Advanced materials characterisation. Support for materials research through leading-edge surface and electron microscopy instrumentation, and full-time scientific staff
OCCAM is Canada’s foremost national resource for comprehensive leading-edge materials analysis. Unique to Canada and rare internationally, this $20M facility is an interdisciplinary research centre built around state-of-the-art electron microscopy and surface characterisation tools (see below). Operating in a collaborative research mode, OCCAM provides not only access to leading-edge SEM, ETEM, FIB, XPS, SIMS, SAM, AFM, and LEIS infrastructure, but also dedicated full-time scientific research staff. Adding to OCCAM’s superior capabilities are the facility’s competencies as Canada’s only fully-equipped characterization institute dedicated to analyzing materials in their native and ‘in-use’ environments. Specialized capabilities include: (1) dynamic characterisation, (2) in-situ characterisation, including complementary techniques developed and integrated to allow for multi-metric characterisation, and (3) highly advanced instrument integration and sample handling/preparation. OCCAM is a nexus of advanced materials research across an incredible array of disciplines and provides a fertile environment for collaborative research.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), (environmental) transmission electron microscopy (E-TEM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), low energy ion scattering (LEIS), scanning Auger microscopy (SAM), focused ion beam microscopy (FIB), ultraviolet and inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS, iPES), atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), profilometry, sample prep. (sectioning, polishing, (cryo) ultramicrotomy, coating)
- Aerospace and satellites
- Agriculture, animal science and food
- Arts and cultural industries
- Automotive
- Chemical industries
- Clean technology
- Construction (including building, civil engineering, specialty trades)
- Consumer durables
- Consumer non-durables
- Defence and security industries
- Energy
- Environmental technologies and related services
- Forestry and forest-based industries
- Information and communication technologies and media
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
- Manufacturing and processing
- Mining, minerals and metals
- Transportation
- Utilities
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Electron microscopy lab | Hitachi HF-3300 300 kV Environmental TEM, Gatan EELS, Bruker EDX, integrated gas-handling system | In-situ TEM/STEM/SEM. Spatially-resolved EELS & EDX. Nano-diffraction. Real-time dynamic characterisation. |
| Hitachi S-3500 Variable-Pressure SEM, Oxford EDX, Oxford EBSD | High-resolution imaging (SE, BSE) and analysis (EDX, EBSD) of insulating and conducting materials. | |
| Hitachi NB5000 Dual Column FIB (Ga ion), Bruker EDX (on consignment from Hitachi High Technologies Canada) | Ion milling for analysis/prep/fabrication. High-resolution imaging (SE, BSE, STEM) and analysis (EDX). Micro-sampling. | |
| Hitachi S-4500 Field Emission SEM, Oxford EDX, Oxford EBSD | High resolution imaging (SE, BSE) and analysis (EDX, EBSD). | |
| Hitachi S-5000 Variable-Pressure Field Emission SEM, Bruker EDX | Analytical FE-SEM. High resolution imaging (SE, BSE) and analysis (EDX). Beam deceleration (low voltage SEM). | |
| Hitachi IM4000 Benchtop Ion Mill (on consignment from Hitachi High Technologies Canada) | Argon ion milling/sputtering for sample sectioning and flat milling. Cryo-capable. | |
| Hitachi TM3030 Benchtop SEM | Compact, portable, and highly automated medium magnification electron imaging (BSE) | |
| Surface Analysis Lab | ION-TOF ToF-SIMS, gas-cluster ion source, integrated glovebox, heating/cooling, vacuum transfer | Elemental/isotopic and molecular surface-specific characterisation. High resolution imaging/profiling. |
| ThermoFisher Scientific K-Alpha™ XPS | Quantitative elemental/chemical state characterisation and mapping. High resolution profiling. Flexible sample handling. | |
| ThermoFisher Scientific ThetaProbe XPS, Integrated Sample Preparation Chamber, vacuum transfer | Parallel angle-resolved XPS. Quantitative elemental/chemical state characterisation and mapping. Sample prep options. | |
| ThermoFisher Scientific ESCALAB™ XPS, UV source, glovebox, gas-cluster/monoatomic ion gun, FE e-gun, vac. transfer | Parallel imaging XPS. Quant. elemental/chemical state characterisation, mapping, profiling, electronic structure study. | |
| ULVAC-Physical Electronic 710 SAM, ion gun + vacuum transfer | High resolution quantitative compositional surface characterisation. Nanometer-scale chemical mapping. Depth profiling. | |
| IONTOF Qtac LEIS, high-temperature/high-pressure sample treatment, atomic oxygen/hydrogen source | Top atomic-layer quantitative atomic compositional characterization. Integrated sample preparation and treatment. | |
| Inverse Photoemission Spectrometer | Characterization of the density of unoccupied electronic states between the Fermi level and the vacuum level. | |
| Anasys Instruments nanoIR2 photothermal infrared AFM | Full-featured AFM (e.g. tapping/contact modes, force curves, etc…). Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy and mapping. | |
| KLA-Tencor P-16+ Stylus Profilometer, low-force and large z-range (1mm) capabilities | 2D/3D topology characterisation (e.g. roughness, step-height, micro-waviness, etc…). | |
| Leica UC6/FC6 Cryo-Ultramicrotome | High precision material sectioning (e.g. thin sample preparation or high-quality cross-section). Cryo-capable (-185C). | |
| Leica EM TXP Targeted Polishing and Sectioning Tool | Cross-sectioning and polishing of samples for analysis, or subsequent preparation (e.g. microtoming). | |
| Thermionics Vacuum Transfer Suitcase | Portable, battery-powered vacuum system for sample transfer amongst analytical and preparation instrumentation. |
Private and public sector research partners
- University of Toronto
- McMaster University
- University of Waterloo
- Western University
- York University
- Ryerson University
- Ontario Institute of Technology
- Queen’s University
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- St. Michael’s Hospital
- The University of British Columbia
- University of Alberta
- University of Calgary
- Laurentian University
- Lakehead University
- State University of New York – Buffalo
- McGill University
- Harvard University
- University du Quebec
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Aston University
- Trent University
- University of Arizona
- New York University
- University of New Brunswick
- Prince of Songkla University
- Shandong Geological Sciences Institute
- University of Lisbon
- Indian Institute of Technology
- Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg
- Aalborg University
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| Developing Materials with New Qualities for Health, Energy and the Environment | http://mse.utoronto.ca/news/developing-materials-with-new-qualities-for-health-energy-the-environment/ |
| Tiny Ribbon Cutting For Large New Facility – The Ontario Centre for Characterisation of Advanced Materials | http://www.chem-eng.utoronto.ca/news/tiny-ribbon-cutting-for-large-new-facility-the-ontario-centre-for-characterization-of-advanced-materials-occam/ |
| OCCAM: Advancing Research from the Depths of the Ocean to Outer Space | https://www.utoronto.ca/news/occam-advancing-research-depths-ocean-outer-space |
| Three Big Ideas from the Opening of U-of-Ts new advanced materials lab | http://mse.utoronto.ca/news/three-big-ideas-from-the-opening-of-u-of-ts-new-advanced-materials-lab/ |