Surface analysis and Fabrication

Infrastructures
Research areas
  • Physical Sciences
Contact

Desiré di Silvio ddisilvio@cicbiomagune.es (+34 9430 005 337).

Available for external users?
Yes
Access protocol

Contact with Platform Manager, by email external.services@cicbiomagune.es or check the services here.

Description

The Surface Analysis and Fabrication Platform offers XPS measurements using a SPECS SAGE HR 100 system equipped with a 100 mm mean radius PHOIBOS analyzer, surface and morphological analysis using an AFM Multimode V and thin film deposition using an ATC 1800 UHV reactive magnetron sputtering system and an Edwards Auto 500 thermal evaporator/sputter coater. In addition to XPS and AFM measurements and thin films deposition, the Surface Analysis and Fabrication Platform also offers the possibility of review and discuss the specific requirements of the user improving and optimizing the processes and offering data interpretation. The potential users of the Platform are: research groups at CIC biomaGUNE, companies or centers associated with the CIC network and any other public or private external user.

Services

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis, ESCA)

A SPECS SAGE HR 100 system equipped with a 100 mm mean radius PHOIBOS analyzer is used to determine quantitative atomic composition and chemistry from the surface to a depth of approximately 5-10 nm. XPS uses a X ray source (Alkα or MgKα) to ionize electrons from the surface of a sample. The binding energy of these electrons are measured and are characteristic of the elements and associated chemical bonds (chemical state) of the detected elements, distinguishing for example between Ti+4 and Ti+3 in Ti O thin films, or Au+1 and Au0 in gold nanoparticles. For analysis beyond the top surface an inert gas ion gun (normally with Ar+) can be used to sputter off the top surface layers. Combining Ar+ ion source sputtering, it can produce high quality depth profiles with excellent depth resolution, quantifying elements as function of depth.

ATC 1800 UHV Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

The sputtering system is equipped with DC and RF tilting magnetron sources for sputtering conducting and insulating materials. The substrate holder can be heated up to 800ºC and the ion energy in plasma can be controlled by means of a RF bias source to obtain high quality thin films, with high uniformity, dense and homogeneous for custom manufacturing and advanced applications. The system has three magnetron sputtering sources which combined with reactive sputtering allows the deposition of multiple thin film layers (multilayers) and nanocomposite structures. Films can be sputtered over substrates up to 90 mm in diameter and from 1 nm to several microns thick. Typical deposition materials include, but are not limited to: • Metals: Gold, Silver, Titanium, Chrome, Aluminum, Zinc, Niobium, Silicon, carbon. • Oxides: Titanium oxide, Chromium oxide, Aluminum oxide, Zinc oxide, Niobium oxide, Silicon oxide. • Carbides: Titanium carbide, Chromium carbide, Aluminum carbide, Niobium carbide, Silicon carbide. • Nitrides: Titanium nitride, Chromium nitride, Aluminum nitride, Niobium nitride, Silicon nitride...

Edwards Auto 500

The system is optimized for the analytical and crystalline grade thin film surface preparations. It features possibilities for metal film deposition by thermal evaporation and by (reactive) DC and RF magnetron sputtering. Up to two of the three thermal sources can be operated simultaneously in the high vacuum, or up to two sputtering sources (DC and RF) and a Glow Discharge Bar can be operated simultaneously in the low vacuum. To support the latter low vacuum techniques, two process gases can be supplied via a computerized gas mixing controller. The sample stage can be heated to up to about 500ºC. In our standard setup, the thermal film depositions at high vacuum can be monitored and controlled by an internal QCM. User requested modifications can be addressed.

AFM Multimode V

The Multimode V AFM from Bruker (formerly Veeco) is used to determine morphological aspects, roughness, grain size, etc, from the surface of samples (films, polymers, cells, proteins, etc) from the micro- to the nano-level scale. Our Multimode V allows us to measure samples in air or liquids and is equipped with temperature control accessories to heating and cooling the samples. The liquid cell allows us to study interactions in situ for example of proteins with a specific surface.

Location

CIC biomaGUNE Parque tecnológico de Gipuzkoa Ed. Pº Miramón 182, 20014, San Sebastián