Laboratory of physico-chemical characterization

Research directions and areas of interest

• Research and development of new materials with functional properties for specific applications
•  Advanced methods for characterization of nanomaterials with applications in biotechnology
•  Advanced methods for characterizing multifunctional materials with applications in: sensors, electromagnetic, energy, semiconductor devices, etc.
•  Phenomena investigation at micro and nano scale for applications in micro and optoelectronics
•  Elaboration of methods, methodologies, testing programs for demonstrating / checking the characteristics of different types of composite materials (metallic, ceramic, carbonic etc.)

Services

Study and morpho-structural, physical, mechanical and chemical characterization of materials, using the following advanced techniques:

• – X-ray diffractometry in order to identify the crystalline phases of the solid materials, powders or thin films, with the possibility to determine the unit cell parameters ( e.g. their variation with temperature, network tension or doping) crystallite size, and tracking any changes in the crystal lattice in the temperature range of ‑180°C to 1000°C (in case of materials as thin films);
• -scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which provides viewing and studying of the microscopic structures and surfaces of different materials types (inorganic, organic, conductive or non‑conductive, magnetic, under the compact structure, powder or thin films);
• – atomic force microscopy (AFM) which allows  the 3D analysis of the surfaces topography and measurements of some local physical properties such as: electrical resistance, leakage currents, piezoelectric response, magnetization, elasticity. Also, the morphology and the roughness of inorganic or organic thin films deposited by various methods can be investigated.
• – tunneling electron microscopy (STM) which allows the study of surface properties from the microscopic to atomic level, on conductive or non‑conductive thin films deposited on conductive substrates;
• – High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) which allows the study of network structure and properties for various materials (bulk, thin films, powders)  with crystalline, nano-crystalline or amorphous structure.
• -determination of the Vickers and Knoop micro-hardness, and  Vickers and Brinell hardness for solid, metallic, ceramic, carbonic and polymeric materials;
• – X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) that allow qualitative and quantitative elemental chemical analysis in different ranges of concentrations and types of samples (solid, powder or liquid), depending on the applied technique.

Facilities