Registration for the webinar can be found Advances in Battery Research 2024 Symposium | Technology Networks

If you find these links for webinars helpful, please contact David Tavakoli (atavakoli6 @ gatech.edu)

New Image Contest Is Live!

The Materials Characterization Facility hosts a running image contest that resets bimonthly. The current image contests will run through March 31, 2024.  In addition to displaying some of the imaging and analysis capabilities of our labs, it gives our users a chance to display their creative side. Check back here the first week of each month for updates on submission and in June we will announce our annual winners.

Ag (111) surface

To submit your images, please go here!

https://gatech.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1925070

More information on the contest, rules, and how to make submissions can be found below

https://mcf.gatech.edu/news/

Image Contest Rules:

Example of Previous Submissions and Winners.

Crystalmaker Software Suite for 2024!

Capabilities of the crystalmaker software suite

The MCF has purchased the crystalmaker software suite for the GT community. This software suite can model and simulate diffraction data, simulate diffraction patterns, and more. OIT will be updating the software codes for download, but you can also reach out to David Tavakoli (atavakoli6 @ gatech.edu) using a GT email address.

Crystalmaker lets you simulate x-ray, neutron or TEM diffraction patterns from single crystals – and compare with observed data in the same window. SingleCrystal interfaces with CrystalMaker, so as you rotate a crystal structure in CrystalMaker, its simulated diffraction pattern and stereographic projection rotate in SingleCrystal. SingleCrystal features easy measurement and auto-indexing tools, high-resolution graphics and powerful data output. The software runs natively on Apple Silicon as well as older, Intel systems (Universal Binary).

The codes will shortly be able to be downloaded from the OIT website, but can be requested from David Tavakoli (atavakoli6 @ gatech.edu) if mailed from a Georgia Tech email address.

MCF Image Contest

ZrTe5 w/ missing Te dimer at center

The MCF hosts a running image contest that resets bimonthly. The current image contests will run through November 30, 2023.  In addition to displaying some of the imaging and analysis capabilities of our labs, it gives our users a chance to display their creative side. Check back here the first week of each month for updates onsubmission and twice a year – around mid-January and mid-June – to see the semiannual grand prize winners.

To submit an image, you can do so here.

https://gatech.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1917243

If you are an MCF user, then check out the contest rules here and please consider submitting.

Lunch and Learn about new Optical Spectroscopy Instrument


Wednesday June 28th from 1:00 to 2:00 the MCF will co-host a talk by Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp. on their mIRage microscope which uses Optical PhotoThermal IR (O-PTIR) spectroscopy to generate co-located Raman and FTIR maps with sub-micron lateral resolution.

Register using the QR code to reserve a lunch and come by to learn about this new technology.

X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Symposium on January 5th and 6th, 2023

The Materials Characterization Facility (MCF) is pleased to announce that in January, in collaboration with Rigaku, we will be hosting a workshop on X-ray Diffraction. January 5th will feature seminars from researchers and faculty at Georgia Tech and across the southeast including but not limited to Clemson, Emory, Florida State University, and JSNN. January 6th will feature hands on training and application of techniques and showing off the capabilities of the tools and the software.

Registration information will be posted on the MCF (mcf.gatech.edu) website as well on the Rigaku website.

https://events.rigaku.com/symposium-gt-2023/registration

We look forward to seeing you at our workshop in the New Year!

Bruker XRF Webinar December 6th

Bruker Tornado doors open

Bruker will be hosting a webinar on quantitative XRF this coming Tuesday. The MCF will be playing the webinar in the lobby of Characterization Facility in Marcus.

In this webinar, Bruker will present potentials for quantification from simple to complex specimens, from infinitely thick to thin, from ideal to non-ideal samples. The possibilities to optimize the analytical output will be elaborated on using example cases. A discussion on detection limits and develop potential improvements and parameter optimization will also be had.

If you would like to register to watch it at your own concenience, you can sign up for it here.

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) at the MCF

Elemental map of a chip

The MCF is pleased to announce the installation of its latest X-Ray tool, the Bruker Tornado XRay Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. Featuring two sources, two detectors, and an automatic stage with micron-level positioning accuracy; the XRF is capable of measuring elements from C to U with a spot size down to 20um for high resolution elemental mapping of materials and devices.

In addition, advanced software packages: XMethod – for layer thickness calculation and AMICS – for automated mineral determination are available to users for sample analysis. 

More information about the instrument and its capabilities will be updated on its webpage.

The tool is currently available for use and is available for requests for training on SUMS.

If you have questions about its capabilities please contact David Tavakoli: atavakoli6@gatech.edu

New Rigaku Miniflex in the MCF

Demonstrations this Friday, August 12, 3:00-6:00PM

Interior View of Miniflex

The benchtop XRD from Rigaku is now available for use in the MCF and is on SUMS! More information about the instrument can be found here! This Friday, August 12, from 3:00-6:00, David Tavakoli will be demonstrating the capabilities of the newest XRD on campus. If you have samples you would like to try or are curious and want to know more, please make an appointment.