The Instruments

Bio-Rad FTS-6000 and Varian FTS-7000 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometers

Some of the diagrams and text contained in these pages are included with permission from Bio-Rad (2001).


This is a high specification research FTIR spectrometer built by Bio-Rad (now Digilab). As installed, this instrument enables the transmission spectra of gases and solids to be recorded. A beam condenser is available to study small samples (>5mm diameter). Three accessories enabling Attenuated Total Reflection studies to be completed on solids (powders, polymers, deposited films etc.) and liquids are available. Also available are two variable angle reflection accessories, allowing spectra taken in Reflection from solids and liquids to be observed. A variable angle of incidence transmission accessory has also been constructed. This allows transmission spectra of solid samples to be collected at angles other than normal incidence.
When applying to use this instrument please include a brief summary of the experiment to be completed, along with an explanation of the ultimate aims of the project being undertaken.
emailSAF@chem.ox.ac.uk

IT Concepts Tracker Drop Shape Analysis

Some of the diagrams and text contained in these pages are included with permission from ITC and Scientific & Medical Products Ltd (2001).


This instrument is a combined surface tensiometer and contact angle goniometer. By digital processing of the shape of a drop of one fluid formed within a second fluid, it can automatically measure the interfacial tension between the two fluids and the contact angle onto a surface or needle. It is possible to measure both static and dynamic (time varying) parameters of the system. This instrument is able to cope with almost all liquid densities and opacities and is designed to give flexibility whilst still being fairly easy to use.

When applying to use this instrument please include a brief summary of the experiment to be completed, along with an explanation of the ultimate aims of the project being undertaken.
emailSAF@chem.ox.ac.uk

Digital Instruments Multimode Nanoscope Scanning Probe Microscope

Some of the text, the manuals and the following image are courtesy Digital instruments, Veeco Metrology Group, www.di.com


This is a multimode instrument allowing AFM, STM and magnetic images to be taken. A fluid cell is available which allows experiments to be completed under aliquid as well as in air. Combined AFM and electrochemisty is also possible with the fluid cell and the SAF’s potentiostat.
The manufacturers have fortunately produced manuals in electronic format for this instrument which can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat. The Brief AFM Manual contains the basic principles of AFM along with all the information that is required to operate the instrument in both contact mode and Tapping mode to generate both images and force curves.
The Full Manual gives an almost complete description of all the expermental methods, data manipulation and analysis. Please contact the Surface Analysis Facility for any additional release notes if required.
Gold substrates for deposition of organic films to be studied by AFM can be prepared, on mica, silica and other substrates, using the SAF’s evaporator and AFM probes can be cleaned using the SAF’s Oxygen plasma etcher.
When applying to use this instrument please include a brief summary of the experiment to be completed, along with an explanation of the ultimate aims of the project being undertaken.
emailSAF@chem.ox.ac.uk

CE Instruments Sorptomatic 1990

Some of the diagrams and text contained in these pages are included with permission from CE-Instruments UK distributors of the Sorptomatic 1990 (2001).


The Sorptomatic 1990 is a completely computerized instrument based on a static volumetric principle to characterize solid samples by the technique of gas adsorption. It is designed to perform physisorption measurements to determine the specific surface area and mesopore size distribution of porous materials by using inert gases such as nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, etc.
This instrument can also perform chemisorption measurements on activated solids like catalysts or acid/basic materials (as zeolites), using reactive gases (i.e. Hydrogen, Carbon Monoxide or Oxygen) or corrosive gases (i.e. gaseous dry ammonia). It has a specially designed pre-treatment unit and hence it is possible to connect up to six gases to the special flow gas burette to properly activate the catalyst before the experiment. The software enables the determination of metal specific surface area and dispersion in supported catalysts from chemisorption isotherms.

When applying to use this instrument please include a brief summary of the experiment to be completed, along with an explanation of the ultimate aims of the project being undertaken.
emailSAF@chem.ox.ac.uk

Beaglehole Instruments Picometer Ellipsometer

Some of the diagrams and text contained in these pages are included with permission from Beaglehole Instruments (2002).


This Ellipsometer is capable of both spectroscopic (using a monochromator and one of two white light sources) and single fixed wavelength (632.8nm) measurements with variable angle of incidence. In contrast to conventional ellipsometers, this Picometer Ellipsometer uses a Photoelastic Birefringence Modulator to modulate the polarisation of the incident light beam at a high, well defined frequency. Beaglehole Instruments' unique modulator features a three element design that makes it independent of temperature variations. The phase modulation along with phase sensitive detection of the modulated detector signal eliminates most sources of noise to achieve high sensitivity. The sensitivity is usually shot noise limited, and typically is equivalent to an ellipticity of about 10-5, or to a polarisation angle of 10-3 degrees at a time constant of 1 s. This is equivalent to a detection limit of less than 10-12m of oxide on the silicon surface (about 1/100 of a monolayer). Phase modulation makes the instrument insensitive to small variations in the measurement conditions which are inevitably introduced by glass windows, sample cells, or variations in the sample surface itself such as waves on a liquid. As the measurement does not require an optical element to be rotated the response time can be as short as 1 ms and hence it is fast enough to follow most dynamic situations in real time.
Gold substrates for deposition of organic films to be studied by ellipsometry can be prepared, on silica microscope slides and other substrates, using the SAF’s evaporator.
When applying to use this instrument please include a brief summary of the experiment to be completed, along with an explanation of the ultimate aims of the project being undertaken.
emailSAF@chem.ox.ac.uk

Bruker D8 X-ray Reflectometer



X-ray reflectometry is able to determine layer properties like thickness, density and roughness. The technique can be applied to thin films (liquid, amorphous, poly-crystalline, epitaxial or any combination), prepared on both solid and liquid substrates. This instrument features a ceramic X-ray tube, Göbel mirror and V-Groove to give a small well controlled intense X-ray beam. It enables measurement of layer thickness (between 0.5 and 400 nm), density and roughness (between 0 and 2 nm) with about 1 % accuracy, independently of each other.

When applying to use this instrument please include a brief summary of the experiment to be completed, along with an explanation of the ultimate aims of the project being undertaken.
emailSAF@chem.ox.ac.uk