NanoPicoLab -- CNSI Nano & Pico Characterization Lab
About NanoPicoLab	English (USA)
The NANO & PICO CHARACTERIZATION LAB at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), under the direction of Dr. James K. Gimzewski, provides an unprecedented collection of nano-scale surface analysis instrumentation in a single, multi-user facility. By combining multiple modes of surface analysis, this facility enables thorough investigation of the vast array of physical, chemical and electrical properties necessary for complete study of an experimental system and developing nanotechnologies. The Nano & Pico Characterization Lab provides both state-of-the-art microscopic techniques to visualize surfaces, adsorbates, nanostructures and devices at the atomic and molecular scale as well as a unique opportunity for researchers to gain insight into local properties under a wide range of experimental conditions. An ever increasing demand for knowledge of how matter behaves at the nanoscale and beyond has forced these measurements and methods to the forefront of nanoscience research. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY (SPM) differs from conventional microscopic techniques that use light or beams of charged particles. SPM systems rely upon a unique tactile sensing of the surface using atomically sharp tips that literally "feel" molecules and structures like a blind person reading Braille. The probes used in SPM terminate in tips shrunk down by a factor of approximately 10 million times that of your finger. Scanning Probe Microscopes are also able to probe local properties on the atomic scale such as friction, electrical charge and local magnetism. They can also pull and record the unraveling of single molecule chains such as DNA and polymers. SPM systems operate in a diverse range of environments, including temperatures below 4°K (liquid Helium) up to 1273°K and pressures ranging from the extreme vacuum of space (UHV) all the way to atmospheric and liquid environments (including biofluids and electrolytes). The diversity of operation has enabled SPM techniques to be used regularly to investigate systems such as: single DNA strands, living cells, proteins, bacteria, molecules and atoms. Automated robotic SPM's are used in semiconductor and magnetic disk fabrication as critical metrology and quality control tools. The Nano & Pico Characterization Lab encompasses SPM imaging under all these environmental conditions. It is a cornerstone for developing new nanotechnology products and performing nanoscience research. To see the collection of prior postings to the list, visit the NanoPicoLab Archives. (The current archive is only available to the list members.)
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