Minot Lab Wiki

4insafety

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:24:29+00:00

4" furnace safety Updated 05-16-2012 by Landon See also: the 4" furnace main page for standard operating procedure, and training information. The 4“ growth system operates utilizing extreme conditions: the furnace reaches extremely high temperatures (>900 °C), the turbo pumps reach extremely low pressures (~μTorr), the growth feedstock gases are stored at high pressures (>1000 PSI), and many of these gases are flammable. The wrong combination of parameters can lead to costly damages or even l…

2012_smile_workshop

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:25:28+00:00

2012 SMILE Workshop on Nanoscience Wednesday August 8th, 2012, at La Sells Center, Oregon State University Powerpoint presentation for the workshop: This three hour workshop for high school teachers introduced seven hands-on classroom activities. The activities included exfoliating graphene, electronic measurements of playdough (the shape of the playdough changes its resistance), making scale models of nanoelectronic circuits, and a classroom version of an atomic force microscope.

additional_ideas

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:26:25+00:00

Possible Undergrad Projects * Self-consistent electrostatics project. * Build a voltage source from a rechargable battery so we can apply low-noise source-drain bias. * Use audio sampling on a laptop (for example, garage band) to do fast measurements of CNT current.

advanced_experimental_lab

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:27:30+00:00

Resources for Developing an Advanced Experimental Lab Course Goals (copied from U. Michigan 441/442) This course is a hands-on survey of the experimental foundations of modern physics. Some of the goals of this course are: * To allow you to reproduce and understand the experimental results that are the underpinnings of modern physics.

advice

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2020-01-05T22:47:26+00:00

Qualities of a strong undergraduate researcher For students who work as an undergraduate researcher, these are some of qualities your boss (the Professor who leads the research) will be looking for. Independence * Promptly inform others when you need guidance with an assigned tasks

afm_advanced_techniques

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-06-29T19:34:03+00:00

AFM Advanced Techniques Static Force Curves and Measuring the Spring Constant Static force curves allow you make graphs of deflection versus tip height for single pushes onto a sample. There is a calibration process that is necessary to make these measurements accurate.

afm_image_anaylsis

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-10-24T20:52:07+00:00

AFM Image Analysis The raw data produced by the AFM goes through some significant process steps. During imaging, the live traces of the height are automatically processed using “line-by-line first-order flattening”. This means a linear regression was used to fit a straight line to the height data and the straight line was then subtracted.

afm_tip_change_information

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-10-07T18:32:16+00:00

AFM Tip Change It takes practice. Please practice with an old tip that no one cares about. The first image gives an overview of what you'll be looking at. The tip in this image is not positioned quite right. It should go under the clamp a little further:

afm_upkeep

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:28:53+00:00

AFM upkeep To keep the AFM running smoothly a number of things must be done. Tip supplies For topographical imaging we use 40 N/m Si tips with an aluminum reflex coating (to increase the reflection of the diode laser and increase our signal/noise ratio). We have been buying

afm

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-20T21:39:19+00:00

Atomic Force Microscopy * See also: Wikipedia article on AFM * See also: AFM advanced techniques. * See also: AFM upkeep * See also: AFM Image Anaylsis New users of the AFM are expected to get AFM training and then pass the [AFM quiz]. More guidance about learning the AFM is given below. Note that OSU also has an AFM facility run by

best_practices_for_handling_chips

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-09-20T18:41:08+00:00

Best practices for handling chips Silicon wafers and quartz wafers are cut into square pieces called “chips” or “dies” or “coupons”. Each chip is used as a table top for an experiment. All experimental physicists working in this field need to learn best practices for handling chips.

brain

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T06:05:24+00:00

The Brain Sanjoy Mahajan has compiled an excellent summary of physical observations about [the brain]. You tube video explaining the sodium and potassium channels and pumps that are responsible for action potential propogation. link. Wait by Why article about Neuralink.

change_the_settings

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:32:28+00:00

Security settings You should be able to do this in windows, but the UNIX commands work for me. The instructions assume that the wiki folder is called “new_wiki” and it is located in public_html: * Launch the SSH client and connect to the server (in this case

choosing_a_crucible

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-24T00:06:19+00:00

Choosing a Crucible Important information on deposition of different materials (as well as which crucibles to use) is found on the Kurt J. Lesker site. A common reason for crucibles to break: the user shuts the power supply off or has a very short ramp down time for power after the deposition is done. This causes the rapid solidification of the melt, and this stresses out the crucible liner.

clean_tips

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:32:56+00:00

Cleaning the probe tips back to probe station A semiconducting nanotube will have a resistance between 100k-ohms and 1M-ohm. The probe contact can be as high as 1M-ohm, so be careful to make sure the resistance you are measuring is the nanotube and not probe contact resistance.

concentration_calculations

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:33:45+00:00

Concentration calculations 60 mg of Iron nitrate is (0.06 g)/(404 g/mol)=0.15 mmol 0.15 mmol/45 ml = 3 mmol/l = 3 mM.

contact_aligner_walk_through

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:34:47+00:00

Contact aligner walk through IMPORTANT NOTE: The recipe below is for illustrative purposes only. For current recipe see the main Device Making page. Note: Data sheets for S1813 and LOR3B are available at T:\Physics\Minot Group\Group documents\Manuals\Device Making

contribute

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-06-11T17:47:05+00:00

Contributing to the wiki You need a user account to do edit and create pages. Contact Ethan Minot to get a user account. Group members are expected to contribute to the wiki. It is a fast and effective way to share and record what you learn about everyday lab skills. If you haven't contributed to a wiki before, here is some advice from wikipedia which applies equally well to our wiki:

coot

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:36:59+00:00

Coot Inserting missing residues into PDB files * Load PDB file * Load MTZ file * An MTZ file is the electron density map for the given molecule. This can sometimes be obtained from the electron density server. If the map can't be obtained simply load any MTZ file for any molecule.

current_recipes_for_cnt_conjugation

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:37:32+00:00

Nanotube-Protein conjugation using N-(1-Pyrene)maleimide linker This protocol details the use of pyrene-linker N-(1-Pyrene)maleimide to attach a protein with a thiol (-SH) group found on the amino acid residue Cysteine to a carbon nanotube. For this reaction to function correctly, the protein must have an exposed thiol group for the linker to bind to. The linker covalently bonds to the protein and non-covalently binds to the carbon nanotube through

cvd_furnace

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:38:03+00:00

CVD Furnace We use the nanocarbon growth system designed and fabricated by Kevek Innovations - a start-up company that is a spin off from our research. The furnace and flow controllers are the main expense when setting up a nanotube growth system. All groups that we know use the same $2000 furnace:

daq_systems_from_national_instruments

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:38:38+00:00

DAQ Systems from National Instruments Our local field engineer is Matt Spiegelberg (Matt.Spiegelberg@ni.com). He is based in Portland, but visits OSU about once per week. The E-series to M-series transition happened in 2000. The M-series is superior and the end-of-life is approaching for the E-series.

data_management

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:39:45+00:00

Data Management Our research generates lots of AFM images and current/voltage data. We also try a lot of different recipes when creating new samples. The data contains gems of insight that we don't alway notice right away. It might be the next day, the next week, or the next year that a new understanding dawns. Imagine one year from now looking back through your lab notebook and computer files. Would you be able to uncover the gems?

deposition_tools

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-21T20:45:01+00:00

Deposition Tools Thin films of metal or oxide can deposited in many different ways. In 308 Weniger we have an * e-beam evaporator * thermal evaporator Both e-beam and thermal are housed in the same vacuum chamber.

design_features_of_the_vacuum_system

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-24T00:20:03+00:00

Vacuum System for the E-beam Evaporator More information about the roughing pump is on the vacuum_pumps page of the wiki. The labels on this diagram should match the labels on the LabView software which is controlling the ebeam evaporator. The LabView program is automated to open and close the various valves during pump down and venting. Please learn how and why the open/close sequence is designed so that you will be better equipped for trouble-shooting if there is a problem.

designcad_hints

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:40:16+00:00

Using Design CAD DesignCAD product website Overview Export your DesignCAD drawing in the .dxf format. All shapes in this file must be closed polygons. For example, a rectangle drawn with the rectangle tool is a closed polygon, however, 4 individual lines that touch at 4 corners do not form a closed polygon. If necessary, you can bind together a selection of lines with the key stroke shortcut

determining_tooling_factor

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-21T20:46:13+00:00

Q-Pod Manual/Tooling Factor The Q-Pod manual can be found here. It contains the process for determining tooling factor: As well as densities and z-ratios for many different materials (p. 63 Table A-1)

device_making

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-09-13T18:23:22+00:00

Device Fabrication The key steps of fabricating devices for carbon-based nanoelectronics are: * Graphene growth and transfer * Nanotube growth * Photolithography * E-beam lithography at OSU * E-beam lithography at UO * Microfabrication (see below) Microfabrication: Photolithography, Metalization etc. To learn more about microfabrication processes look at

don_eigler_s_lab_notebook

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:41:41+00:00

Lab notebooks of famous scientists Image from Nature Nanotechnology 5, 239 - 241 (2010) Don Eigler's lab book for 14 February 1990 — the day on which he first succeeded in using an STM to pick up atoms from a metal surface and then place them back on the surface with atomic precision, as opposed to using an STM to slide the atoms across the surface (Fig. 1 and ref. 1). LT021490.001 refers to the second image taken with the low-temperature (LT) STM in Eigler's lab on that date (the first imag…

drop_cast

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:42:11+00:00

Drop casting and Dip coating Drop casting Make a bubble of liquid on top of a surface then either * Spin the chip on a spinner, or * Wait 30 seconds and rinse with clean solvent, or * Wait until on all solvent evaporates (this will leave drying spots, non-uniform coverage)

e-beam

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-24T00:09:31+00:00

E-beam Evaporator Standard operating procedure for the e-beam evaporator is printed out and attached to the machine. * Design features of the vacuum system Special procedures: * Choosing a crucible * Melting the iron source * Determining tooling factor * instructions for changing the filament - the e-gun filament may get old after 10 years. * Vacuum annealing in ebeam evaporator

ebeam_filament

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-24T00:11:27+00:00

Changing the ebeam filament Introduction We have a Varian e-Gun 980-0003, powered by the e-Gun Control Unit Model 922-0020. Read the manuals FIRST before working on the instrument; [here is the e-Gun manual], and [here is the Control Unit manual]. They are short and informative. However the information about changing the filament (in the e-Gun Manual) is a little confusing, and we ended up successfully completing this task using our own method. This guide will explain the steps for …

ebeam_litho

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T22:16:04+00:00

E-beam Lithography at OSU OSU has a Nabity system attached to one of the SEMs in the Electron Microscopy Shared Facility.

ebeam_recipe

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:45:27+00:00

Imaging and lithography on the Zeiss SEM at CAMCOR Contact person at CAMCOR is Kurt Langworthy (office 541 346 3660, ebeam room 541 346 4778) Basic parameters are: * PMMA (950k, 5% in Anisole) is spun at 3000 rpm for 60 seconds to get 175 nm. (At 400 rpm the thickness is 130 nm, spin curve is available from the Microchem website). Baked 10 minutes on a 165 deg hotplate.

electrochemistry

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2020-03-07T00:35:11+00:00

Electrochemistry Electrochemistry measurements are a new research direction for our group. This is a well established field and our group is learning the basics. This wiki page has useful “tips and tricks” that we've learned so far. * How to make low-cost electrodes * FAQs from BASi (a company that sells electrochemistry equipment).

eric_johnson_s_recipe

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:48:35+00:00

Eric Sundholm's Recipe Eric is an EE grad student who TAs the EE class on chip making & has made hundreds of chips in the Owen clean room. His advice should be heeded. * Spin 1818 photoresist at 3000 rpm for 30 seconds (2 um layer) * Bake at 85C for 2 minutes

eric_sundholm_s_recipe

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:49:32+00:00

Eric Sundholm's Recipe WARNING: Manufacturer's recommended softbake is 115 C for 60 s on a hotplate. The manufacturer does not recommend baking inbetween exposuring/developing. Such bakes are only used for the more modern 'chemically amplified photoresists'. See Ethan for the 1800 series datasheet.

estimation_problems

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:50:02+00:00

Back of the envelope estimates The TED talk by Sanjoy Mahajan summarizes the philosophy... striving for too much rigor can stop progress in science and technology. “Perfect” is the enemy of “good enough”. These estimates have been given several different names, including Fermi Estimates, Back of the Envelope Estimates and Street Fighting Estimates. Each name has good reason: First, the stamp of approval from a famous physicist who was capable of all levels of rigor. Second, a reminder that all …

ethics

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:50:47+00:00

Ethics The research seminar discusses the ethics of: * Keeping a lab notebook (all published data should be traceable to a grad student's notebook?) * Data management (how should computer files be stored, is the original data file avaiable?) * Lab safety

evaporation_boats

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:51:23+00:00

Evaporation boats Evaporation boats are made of tungsten because tungsten has an extremely high melting point. There are many boat geometries from RD Mathias. We have used two types: trays with dimples and wire coils. The thickness of the boat (or wire) determines the temperature at a given voltage. For example, if you supply a fixed voltage (say 100 V) across a thin boat and a thick boat, the thinner boat will be hotter.

excel

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:51:56+00:00

Excel Hints Creating a histogram How did microsoft manage to make this difficult?! * Manually type a list of number that will be used for binning the data. * Next to the column of bin numbers, select the cells that will be filled with frequency counts.

exit_protocol

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-02-09T21:49:40+00:00

Exit Protocol Grad students When a student graduates, it's important to tie up loose ends before leaving the lab. Please do the following: * Archive your lab notebooks on the shelf in room 306. * Archive any nanoelectronic devices that might still be useful (talk to Ethan about how to organize this).

external_users

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2020-08-05T19:49:33+00:00

External Users Equipment Available Equipment Internal Rate External RateAtomic Force Microscope (Asylum Research MFP3D)$80 per hour$90 per hourGrowth of Horizontally Aligned Carbon Nanotubes (Semi-Automated Chemical Vapor Deposition Tool) $130 per hour

farewell_parties

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:52:50+00:00

Group activity ideas * river floating on Willamette River * hiking a peak or doing a waterfall trail * picnic at swimming hole * a game of softball, volleyball, basketball, ultimate frisbee,... * bowling * mini golf * go karting * rock climbing

fermi_estimates

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-05-18T19:35:55+00:00

Back of the envelope estimates The TED talk by Sanjoy Mahajan summarizes the philosophy “striving for too much rigor can stop progress in science and technology”. Perfect is the enemy of good enough. When we recognize that we don't need an exact solution, we can do

fine_tuning

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:53:55+00:00

Fine tuning the photolithography process Learning about photoresist chemistry The best information is on the manufacturer's datasheet (see T:\Physics\Minot Group\Group documents\Manuals\Device Making) and in textbooks. Note that Shipley 1813 is a positive DQN resist with no chemical amplification.

fundamentals

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T05:14:20+00:00

Being part of a research team Ethan 01-10-2008 * Outline a clear plan with the team before starting work on something. Experiments should efficiently/elegantly test alternative hypotheses - [classic article from Science magazine about efficient progress in science] * Spend time in lab, and spend it efficiently: Stick to the plan, but stop and fix things that need fixing (don’t keeping working on half-working equipment).

funding

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:54:53+00:00

Funding Undergrad students Oregon State Uni. URISC: The Undergraduate Research, Innovation, Scholarship and Creativity (URISC) Program pays research stipends to undergrads. The application process involves writing a two page proposal about your senior thesis project. Nanofabrication Research Experience: All expenses paid to work for a summer at a facility such as the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility (CNF). This is extremely valuable experience for the work we do at OSU.

gelpaks

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:55:20+00:00

Gelpaks If fresh silicon oxide (very hydrophillic) is left in a gelpak for more than a couple days, the surface becomes hydrophobic. This is indicative a layer of hydrocarbons coating the oxide surface. Hyrophillic and hydrophobic are easily measured by wetting the chip with water. The water either wets the entire chip or beads up.

glovebox

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-07-19T17:34:49+00:00

Glovebox The glovebox provides an inert atmosphere to handle and prepare samples that are sensitive to oxygen or to work with reactive chemicals safely. Currently it is set up only for the former. Important: If you are going to use a chemical inside the glovebox, check its compatibility with the gloves (neoprene).

grad_school

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-09-13T18:34:29+00:00

Grad School Advice Graduate students in Physics are supported as either Research Assistants (RAs) or Teaching Assistants (TA). Throughout a PhD you will have financial support from these sources, covering all living expenses plus some extra. RA positions are not usually confirmed until graduate students spend some time in a research group. At OSU Dept. of Physics it is typical to spend one year as a TA while you explore research options, then secure an RA position in the second year. RA suppor…

graphene_fabrication

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:56:35+00:00

Graphene Fabrication Some trouble shooting tips about the 4“ furnace. * Tips seals on the scroll pump which backs the turbo pump can degrade over time. The tip seals must be in excellent condition to pump H2. The scroll pump will detect problems and will slow down from 80,0000 rpm to much less (visible on the communications port of the Turbo pump unit). The pressure in the growth chamber will climb gradually when H2 flow is initiated - rather than holding steady over the 10 minute time scale…

group_meetings

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-18T22:42:33+00:00

Meetings, Summer 2025 TimeMeetingPlace12 noon FridaysGroup meetingWNGR 201 Gus is currently in charge of scheduling group meetings. Link to OneNote notebook (only works for people at OSU). Speaker Rotation TBD Group talks We take turns giving the weekly talk at group meeting. The talk can focus on your own research results, or any other subject that you think the group will find interesting. Aim for a 15 minute presentation. It will naturally get longer when interrupted with questions.

group_photos

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:57:30+00:00

Group photos Research group in Summer 2019. From left to right: Ethan Minot, Duy Nguyen, Daniel McCulley, Carly Fengel, Dublin Nichols, Hanna Hansen, Mitchell Senger, and Olivia Clark. Research group in Summer 2018. Back row from left to right: Mitchell Senger, Clark Embleton, Daniel McCulley, Andrew Collins, Dublin Nichols, Carly Fengel, Ethan Minot. Front row from left to right Kevin and Shelby.

igor

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:58:22+00:00

Igor IgorPro is a powerful command-line based data analysis and plotting software. Asylum Research (our AFM manufacturer) uses Igor to control their AFMs. See also the Jimenez research group's Igor page for a quick reference. Useful hotkeys: * cntrl+j Quick switch to command line

installing_labview

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:59:01+00:00

Installing labview First goal is to get labview to control analog outputs on the DAQ. There are testing procedures for this built into the software. Second goal is to get MeaSureit to work with the DAQ. MeaSureit requires that you set up “global virtual channels

interviewing_ugs

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T03:59:48+00:00

Undergrad questions Biophysics * If there is 1 protein per cell (and you lyse the cells) what will be the molar concentration of the final solution? * What is the effect of temperature on diffusion constant? * What is the effect of temperature on the probability that ss-dna stays stuck to a CNT?

joining_the_lab

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-09-20T18:40:43+00:00

Joining the lab Things you should do during the first week * Safety training * Read Best practices for handling chips * Start attending group meetings * Get keys for the lab (see below) * Computer and printer access (see below) * Learn about the culture of a professional science lab * Start reading scientific journals Keys To get a key to 306 & 317 (same key) and outside door of Weniger Hall visit the

journals

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:00:29+00:00

Journals “One of the most important tools for researchers is the ability to find and judge the work of other scientists. These talents are developed over time but can be expedited by a working knowledge of how to efficiently use internet databases.

keys_computers_printers_telephone_mail

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:00:56+00:00

Keys, Computers, Printers, Telephone, Mail see also travel & conferences Keys To get a key to 306 & 317 (same key) and outside door of Weniger Hall visit the "forms" page on the department website and fill in a key request. Renee will give you a piece of paper with the key numbers. Then you will visit the campus

kindergarten_visit

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:01:29+00:00

Kindergarten Visit I recently visited my daughters Kindergarten class. How to introduce physics to kids in kindergarten? I'm not an expert, but I'll write down my experience so I have something to build off next time. This is a very fun and rewarding way to spend 20 minutes!

lab_notebook

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T05:17:58+00:00

Lab Notebook It is fun and informative to look at the lab notebooks of other scientists. For example, Don Eigler's lab notebook where he recorded the discovery that he could move atoms around with an STM tip. There are two primary motivations behind the keeping of a good lab notebook. One is legal. When a discovery is challenged, the lawyers need the notebooks. The notebook must follow a certain protocol in order to defeat accusations of falsification.

learn_the_basics

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:05:34+00:00

Layout Editor Layout Editor is open source and reasonably powerful. However, it is less intuitive to learn than DesignCAD. The Layout Editor software and instructions are available at . A nice feature of layout editor is “cells”. It's important to work with cells so that repeated structure are easy to edit. It takes about 1 hour to learn the basics.

learning_labview

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:06:07+00:00

How to Learn LabVIEW and Example Programs Recommended by our local NI field engineer Matt Spiegelberg. * FET testing with the PXI SMU - we already have a pre-written LabVIEW program which you can download. I believe it has everything you had shown me with the other program. You noise characterization would be a simple add-on to the code that I could easily show you how to do. Here's the link to the code:

literature_searches

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:06:31+00:00

Literature Searches “One of the most important tools for researchers is the ability to find and judge the work of other scientists. These talents are developed over time but can be expedited by a working knowledge of how to efficiently use internet databases.” - Miller et al. Am. J. of Physics (2009) (This is a good article, well worth reading!)

make_and_break

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:07:03+00:00

Make and Break Switch The three steps shown above correspond to: * Measuring the CNT device * Making a connection to ground, before breaking the connection to measurement equipment. * The CNT device is now safely grounded so that the measuring equipment can be disconnected.

mask_images

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:07:33+00:00

Mask images

matlab

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-05-23T22:58:02+00:00

Matlab These lines of code help make a better looking plot that can be exported for a notebook or a publication. x=[400:1:450]; y=2*sin(x/5); figure('units','centimeters','Position', [10 10 8.5 8.5]) p=plot(x,y,'LineWidth',1.1); %make curve slightly thicker than default set(gca,'linewidth',1.1) %make axis slightly lines thicker than default axis([400 450 0 3]) xlabel('wavelength, \lambda (nm)') %LaTeX notation for math symbols ylabel('intensity (W/cm^2)') %LaTeX notation for superscript set(gc…

mceuen_recipes

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:08:56+00:00

McEuen group recipes Aligned nanotube growth Melina, June 2009 Fabrication: First: photolithography + etch step to define the alignment marks on a whole wafer. Second: Another photolith step on the whole wafer to pattern the catalyst stripes. I dice the wafer on our wafer saw immediately after patterning the catalyst pads; I then do a 1-minute oxygen plasma clean on the resultant pieces and evaporate 1-2A of iron using an e-beam evaporator. The tooling factor for the quart crystal monitor i…

mceuen_wisdom

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:09:29+00:00

Wisdom from Paul McEuen “Play with each other like children, treat each other like adults” On experiments An experimentalist's work is like a three-legged chair. 1/3 knowing the literature, 1/3 communicating the results, and 1/3 doing the experiment. Remove one leg and the chair will fall.

melting_the_iron_source

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-21T22:10:15+00:00

Melting the Iron Crucible Approximately 1.9 grams of iron works well (seven pellets). The pellets need to be melted into one big blob. The photo shows a good iron melt. * Give yourself 30 minutes for this task. * Be patient during the melting, it takes time for the heat to spread from the hot spot.

microfluidic_temperature_control

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:10:04+00:00

Temperature Control Setup * Peltier, Warner SC-20 Dual In-line Solution Heater/Cooler (www.warneronline.com) * Peltier controller, CL-100 Bipolar Temperature Controller (www.harvardapparatus.com) * Syringe Pump, Harvard Apparatus Remote Infuse/Withdraw PHD 4400 Hpsi Programmable * Peristaltic pump, Harvard Apparatus, Peristaltic Pump 66

microfluidics

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:10:24+00:00

Microfluidics The journal “Lab on a Chip” published a useful PMDS tutorial. This is Tal's preferred method of working with PDMS. Bo Sun's research group at OSU frequently uses PDMS. They can also offer tips and tricks. The “exhaust lines” should be big, so there is no back pressure on the system.

microscopy_at_nijmegen

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:10:59+00:00

Microscopy at Nijmegen Operating principle of a confocal microscope: Laser light illuminates a single pixel on the sample at a time. An APD detector picks up photons only from the focal plane of the sample and only at the wavelength of the fluorescence. The laser comes from below the sample cover slip. The sample sits on top of the cover slip. This allows the use of oil immersion lenses that touch the bottom side of the coverslip.

mylar_masks

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:11:32+00:00

Mylar Mask CAD art will print your mask design directly onto a transparency (mylar). You can draw features down to 10 micron resolution. These mylar masks are flexible, so you need a glass backing for contact printing. Rick has attached the Mylar mask to a

nanotube_growth

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-08-09T23:33:00+00:00

Growing CNTs by chemical vapor deposition Physical deposition of catalyst Electron beam evaporation of pure iron is an excellent way to deposit catalyst. If a thin layer is used (0.1 -0.4 nm) then you can grow exclusively single wall CNTs. We use the recipe published by the Rogers group (Nature Nanotech 2007). It is useful to look at the McEuen group's

new_research_directions

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T06:04:45+00:00

New Research Directions * brain research * protein detection research

noise

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:12:37+00:00

Working with a current preamp When we measure small currents (nanoAmps or even picoAmps) outside noise sources can interfer with the meausrement. Shielding by Faraday cage Because our lab is not underground and we have fluorescent lighting we have to shield experiments from EM radiation. We currently have the probe station inside a cooper mesh Faraday cage (purchased from TMC). To see if this Faraday cage is sufficient, try the following experiment inside the Faraday cage:

old_photolith_recipes

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-08-09T23:12:48+00:00

Photoresist processing recipe (updated 04-08-2010) * 5 min dehydration bake 190°C * spin LOR3B photoresist at 4000 rpm for 45 sec (bilayer process only) * Deposits ~250 nm of photoresist (according to LOR3B documentation) * ideal LOR3B thickness = 1.25*metal thickness

old_recipes

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-08-09T23:15:19+00:00

* Check that the gas cylinders are all on and have plenty of gas (the pressure inside a full cylinders is about 1500 psi). * Open furnace lid. Open growth tube carefully. Place sample within growth tube. Use the quartz push rod to slide the sample to the center of the furnace.

optics

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:13:11+00:00

Experimental tips and tricks "Laboratory Optics" by Peter Beyersdorf is a good resource for learning hands-on techniques for running an optics experiment. * Description: “A multimedia interactive guide to developing practical skills for optics research. Use as a class lab manual, an instructional tool or as an indispensable reference. In concise, high-def videos, various skills and techniques are demonstrated and explained. These cover topics for the novice, such as mounting and cleaning of…

other_recipes

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:14:05+00:00

Growth Recipes McEuen Recipes Other recipes Long, parallel growth with methane, Prof. Rogers lab (in use Mar 2007) * Anneal ST-cut quartz substrate in air for 8 hours at 900C. * Electron beam evaporation of Fe as a catalyst. * Anneal Fe in air at 550C. (10 min?)

outreach

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-01-13T18:52:57+00:00

Outreach Internet resources * Index of university-level lecture demonstrations from University of Maryland. * Index of hands-on science activities from the Exploratorium * Popular demos commercially available from Steve Spangler Science * American Physical Society Outreach Pages Some other fun videos: * The chain fountain explanation. Inspired by Mould's video that was posted in 2013. Theory paper published soon after. Picked up by NY Times in 2014.

oxygen_plasma

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:15:08+00:00

Oxygen plasma cleaning O2 Plasma in Owen Hall Clean Room Matt is qualified to use this O2 plasma machine. It etch S1813 Photoresist at approximately 100 nm/s. A typical recipe for ashing (cleaning off photoresist residue after development) is 30 seconds.

pac2014

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:15:33+00:00

The Physics of Air This workshop was put together for the Peak Adventure Club (1/11/2015). Powerpoint slides * (20 MB ppt file) * [pdf format] with downsampled images (2 MB file) The annotations on the slides give brief description of the 12 demonstrations.

pdb2pqr

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:15:58+00:00

PDB2PQR PDB2PQR takes PDB files as input, and output PQR files. PQR files differ from PDB in that they contain the charge state of each atom. PQR files are used to compute the electric fields around a protein using APBS and VMD. Computing the charge on a protein

photolithography

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-03-19T21:27:48+00:00

Photolithography We are using shared equipment in the OSU Semi-cleanrom. You can look through the big windows to see the impressive equipment. The lab is run by Chris Tasker, chris@eecs.oregonstate.edu. To use equipment in this lab you must be trained by someone in our group and then certified. Rick Presley is our main contact for certification, presley@engr.orst.edu.

posters

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-06-12T20:07:25+00:00

Designing Posters * Get a template from a lab mate. * The name of the presenting author (first and last) should be underlined. Consider using a photo of the author on the poster (so that people at the conference can find you). * Try not to exceed 300 words on a poster (about the length of an abstract). The poster should not be a wall of text. It should be mostly images and graphs.

pre-2010_recipes

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:17:17+00:00

Single-layer resist (updated 02-01-2010) * 5 min prebake 115°C * spin S1813 photoresist at 4000 rpm for 30 sec * 3 min bake 115°C (microchem says this is too long) * 6 sec exposure * Quartz exposure: Place a dummy SiO2 substrate upside down (rough side up) with the quartz on top in the contact aligner. The Si layer underneath the quartz will help simulate SiO2 chip conditions.

probe_station

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-06-26T20:33:47+00:00

Probe Station LabVIEW We use labview programs to control voltage sources and acquire data. For documentation on the MeaSureit program see Vera's program development site. It is straightforward to use programs that are already written. If you need to write your own labview program, it will take some time investment to learn this graphical programming language. The time is well spent because labview the industry standard for software control of processes. There are

proteins

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:18:03+00:00

Proteins Introduction to proteins Proteins are linear chains of amino acids, typically several hundred units long. There are 20 standard amino acids in biology, each with a unique residue. The behavior of a protein is defined by the sequence of residues. Some are hydrophobic, some are hydrophillic, some have positive charge at pH 7, others have negative charge. There are free online databases to look up the sequence of any protein. For many proteins the folded structure(s) is also known from x…

purchasing_supplies

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-03-21T00:16:26+00:00

Purchasing supplies There are three common methods for making purchases: * BennyBuy * Department Credit Card (administered by Kelly Carter) * Ethan's T&E Credit Card (administered by Ethan) BennyBuy offers a “punch through” to access selected company websites. Then you can purchase your shopping cart using a research index. I enjoy using the BennyBuy punch out to purchase stuff from McMaster Carr and DigiKey (good prices, good deliver time). Be warned, there are companies on BennyBuy that …

pymol

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:19:56+00:00

PyMol Removing parts of PDB files * Load a PDB file * Select atoms you want to retain * Select Display -> Sequence then select residues at the top of the screen to quickly select large sections of the molecule * In the (Sele) object click on the

python

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:20:17+00:00

Python Examples Note David Roundy prefers to keep track of which package a command is coming from... therefore "import numpy as np a1 = np.array([1,2,3,4])" For less typing, you can do "from numpy import * a1 = array([1,2,3,4])" Numerical integration of Gaussian

quartz_tubing

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:20:38+00:00

Quartz tubing Nanotube growth requires a 1 inch quartz tube. The tube sometimes becomes contaminated. The evidence for contamination is typically unreliable nanotube growth, which become reliable again as soon as the tube is changed. Contamination is not visable, unless you gas flows are very slow and black carbon soot builds up on the wall.

quotes

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-11-03T23:07:04+00:00

Quotes about life and science People who love their work “To be happy, find work you love and pursue it with passion.” - Hans Bethe “When you are passionate, problems are challenges and challenges are opportunities” - Jim Harrick “Work when you wish… come when you want to come, leave when you want to leave, just get something done. But most of all, have fun in your work.

research_rotations

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:21:21+00:00

Research Rotations Finding a research group Incoming PhD students are encouraged to do research rotations in one or more research groups during their first year. A research rotation lasts for one quarter (sometimes longer). The goals of a research rotation are (i) The new PhD student becomes familiar with the day-to-day details of the research, (ii) The new PhD student learns about the culture and expectations of the research group, (iii) Current members of the research group get to know the n…

safety_check_list

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:22:01+00:00

Check list for wet chemical safety test * The user is familiar with the MSDS of the chemicals you will be used. * The user signs up on the acid hood clip board. * All beakers are labelled with date/username/chemical before any chemical (or water) is poured into the beaker.

safety

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-03-10T22:00:59+00:00

Chemical Safety and Laser Safety Basic training All lab users are required to complete OSU's online training modules for basic lab safety. You must go through this process before you are given keys to the lab. * Ethan will add your name to the lab safety management tool (SciShield) which is administered by OSU's Environmental and Health Safety (EHS) Department.

sales_reps_from_companies

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:22:50+00:00

Sales Reps from Companies Horriba * Greg Hearn, San Jose, (848)250 3608, Sales Engineer * Linda Casson, East Coast, (732)494 8660 x 153 Application Scientist Cascade Microtech * Larry Johnson, 503-810-1500 Mobile, 503-439-1500 Office, larry@semitestinc.com

scheduling

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:23:22+00:00

Scheduling Equipment Equipment scheduling for our AFM, probe station and furnace is maintained on the following google calendar (ask Ethan for the password): minot.group@gmail.com To use this calendar go to Common sense ground rules for equipment scheduling (standard practice in most labs):

second_hand_equipment_websites

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:24:15+00:00

Second hand equipment websites * caeonline.com * capovani.com * bidservice.com “I have bought from all three and had success.” -Brady

sem

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-09-13T18:19:45+00:00

Scanning Electron Microscopy Before using the SEM on campus you should read the SEM entry in wikipedia and learn about: * Scanning process and image formation (note that beam energy and interaction volume are a critical parameters when imaging single wall nanotubes) *

setting_up

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-01-25T00:25:51+00:00

Setting up a wiki At the bottom of this page are links to Monobook and Dokuwiki. Monobook is the code that makes everything look pretty, Dokuwiki is the underlying code that drives the wiki. Using the respective links, you will find all the downloads you need together with installation instructions. The basic idea:

sidebar

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-12T00:18:05+00:00

Standard Protocols * AFM * Deposition Tools * Photolithography * External users * Group meetings * Joining the lab * Lab Safety * Posters * Purchasing supplies * SEM * Software * Travel * Vacuum pumps Advanced Techniques * AFM Advanced Techniques * Nanotube Growth * Device Fabrication * Microfluidics * Optics * Probe Station * Vacuum Technology * Wirebonding Under development * Electrochemistry General Advice * Advice to undergrads * Advice to grads * New research…

silicon_wafers

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-03-19T22:50:17+00:00

Silicon wafers We current use p+ doped silicon, [1 0 0] with 200 nm thermally grown oxide. The [1 0 0] refers to the crystallographic axis of the vector normal to the surface. [1 0 0] wafers will break into squares. In March 2024 we ordered a batch of wafers from Nova: P-type (boron) 0.01-0.02 ohm-cm; 300 nm wet thermal oxide; Prime grade. The resistivity is below 0.04 ohm-cm, which indicates

software

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-12-13T17:39:23+00:00

Software OSU licensed OSU has site licenses for some useful applications * Matlab (an alternative to Matlab is Python running NumPy and SciPy, see open source software below) * Mathematica * Labview * Autocad * Endnote (note that Zotero is free and has some similar features, ask Landon)

start

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-04-03T22:45:19+00:00

Welcome Welcome to the wiki for the Minot Research Group in the Department of Physics at Oregon State University. Group members contribute and maintain up-to-date manuals, recipes and information on many common lab questions. (Setting up a wiki like this one is relatively easy.) Image Gallery You are welcome to use our images for a class or presentation, please reference

ta_assignments

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:27:39+00:00

Balancing TA Assignments with Research Here are some thoughts from Prof. Tom Baehr-Jones (E.C.E Uni. Delaware). One of many valid view-points about making the most of being a TA. “All of the funds and support we get from the university is justified in part by our ability to teach undergrad courses. So this is, plainly and simply, a must have.

thermal_evaporator

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:28:13+00:00

Thermal Evaporator: Standard Operating Procedure Starting the Diffusion Pump * Make sure the water to the diffusion pump is on * If you need to open the water valve, open the return before the entry valve to prevent high pressure in the line. * Turn on the power to the surge protectors

travel

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-08-14T20:36:27+00:00

Travel Let's go to a conference! In 2024 (and beyond?), the OSU Grad School will pay for your conference registration fee. You should plan ahead and apply for this award 10 days before you pay the conference fee. https://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/awards/scholarly-presentation-award If you are traveling internationally, check out the College of Science Student Travel Fund (COSSTA) awards.

undergrad_advising

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:28:46+00:00

Student advising Getting started in the lab Before doing hands-on work in the lab you need to pass the lab safety quiz from the safety section of this wiki. The admin page will help you get keys, a computer account (T drive access), print posters etc. As part of a research team, there are a some

vacuum_annealing_in_ebeam_evaporator

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-21T20:47:37+00:00

Vacuum Annealing A vacuum anneal will clean your chips of organics, leave you with better contact resistances (we sometimes see 80-95% decreases), and can partially restore a leaky gate oxide. The process works with platinum and gold electrodes. Be aware: gold electrodes seem to have less adhesion to SiO2 following a vacuum anneal. This can be seen when contacting the electrodes in the probe station. Be aware: vacuum anneals sometimes create ~μm sized 'holes' in your electrodes. This effect is …

vacuum_basics

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:29:10+00:00

Basics of Vacuum Technology Several instruments in our lab work in vacuum environments. For example * E-beam evaporator * Graphene growth system * Optical cryostat If using these systems, there are some basics about vacuum technology that you need to know. Our lab has a copy of

vacuum_pumps

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-06-11T18:48:30+00:00

Changing the oil in a vacuum pump Overview: Watch this YouTube video showing the basic idea How to Change Pump Oil UC Davis Chemistry (3:26). We don't copy this method exactly, but you'll get the general idea. What you'll need: * Clean oil (check that you've got the right type, see below*)

vmd

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:29:35+00:00

Visualizing Molecules with VMD VMD is a powerful tool for visualizing and analyzing complex molecules like proteins. Below are walkthroughs of some features. See also this convenient manual. VMD basics * Download PDB file for the molecule you want to visualize

water_based_catalyst

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:30:18+00:00

Deposition of water-based catalyst Think about the surface preparation of the chip. Organic residues can be a pain. Oxygen plasma is the industry standard for removing all residues. We had trouble getting alumina to stick to brand new silicon oxide wafers. Fresh silicon oxide is so hydrophillic that the alumina has no reason to deposit (it just stays dissolved in the water). Ironically, the sticking procses is aided by photoresist residue, or the residue deposited by a

wirebonding

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-02-18T16:14:05+00:00

The wirebonder is located in Pallavi Dhagat's lab. Once trained, users need to schedule with Pallavi at least 24 hours in advance before using the wire bonder. The system is a West Bond 7476E and is set up in wedge bonding mode. As of now (2025) the wire bonder is using aluminum wire to bond.

writing_papers

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:30:29+00:00

Intellectual property licensing (patents) Before submitting a paper... disclosure Template for a Successful Experimental Paper Paul McEuen 1/19/05 Title: State Main Result Clearly (note: there is only one main result in any paper) Abstract: Summarizes results leading to conclusion indicated by title

zen_of_device_making

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-09-10T04:30:53+00:00

Zen of device making Ethan - Nov 2000 When you watch someone make a device you quickly find out that there are many steps involved and many ways to do each step. If you ask “what’s the difference?” there is often no definite answer. If the difference between two methods is unknown my instinct is to try them both. I often do this when I’m cooking or fixing my bicycle. Usually both ways work, and each method has its own advantages. Trying two methods helps me learn about the system and helps me …