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This category contains lab protocols for the Michigan-Tech Open Sustainability Technology (MOST) Research Group.

A note on safety: MOST researchers never do anything you feel is unsafe. If any experiment makes you even remotely uncomfortable go to talk to Dr. Pearce about it immediately.

MOST method template[edit | edit source]

  • List the title of your protocol then:MOST (not MOST first- so things are easy to find in this category) - First word is capitalized but all others are lower cased.

Useful software[edit | edit source]

MOST Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Space[edit | edit source]

The Pearce group has been allotted two rooms of research space on the 4th and 5th floors of the M&M Building at Michigan Technological University. The space consists of 2 clean hoods, 2 standard fume hoods, and bench top workspace for more than a dozen specialized pieces of equipment and work areas. In addition all metal 3-D printing occurs in 3 bays of fume hood on the 3rd floor lab.

Computers[edit | edit source]

The Pearce group laboratories are equipped with >10 Linux-based computers and >10 PC-compatible computers that run up-to-date software for word processing, graphics, engineering design and data manipulation. All computers have Internet connections though hi-speed Ethernet ports or wireless and connect to a laser printer and copier in the offices. In addition, most 3D printers in the MOST lab have a stand-alone computer/microcomputer of some kind.

Offices[edit | edit source]

All graduate students have shared office space as part of the MSE and ECE programs. Each student has a desk, which are equipped with Ethernet ports and each office has file cabinets for storage, as well as access to shared printers. The PI has an office down the hall from the main laboratory on the 5th floor with sufficient space for scientific discussions with 3 students and has access to numerous conference rooms within the building for group meetings.

Rapid Prototyping Facilities[edit | edit source]

Mechanical[edit | edit source]

The Pearce laboratory is fully stocked with standard electrical and mechanical equipment for open-source rapid prototyping using 3-D printing including approximately a dozen open source RepRap printers of MTU design (e.g. MOST deltas or 4 heavily modified Mendell/Prusa-style RepRap printers), 2 Gigabots (one highly modified), a Gigabot X, CNC R printers, and over 30 Lulzbot Taz, and miniTaz printers.In addition we have 5 OS metal 3-D printers that use GMAW technology as well as sever syringe printers, slot die, and wax printers.

In addition, MTU developed the first RecycleBots and has approximately six different versions of these waste plastic extruders and some commercial variants for testing. We also have an open source chopper for making composite filament.

Electronics[edit | edit source]

Dr. Pearce's group has the ability to do in-lab PCB design and either milling or printing on augmented 3-D printers using open source tool chains, although for bigger jobs and or any need for the microfab we use the electronic design and test facilities in the ECE department. The Michigan Tech Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has extensive design and electronic test resources available. These include:

  • CNC based printed circuit board prototype production capabilities with 5 mil feature resolution.
  • Extensive resources for electronic test equipment including numerous digital volt-ohmmeters, Keithley and Agilent DMM and electrometers, current model Agilent 40MHz signal and word generators, Agilent/hp and Tektronix storage oscilloscopes ranging from 60MHz to 8GSa/s and some including digital logic analysis capabilities up to 20MHz. Numerous regulated power supplies, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, RF test and analysis capabilities to 12GHz for multiple polarizations, two anechoic chambers. Dr. Pearce's group has the ability to do in-lab PCB design and either milling or printing on augmented 3-D printers using open source tool chains, although for bigger jobs and or any need for the microfab we use the electronic design and test facilities in the ECE department.

The Michigan Tech Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has extensive design and electronic test resources available. These include:

  • CNC based printed circuit board prototype production capabilities with 5 mil feature resolution.
  • Extensive resources for electronic test equipment including numerous digital volt-ohmmeters, Keithley and Agilent DMM and electrometers, current model Agilent 40MHz signal and word generators, Agilent/hp and Tektronix storage oscilloscopes ranging from 60MHz to 8GSa/s and some including digital logic analysis capabilities up to 20MHz. Numerous regulated power supplies, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, RF test and analysis capabilities to 12GHz for multiple polarizations, two anechoic chambers.
  • Design tools including the full Cadence EDA software suit, the full Mentor Graphics EDA software suite, Eagle PCB layout, several versions of SPICE simulation capabilities, Coventorware MEMS design software, ANSYS FEA design software, Comsol Multiphysics, and the Ansoft e-mag software suite.
  • Wafer probing capabilities in the MTU Microfabrication Facility include two Micromanipulator wafer probers capable of 100mm and 200mm substrate probing down to 2 micron accuracy. Instrumentation includes a Keithley 4200-SCS semiconductor parametric analyzer with pulsed IV capabilities, a hp/Agilent 4145A semiconductor parametric analyzer, a 4284A precision LCR meter, a 4180A picoammeter, two Keithley model 220 precision current sources and two model 2400 Sourcemeters, a Keithley model 196 system DMM and two hp/Agilent 3478A multi DMMs. Many other instruments are available through the ECE department common laboratory resources for use as appropriate.
  • Wire bonding capabilities in the MTU Microfabrication Facility includes a K&S Au wedge-wedge wire bonder operating at temperatures up to 400°C.Dr. Pearce's group has the ability to do in-lab PCB design and either milling or printing on augmented 3-D printers using open source tool chains, although for bigger jobs and or any need for the microfab we use the electronic design and test facilities in the ECE department.

Optical Microscopy Facilities[edit | edit source]

Complete facilities are available for optical microscopy. The following microscopes are available:

  • Olympus BX-60 petrographic microscope equipped for plane polarized, cross polarized, and UV illumination. System includes an Optronics 3 chip color CCD camera and on-chip frame averaging capabilities. Microscope is interfaced to an Apple Power PC 7300/200 with a Scion frame grabber capable of 30 frames per second acquisition and NIH Image 1.62 image analysis software.
  • Olympus SZH-10 stereo zoom optical microscope equipped for conventional and UV illumination. System includes an Optronics 3 chip color CCD camera and on-chip frame averaging capabilities. Microscope is interfaced to an Apple Power PC 8500/300 with a Scion frame grabber capable of 30 frames per second acquisition and NIH Image 1.62 image analysis software. A Prior 2-axis automated stage with four inches of stage travel and software for performing ASTM C 457 air void system analysis.
  • Olympus PME-3 metallographic optical microscopes.
  • Olympus PMG-3 metallographic optical microscopes.
  • Olympus SZ60 stereo microscopes.
  • Two Olympus PMG-3 optical microscopes are equipped with a Hitachi VK-C360 Color Video Camera for video image capture.
  • One Olympus PME-3 optical microscope is interfaced to a LECO 2001 automated image analysis system.
  • Zeiss Axiomat.
  • Multiple dark room facilities for film development and reproduction are available.

Light[edit | edit source]

Other Solar and PV testing resources

  • An AM1.5 1 sun solar simulator
  • PV Measurements QE system
  • Custom mapping 4 point probe station
  • Custom I-V system
  • Calibrated light source -- Ocean Optics DH-2000-CAL. It is a UV-VIS-NIR light source with two lamps, a deuterium and a halogen lamp..
  • Several Ocean Optics portable spectrometers covering UV to NIR -- all of which are usb digital with the full software licenses.
    • Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer w/ Software (175-502nm 25uM slit)
    • Ocean Optics USB2000+ spectrometer with a 200nm to 1100nm range.
    • NIRQuest 512-2.5 -- 900 – 2500 nm.
  • A collection of open-source spectrometers from Public Lab (400-700nm) and Spectruino (380-750nm).

Outdoors

  • KRC outdoor PV testing facility including KRC weather station - includes live, webcam and full archival weather data, for solar flux - Eppley PSPs not heated or aspirated. We also have a number of custom outdoor PV test rigs of various configurations including heated pyranometers at tilt.

Microstructural Characterization Sample Preparation Facilities[edit | edit source]

All the necessary facilities are available for the preparation of specimens for characterization and mechanical test analysis including:

  • Lapmaster precision lapping machine for final polishing of large slabs.
  • Dansk-Beton Technic precision thin-section grinder for preparing thin sections of uniform thickness.
  • Buehler Vibromet 1 vibratory polisher.
  • Buehler Ecomet 4 variable speed grinder/polisher with Automet 2 power head.
  • Diamond Pacific 24 inch lapping wheel.
  • Buehler Isomet 1000 precision saw.
  • Ingram Laboratories Model 103 thin section cut-off saw.
  • Ingram Laboratories Model 204 thin section grinder.
  • Logitech CS 10 thin section cut-off saw.
  • Logitech IU 30 vacuum impregnation chamber with articulated epoxy injector.
  • LECO GR-20 grinding wheels.
  • LECO AP-50 Automatic Polishing Machine.
  • LECO AP-300 Automatic Polishing Machine.
  • Multiple 36-inch diameter diamond bladed section saws for operation with either water or oil cooling medium.
  • Conductive coating facilities for electron microscope sample preparation.
  • Tyler and Gilson Sieves.
  • Precision temperature controlled 30 cubic foot Despatch LEB Series drying oven.
  • Jones Riffles.
  • Laboratory scale crushers and grinders including gyratory, jaw, cone, roller, and short head crushers plus ball, roll, and gyratory grinders.

Mechanical Testing[edit | edit source]

In addition, we have mechanical testing facilities for all standard tests for FFF 3-D printed components following: B. M. Tymrak, M. Kreiger, and J. M Pearce, "Mechanical Properties of Components Fabricated with Open-Source 3-D Printers Under Realistic Environmental Conditions", Materials and Design 58, pp. 242-246 (2014). doi: 10.1016/j.matdes.2014.02.038

Chemistry Testing[edit | edit source]

In addition to the standard laboratory equipment for organic and polymer laboratories, computing facilities, and image analysis software, MTU has the following major equipment:

  • Bruker Microflex LRF MALDI-TOF
  • Thermo-Finnigan LCQ Advantage Ion-Trap LC-MS
  • Shimadzu GCMS-QP5050 GC-MS
  • Varian 400 MH NMR (H, C13, F19, P31)
  • Perkin Elmer, Spectrum One FTIR
  • Perkin Elmer Lambda 35 UV-Vis

X-ray Diffraction and X-ray Spectrometry Facilities[edit | edit source]

A fully equipped X-ray diffraction (XRD) facility is available for powder diffraction, phase identification, crystal orientation, texture, high temperature diffraction, quantitative analysis, structure determination, and profile fitting. Also X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) facilities are available for bulk chemical analysis. Equipment includes:

  • Scintag XDS-2000 automated diffractometer featuring a q/q vertical goniometer.
  • Scintag XDS-2000 automated diffractometer featuring a 3-axis Pole figure, Texture, and Stress (PTS) horizontal goniometer.
  • Siemens D-500 automated diffractometer featuring a q/2q vertical goniometer.
  • Siemens Type-F manual/automated diffractometer with an Anton Paar high temperature vacuum sample chamber on a horizontal goniometer.
  • Picker Nuclear manual/automated diffractometer.
  • Philips Electronic Instruments X-ray generator and 4 track tube tower featuring a Polaroid back reflection Laue camera. Various other camera attachments are available.
  • Rigaku small angle scattering goniometer.
  • Picker Nuclear manual diffractometer featuring a horizontal goniometer.
  • General Electric XRD-5 X-ray generator with two 3 track tube towers. Camera attachments available are Polaroid back reflection Laue, Cut film (back reflection and transmission) Laue cameras, Debye-Scherrer powder diffraction cameras, and various specialty cameras.
  • ARL Fisons 9400 X-ray wavelength dispersive fluorescence spectrometer for bulk chemical analysis of all elements from boron to uranium.

Materials Characterization Laboratory[edit | edit source]

The Applied Chemical and Morphological Analyses Laboratory (ACMAL) is a Michigan Technological University facility that houses an extensive array of electron microanalytical and x-ray instruments. The Center is managed by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and located on the 6th floor of the Minerals and Materials Engineering Building. Electron beam instrumentation includes three scanning electron microscopes (SEM), two transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and a dedicated electron microprobe analyzer (EMPA). X-ray equipment includes a sequential x-ray fluorscence spectrometer and five x-ray diffractometers.

  • Hitachi S-4700 FE-SEM with 1.2nm resolution and energy dispersive spectrometry.
  • Hitachi FB-2000A Focused ion beam system with 7nm spot size.
  • JEOL JSM-6400 SEM with energy dispersive spectrometry. This system is equipped with backscattered electron detectors, Oxford eXL EDS systems, and Oxford LEMAS Stage Automation systems. The JEOL 6400 SEM is also equipped with an Oxford EBSP analyzer system that is used to determine the crystallographic orientation of phases within a specimen using electron backscattered Kikuchi patterns. It is equipped with Oxford Featurescan quantitative image analysis systems including Phase Distribution Analysis (PDA).
  • A JEOL 4000 FX and two JEOL 100 CX scanning transmission electron microscopes (STEM) equipped with Oxford eXL EDS systems and Featurescan quantitative image analysis systems.
  • Perkin-Elmer 660 scanning Auger microscope (SAM).
  • Physical Electronics scanning Auger microscope.
  • Instruments for determining carbon and sulfur levels.
  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).
  • A new Philips XL40 environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). The Philips ESEM is equipped with an EDAX energy dispersive x-ray analyzer system (EDS) for determining phase chemistry and a TSL orientation image mapping (OIM) system for determination of crystallographic orientation of phases using electron backscattered Kikuchi patterns. A Fullam tensile and compression stage is available, as well as a variety of temperature-environmental stages that provide a full range of environmental conditions. It is housed in the Non-Conductive/Volatile Materials Characterization Facility.
  • Oxford/Horiba XGT-2000W x-ray analytical microscope with capabilities for performing x-ray microanalysis of specimens at atmospheric pressure, x-ray mapping, and x-ray imaging. This is a newly developed instrument for imaging and analyzing materials using a focused x-ray flux. It has been ordered with delivery expected in the near future, and will be housed in the Non-Conductive/Volatile Materials Characterization Facility.

Facilities at MTU[edit | edit source]

MTU MFF internal rates

Tools Rate

Denton e-beam (432 M&M Building)

Fredrick e-beam (432 M&M Building) $48/hr - up from $43/hr

8" sputter (432 M&M Building)

6" sputter (432 M&M Building)

Parylene Coater (432 M&M Building)

TRION (431 M&M Building)

MARCH etcher (431 M&M Building)

CAIBE (431 M&M Building)

Tools Rate

EV620 Mask Aligner (429 M&M Building) $71/hr - no change

Tools Rate

3D profiler (431 M&M Building)

Wire Bonder (424 M&M Building) $21/hr - up from $19.50/hr

JA Woollam Ellipsometer (431 M&M

Building)

Dicing Saw (429 M&M Building) -

Nikon Microscope (429 M&M Building)

Chemical Processing (429 and 420 M&M Building)

Polymer Spinner (429 M&M Building)

RTP (428 M&M Building) -

2" Furnace (428 M&M Building)

Mellon Oxidation Furnace (428 M&M Building) -

Mellon Diffusion Furnace (428 M&M Building)

Outreach after[edit | edit source]

OS Videos[edit | edit source]

Research Data Repository Approaches[edit | edit source]

Open Educational Resources[edit | edit source]

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