Nanoscale Materials Characterization Facility
Instrumentation
Electron Microscopy for High Resolution Imaging
Macro through Atomic-Scale Imaging, Phase and Compositional Analysis
X-ray Instrumentation for Materials Characterization
Determination of bulk and surface elemental composition, chemistry and phase
Optical Spectroscopy & Microscopy
Surface topography, roughness, and porosity analysis; 2-D/3-D videography and imaging; sample preparation/testing equipment
Sample Preparation and Testing Instrumentation
Sample preparation/testing equipment
State-of-the-art materials characterization.....
The Nanoscale Materials Characterization Facility (NMCF) staff provide analytical services and solutions to academia and industry by characterizing materials of all types. Analysis of structure, composition, and defects utilizing X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical imaging, atomic force microscopy, FT-IR & Raman spectroscopies, and electron microscopies (SEM & HR-S/TEM) which may be combined with elemental analysis.
More About Us
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Facility Instrumentation Tour
Process solutions, defect analysis, and materials characterization solutions for academia and industry. Introduction to the Nanoscale Materials Characterization Facility instruments and capabilities.
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Deciding on the right analytical technique
Need assistance selecting the appropriate materials characterization method?
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NMCF Recent Publications
"Polymer Binder Blends Stabilize Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution by Heterogenized Molecular Phen-Based Cobalt Electrocatalysts through Coordination and Environmental Control," E. K. Johnson, D. P. Musikanth, C. K. Webber, T. B. Gunnoe, S. Zhang, & C. W. Machan, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 12, 10459–10465 (2025) - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.4c18295
“Conductive filament formation in the failure of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 ferroelectric capacitors,” M. Webb, T. Chiang, M. K. Lenox, J. Gray, T. Ma, J. F. Ihlefeld and J. T. Heron, APL Materials 13 (1), 011114 (2025) - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0248765
"Factors governing passivation behavior of Fe-Cr-Al-Ti alloys in sulfate containing acidified solutions: Uncovering the many roles of Ti." Sur, D., Inman, S. B., Anderson, K. L., Smith, N. C., Barbieri, M. S., Qi, J., Wolverton, C. M., & Scully, J. R., Materialia, 39, 102370 (2025) - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102370
NMCF Location.....
The NMCF is located within UVA's Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Department in Wilsdorf & Jesser Halls. Instrumentation for materials characterization is available for use by qualified faculty and students at UVA, as well as by researchers from industry and academic / government institutions.
Statistics
>130 Monthly NMCF Users
5 NMCF Staff Members
330+ Publications
17 Major Analytical Instruments
Questions? Comments?
Arthur W. Lichtenberger
Dr. Lichtenberger is a Research Professor at UVA and the NRAO Director of the UVA Microfabrication Laboratories. He has built an internationally recognized research program in superconducting materials, devices, circuits and packaging for ultra-sensitive single pixel and and array THz detectors.