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Surface Characterization (SUCH)

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Technical and scientific expertise

Chemical characterisation of (bio)material surfaces

Main equipment

  • X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS)
  • Secondary ion mass spectrometer (ToF-SIMS)

Applications

XPS: surface characterisation of all types of materials, quite exclusively solids (powders or bulk samples) such as biomaterials, catalysts, ceramics, fibres, glass, metals, minerals, polymers

  • Identify stains and discolorations
  • Characterise cleaning processes
  • Analyse composition of powders and debris
  • Determination of contaminant sources
  • Examine polymer functionality before and after treatment to identify and quantify surface changes
  • Obtaining depth profiles of thin film stacks (conductive and non-conductive) for matrix constituents and contaminants (down to the lowest level)
  • Assessing differences in oxide thickness between samples
  • Measuring the lubricant thickness on the hard disks

ToF-SIMS: study of organic or inorganic materials such as polymers, biomaterials, semiconductors, metals, catalysts.

Get an overview of the platform’s facilities via a virtual tour.

Services available to

  • UCLouvain students and researchers
  • Non-UCLouvain parties