ISIS@MACH is conducting limited interim operation since October 2019 and is expected to become fully operational by June 2021. ISIS@MACH services will be accessed through this online proposal work in progress, with full access opened once the infrastructure becomes fully operational.
Apply for Beamtime to ISIS@MACH – ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
ISIS@MACH instruments and ISIS neutron and muon instruments are free at the point of access for academic and industry researchers, provided the results from experiments are published in the public domain. Fully confidential fast-tracked use of the instruments is also available for industrial and commercial customers.
New users are always welcome at ISIS@MACH and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and new areas of research that can flourish are constantly encouraged.
There are a number of routes available for academics and industry to access beamtime:
ISIS@MACH – further important information and guidance including links to our instrument pages will be browsed on a web page currently under construction. If you are ready to put forward a proposal or to submit an industrial proposal contact user office. A ISIS@MACH Online Proposal System is under construction.
ISIS – these can be browsed at Apply for Beamtime links for further important information and guidance including links to our instrument pages. If you are ready to put forward a proposal visit the ISIS Online Proposal System.
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A User Guide guidelines and information to apply for access to ISISMACH is under preparation. It will include details about:
- Eligibility Criteria – Access is granted to teams of one or more researchers, led by a user Principal Investigator (PI), according to the following eligibility criteria:
- Transnationality
- EU & Third Country Users
- Dissemination of the results
- Industries
- Transnationality
- User Office Secretariat
- Proposal Form and Requirements
- How to Submit a proposal
- Proposal Evaluation
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Work in Progress
WRITE A PROPOSAL and submit your application
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Work in Progress
Research Activities are performed in 5 different Laboratories:
- Laboratory 1 – Lithography and Nano-Patterning
- Laboratory 2 – Growth and Synthesis
- Laboratory 3 – Structural and Morphological characterization
- Laboratory 4 – Electronic and Chemical Nano-Characterization
- Laboratory 5 – Optical and Electric Nano-Characterization
Examples of Activities performed in the 6 different Laboratories:
Biochemical Characterization
Instrumentation and equipment for new generation DNA sequencing systems, for fast and integrated sequencing of exomes, targeted panels and transcriptomes in a single run, with the flexibility to switch to lower performance sequencing as needed. Instrumentation available for access:
- Real Time PCR
- Bioanalyzer
- Hybridization incubator with Labnet Problot 12S rotor
- Magnetic Separation Rack
- NanoDrop One Microvolume UV-Vis Spectrophotometer with Wi-Fi
- Automatic DNA sequencer
- Pressure Myograph System
- Complior Analyze Pulse Wave Velocity (Complior Analyze)
Physical Characterization
Access to skills and tools for the characterization of macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of composite materials: microsocpic structure and imaging of materials from the micron to the atomic scale, characterization of surface roughness, absorption and emission properties of electromagnetic radiation, both surface that of volume. Instrumentation available for characterizations:
- X-ray reflectometer and dispersion diffractometer (also angular) for: a) determination of thickness and roughness of thin film surface / interface; b) analysis of the crystalline phases and the degree of crystallinity of the materials; c) real-time monitoring of compound formation; d) structure of composite materials; e) identification of crystalline phases in materials.
- Confocal Micro Raman Spectrometer / TERS – for high resolution 2D and 3D maps for the chemical-physical analysis of films and multilayers – integrated with AFM microscope.
- Scanning probe microscopes (AFM, STM) to characterize morphological, nanomechanical, electronic and optical properties of materials with sub-nanometric resolution.
- Spectrometers for time-resolved optical spectroscopy measurements, to characterize dynamic charge carriers in materials
- Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) to measure characteristic thermal transitions of materials
- Thermogravimetry (TGA) for analysis of the thermal stability of materials
- Ellipsometer for the characterization of the thicknesses and surface properties of structures at the micron scale
- Fluorescence X spectrometer combined with Raman spectroscopy and high resolution gamma spectroscopy
- High vacuum scanning electron microscope (Cambridge S200) with integrated STM and laser access for tip-enhanced laser nanostructures
- Variable pressure electronic microscope (TESCAN VEGA3) with integrated ultra-flat AFM
- GC-IMS; ion mobility detector with chromatographic separation
- GC / MS double column
- ATR-FTIR
- Homo and heteronuclear high resolution magnetic resonance (NMR) (400 and 700 MHz)
- Scanning electron microscope with high vacuum EDS for morphological and chemical analysis of materials
Electronic and optoelectronic characterization
Measurement of the transport properties of materials. Different measurement techniques of electrical and electronic properties will be made available: I-V, C-V characterizations, surface and volume resistivity measurements, photoconductivity and spectral photoemission, as well as the dielectric constant of the insulating materials and the modulus of elasticity:
- Impedance spectroscopy
- Frequency analysis
- Measurements of photoconductance maps and LBIC maps
- Thermoelectric measurements
- Characterization under solar simulator in both static and dynamic conditions
- Benchtop FE / SEM for fast analysis of devices and samples
Sample and device preparation
User access to skills, equipments and technologies for design, preparation and construction of devices – to be characterized (with the instrumentation of ISIS@MACH and with the ISIS neutron and muon beamlines – and samples to be prepared for the specific characterizetion – e.g. metallization of samples for SEM analysis, electrical contacting of devices, assembly of samples for spectroscopic and AFM analysis, microfabrication and laser ablation:
- characterization of transistors and microelectronic devices (High frequency electronics and electronics at high integration VLSI)
- electronic and optical properties of semiconductor nanostructures
- Fully equipped chemical laboratories for synthesis
- Multihead ink-jet printer, 3D printer
- Precision mechanical instrumentation for bench for the micromechanical realization of devices
- Pulsed Laser Deposition (NIR, VIS, UV)
- Subpicosecond infrared laser for micromachining, marking, evaporation
- Sputtering and thermal evaporator for metals
- Ultrasonic disintegrator
Characterization with particle probes (neutrons and muons) @ ISIS
In addition to the services offered through ISIS@MACH, the Node acts as NEUTRON GATE for complementary characterizations that can be carried out at ISIS neutron and muon facility equipped with over thirty neutron and muon beamlines.
Examples of services / characterizations carried out at ISIS are:
- Neutron diffraction: through neutron diffraction experiments, with NIMROD, PEARL, SXD. GEM, HRPD, SANDALS, POLARIS, ZOOM, one can determine the atomic and / or magnetic structure of a material.
This technique is applied for the study of crystalline solids, gases, liquids or amorphous and disordered materials. - Vibrational spectroscopy: through neutron spectroscopy, with the LET, TOSCA, MAPS instruments, MARI, IRIS, OSIRIS and VESUVIO, MERLIN, it is possible to measure atomic dynamics, vibrational spectra
and magnetic atoms. - Neutron reflectometry: using neutron reflectometry on WISH, Polref, OffSpec, Larmor, one can assess the structure of thin films.
- Small angle diffraction: Small angle neutron scattering, with SANS tools,
SANS2d, allows to probe structures on scales of length ranging from about 1 nanometer to over 100 nanometers. - Imaging: The IMAT, ENGIN-X and INES tools offer a unique combination of imaging techniques neutron, neutron diffraction and strain measurements in composite materials.
- Neutron irradiation of Chips and COTS: ISIS offers a functionality for rapid test of effects of high energy neutrons (> 10 MeV) on electronic devices and systems. ChipIR and VESUVIO to perform accelerated neutron tests (1 hour at ISIS = 100’s years in the atmospheric environment) which allow to characterize how silicon microchips respond to cosmic neutron radiation.
- Muon spectroscopy: the muon beams of the MuSR, HiFi, Emu, Chronus, Argus instruments provide a complementary neutron probe, particularly in the areas of magnetism, superconductivity and freight transportation.