INFRASTRUCTURE

The RQMP has equipped itself with a state-of-the-art infrastructure park that is among the best equipped in the country; with such a wide range of equipment, our researchers are limited only by their imagination! This not only promotes the pursuit of high-level research, but also provides an ideal environment for the training of highly qualified personnel. Our researchers are also constantly pushing the limits of available instrumentation, by developing new tools and techniques that allow them to tackle the increasingly complex questions they are faced with.

CENTRALIZED SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE

In addition to access to specialized laboratories, our researchers and students benefit from centralized shared infrastructure, equipped with the most advanced instrumentation. Teams of research professionals and technicians ensure the optimal functioning of these devices as well as the training of users . These infrastructure is accessible to users from academic and industrial communities.

Common infrastructure platforms

Material Characterization Laboratory (University of Montreal)

Director :

Antonella Badia

Responsible:

Patricia Moraille  (AFM & Ellipsometry)
Samir Elouatik (Raman/ IR)

The LCM is an instrumental and expertise platform for microscopic and vibrational characterization of nanostructured materials. The platform is accessible to students and researchers with technical supervision provided by research staff. The expertise of LCM specialists is also accessible to industrialists on contract.

  • Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
  • Ellipsometry
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Infrared spectroscopy
  • Raman spectroscopy

ION BEAM LABORATORY (University of Montreal)

Director:

François Schiettekatte

Responsible:

Martin Chicoine

The infrastructure is specialized in low and medium energy ion implantation, structural and elemental analysis of materials and radioisotope activation. The expertise developed benefits more than 55 users from 12 research groups and 3 companies. This infrastructure is the only one in Canada to offer access to ion beams with the full range of energies between 10keV and 40MeV and enjoys worldwide recognition in analytical techniques.

  • Tandetron Accelerator 1.7 MV
  • 6 MV Tandem Accelerator
  • Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS)
  • Elastic recoil detection in time-of-flight mode (ERD-TOF)
  • Ionic implantation of almost all elements
  • Plasma chamber for deposits and treatments
  • Gatan Precision Ionic Polishing System

Director:

Ludvik Martinu

Responsible:

Josianne Lefebvre

This infrastructure brings together structural, chemical analysis and surface composition mapping techniques (XPS and TOF-SIMS). Advanced analytical techniques for chemical and morphological characterizations of surfaces and interfaces of materials such as semiconductors, metals, dielectrics, composites, functional coatings, thin films, catalysts, biological tissues and polymers are commonly used by more than 90 users from 30 research groups and 8 companies.

  • Time-of-Flight SIMS
  • XPS, UPS, REELS, ISS. Including imaging and depth profiling by ion sputtering (mono- and polyatomic) and Angle- resolved XPS.
  • AES (nano-Auger)

MICROFABRICATION LABORATORY (POLYTECHNIQUE MONTREAL)

Director:

Yves-Alain Peter

Managers:

Marie-Hélène Bernier and Christophe Clément

LMF is a cleanroom infrastructure that allows academic and industrial researchers to use micromachining techniques in class 1000 cleanrooms. The LMF is an integral part of the Thin Film Physics and Technology Research Group (GCM). This research center brings together the laboratories of Montreal University and École Polytechnique dedicated to the study of the physics and technology of thin films, surfaces and interfaces. The GCM’s main research areas are oriented towards microelectronics and nanoelectronics, photonics and optoelectronics, sensors and actuators, and functional coatings and surfaces.

  • Photolithography
  • Electron beam lithography
  • Deep engraving ( DeepRIE -ICP)
  • Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)
  • Thin film deposition (CVD, sputtering)
  • Bonding of substrates
  • Parylene Deposition
  • Cutting saw
  • Supercritical drying (CPD)
  • Rapid Annealing Furnace (RTA)
  • Cleaning and stripping
  • Polishing
  • Measures 4 points
  • MicroCT

Sample Preparation Laboratory (Centre for the Physics of Materials – McGill)

Responsible:

Bradley Siwick

Contact:

Robert Gagnon

The Centre for the Physics of Materials (CPM) brings together world-class research groups at McGill to advance the fundamental understanding of the physical processes responsible for the properties of materials. The centre has a wide range of equipment for sample fabrication.

  • Steam deposition chamber​
  • Spin coater
  • Diamond saw, Wire saw
  • Soldering station
  • Thermal evaporator
  • Sonicator
  • Hydraulic press
  • Chamber and vacuum spectroscopy
  • X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • Crystal growth
  • Gloves box
  • Micro-filling tools https://youtu.be/sYF5PWMTNes

3IT (University of Sherbrooke)

Director: Paul Charrette

The interdisciplinary institute for technological innovation pursues research activities in the fields of microelectronics, nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. Areas of application include microelectronic circuits and components, telecommunications, sensors and the biomedical sector. This M3.5 class (class 100) facility includes a range of cutting-edge means for the manufacture of micro- and nanostructures and electronic or photonic integrated circuits.

Nanofabrication and nanocharacterization laboratory

Responsible: Philippe Merel

  • UV photolithography
  • Metrology
  • Ellipsometry
  • Electron beam deposition
  • Polishing
  • Helium or neon beam microscope
  • High-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM)
  • Atomic force microscope (AFM)
  • Contact profilometer ( Dektak )
  • Etching silicon, chlorine, fluorine, hydrogen bromide
  • Rapid annealing furnace
  • Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma
  • Atomic thin film deposition
  • Ionic implantation
  • Plating

Materials characterization and synthesis laboratory

Responsible: Jonathan Vermette

  • 3D printer for metal or insulation
  • Contact angle
  • Optical profilometer
  • Vacuum chamber for crystallographic growth synthesis
  • X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • Solar simulator (characterization of solar cells)
  • Under-peak station (electrical conductivity characterization)
  • IR, Raman, FTIR spectroscopy
  • Photoluminescence
  • Optical table with IR and UV laser
  • Femtosecond optical table
  • Gas ovens
  • Polishing

Quantum Fab LaB – LOW TEMPERATURE EQUIPMENT PARK (UNIVERSITY OF SHERBROOKE)

Director:

Mathieu Juan

Technical Manager:

Christian Lupien

Coordinator:

Fatou Touré

The most powerful combination of low-temperature scientific equipment in Canada is assembled in Sherbrooke. This experimental park is used to study superconductors, organic conductors and spin-chain compounds. Many cold physical characterization equipment are available, including a non-exhaustive list.

  • Dilution refrigerator
  • Variable Temperature Inserts (VTI)
  • Physical Properties Measuring System (PPMS)
  • Helium Refrigerator
  • Cryogenic under-tip measuring station

Common infrastructure platforms

Material Characterization Laboratory (University of Montreal)

Director:

Antonella Badia

Responsible:

Patricia Moraille (AFM & Ellipsometry)
Samir Elouatik (Raman/ IR)

The LCM is an instrumental and expertise platform for microscopic and vibrational characterization of nanostructured materials. The platform is accessible to students and researchers with technical supervision provided by research staff. The expertise of LCM specialists is also accessible to industrialists on contract.

  • Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
  • Ellipsometry
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Infrared spectroscopy
  • Raman spectroscopy

ION BEAM LABORATORY (University of Montreal)

Director:

François Schiettekatte

Responsible:

Martin Chicoine

The infrastructure is specialized in low and medium energy ion implantation, structural and elemental analysis of materials and radioisotope activation. The expertise developed benefits more than 55 users from 12 research groups and 3 companies. This infrastructure is the only one in Canada to offer access to ion beams with the full range of energies between 10keV and 40MeV and enjoys worldwide recognition in analytical techniques.

  • Tandetron Accelerator 1.7 MV
  • 6 MV Tandem Accelerator
  • Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS)
  • Elastic recoil detection in time-of-flight mode (ERD-TOF)
  • Ionic implantation of almost all elements
  • Plasma chamber for deposits and treatments
  • Gatan Precision Ionic Polishing System

Director:

Ludvik Martinu

Responsible:

Josianne Lefebvre

This infrastructure brings together structural, chemical analysis and surface composition mapping techniques (XPS and TOF-SIMS). Advanced analytical techniques for chemical and morphological characterizations of surfaces and interfaces of materials such as semiconductors, metals, dielectrics, composites, functional coatings, thin films, catalysts, biological tissues and polymers are commonly used by more than 90 users from 30 research groups and 8 companies.

  • Time-of-Flight SIMS
  • XPS, UPS, REELS, ISS. Including imaging and depth profiling by ion sputtering (mono- and polyatomic) and Angle- resolved XPS.
  • AES (nano-Auger)

MICROFABRICATION LABORATORY (POLYTECHNIQUE MONTREAL)

Director:

Yves-Alain Peter

Managers:

Marie-Hélène Bernier and Christophe Clément

LMF is a cleanroom infrastructure that allows academic and industrial researchers to use micromachining techniques in class 1000 cleanrooms. The LMF is an integral part of the Thin Film Physics and Technology Research Group (GCM). This research center brings together the laboratories of Montreal University and École Polytechnique dedicated to the study of the physics and technology of thin films, surfaces and interfaces. The GCM’s main research areas are oriented towards microelectronics and nanoelectronics, photonics and optoelectronics, sensors and actuators, and functional coatings and surfaces.

  • Photolithography
  • Electron beam lithography
  • Deep engraving ( DeepRIE -ICP)
  • Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)
  • Thin film deposition (CVD, sputtering)
  • Bonding of substrates
  • Parylene Deposition
  • Cutting saw
  • Supercritical drying (CPD)
  • Rapid Annealing Furnace (RTA)
  • Cleaning and stripping
  • Polishing
  • Measures 4 points
  • MicroCT

Sample Preparation Laboratory (Centre for the Physics of Materials – McGill)

Responsible:

David Cooke

Contact:

Robert Gagnon

The Centre for the Physics of Materials (CPM) brings together world-class research groups at McGill to advance the fundamental understanding of the physical processes responsible for the properties of materials. The centre has a wide range of equipment for sample fabrication.

  • Steam deposition chamber​
  • Spin coater
  • Diamond saw, Wire saw
  • Soldering station
  • Tri-arc founder
  • Sonicator
  • Hydraulic press
  • Chamber and vacuum spectroscopy
  • X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • Crystal growth

Micro-filling tools https://youtu.be/sYF5PWMTNes

3IT (University of Sherbrooke)

Director: Paul Charrette

The interdisciplinary institute for technological innovation pursues research activities in the fields of microelectronics, nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. Areas of application include microelectronic circuits and components, telecommunications, sensors and the biomedical sector. This M3.5 class (class 100) facility includes a range of cutting-edge means for the manufacture of micro- and nanostructures and electronic or photonic integrated circuits.

Responsible: Philippe Merel

  • UV photolithography
  • Metrology
  • Ellipsometry
  • Electron beam deposition
  • Polishing
  • Helium or neon beam microscope
  • High-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM)
  • Atomic force microscope (AFM)
  • Contact profilometer ( Dektak )
  • Etching silicon, chlorine, fluorine, hydrogen bromide
  • Rapid annealing furnace
  • Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma
  • Atomic thin film deposition
  • Ionic implantation
  • Plating

Responsible: Jonathan Vermette

  • 3D printer for metal or insulation
  • Contact angle
  • Optical profilometer
  • Vacuum chamber for crystallographic growth synthesis
  • X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • Solar simulator (characterization of solar cells)
  • Under-peak station (electrical conductivity characterization)
  • IR, Raman, FTIR spectroscopy
  • Photoluminescence
  • Optical table with IR and UV laser
  • Femtosecond optical table
  • Gas ovens
  • Polishing

Quantum Fab LaB – LOW TEMPERATURE EQUIPMENT PARK (UNIVERSITY OF SHERBROOKE)

Director:

Mathieu Juan

Technical Manager:

Christian Lupien

Coordinator :

Fatou Touré

The most powerful combination of low-temperature scientific equipment in Canada is assembled in Sherbrooke. This experimental park is used to study superconductors, organic conductors and spin-chain compounds. Many cold physical characterization equipment are available, including a non-exhaustive list.

  • Dilution refrigerator
  • Variable Temperature Inserts (VTI)
  • Physical Properties Measuring System (PPMS)
  • Helium Refrigerator
  • Cryogenic under-tip measuring station

Our members’ facilities

In addition to shared infrastructure, our members have their own equipment that can be used in case of collaboration on a project. Here is a non-exhaustive list, do not hesitate to contact them according to their expertise for more information.

Synthesis and Characterization

LABORATORY OF FUNCTIONAL COATINGS AND SURFACE ENGINEERING (LARFIS)

Responsible: Ludvik Martinu & Jolanta Klemberg-Sapieha

Contact: Oleg Zabeida

The expertise developed on functional coatings and optical filters has led to the creation of a center specialized in optical, mechanical and tribological characterization of thin films. Research focuses on the control of thin film growth and on surface and interface engineering, as well as on the metrology of coating properties for their applications in fields such as optics, photonics, optoelectronics, aerospace, biomedical, automotive industry, consumer products and others.

  • Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition
  • Magnetron sputtering
  • Dual ion beam sputtering
  • Spectroscopic Ellipsometers
  • Spectrophotometer
  • Infrared reflectometer
  • Nano-indentation and nano-tribology system
  • Micro scratch tester
  • Tribometer
  • Peel tester
  • potentiostat / galvanostat
  • Sheet resistance
  • ultrafast camera
  • Optical emission spectroscopy
  • Mass spectrometry
  • Langmuir probe

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY LABORATORY (MCGILL)

Responsible: Peter Grütter

Peter Grütter has a complete range of instruments in atomic force microscopy. His commercial and custom-made instruments operate at temperatures of 50mK – 800K, in neutral or electrolytic liquid media, in ambient atmosphere or in ultra-high vacuum. Several systems are combined with powerful optical microscopy platforms suitable for cellular imaging.

Other systems combine surface treatment for molecule and metal deposition with a UHV 20-800K AFM/STM/SEM analysis system.

  • Homemade AFM allowing cold measurements with very little noise
  • Darkroom AFM and electrochemistry, liquid sample holder
  • Electrochemistry in chamber with AFM under cold conditions
  • Raman spectroscope coupled with a pressure chamber and a glove box
  • Electro-catalysis equipment
  • Microscopic probe for making picosecond excitations.

Jeffrey Quilliam’s Low Temperature Characterization Laboratory (University of Sherbrooke)

Contact: Jeffrey Quilliam

Jeffrey Quilliam uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermodynamic measurements and muon spin rotation (µSR), at very low temperatures , to study frustrated magnetic materials.

  • Dilution refrigerator
  • Variable temperature insert
  • NMR under variable temperature insert
  • NMR
  • Ultrasonic interferometer

Laboratory of Thomas Szkopek (McGill)

Contact: Thomas Szkopek

Szkopek ‘s laboratory has all the equipment for characterization and synthesis of 2D materials.

  • AFM in glove box
  • Physical property measurement system (Hall effect, electrical measurement, etc.)
  • Cryostat
  • Electrical measuring station by point
  • Synthesis laboratory

Contact: Jean-François Masson

Jean-François Masson develops spectroscopic instruments for the analysis of biomolecules. His laboratory contains:

  • Equipment for nanoparticle synthesis
  • Deap coater
  • Refractometer
  • Thin film deposition
  • Portable UV-vis spectrometer
  • Raman spectrometer (solid or liquid samples)
  • Electrophysiological microscope
  • Fluorescence microscope
  • AFM
  • Plasmonic spectrometer
  • Level 2 Biosafety Room

Louis Taillefer Low Temperature Characterization Laboratory (University of Sherbrooke)

Contact: Louis Taillefer

Louis Taillefer’s instrumental park brings together everything for low-temperature electrical and magnetic characterization:

  • Dilution refrigerator
  • Wire saw
  • Variable temperature insert
  • Physical properties measurement system

Nano and micro-fabrication

Contact: Patrick Fournier

Patrick Fournier has a whole range of instruments for thin-layer deposition and single-crystal growth with characterization equipment.

  • Multiple laser ablation deposition chambers (plasma, IR)
  • Sputtering deposition chamber (linked to the previous ones allowing multi-layer)
  • Single crystal furnace
  • Monochromatic DRX ( α1)
  • Physical properties measurement system in cryogenics
  • SQUID

Optical

Several of our members specializing in optics have optical tables with detectors, short or high frequency lasers, CCD cameras, etc. that can be useful for the development of single photonic emitters and ultraprecise detectors, for diffraction and diffusion of electrons in time, for generating, accelerating and manipulating electron pulses for new ultrafast electronic imaging, etc.

Contact: Gabriel Laliberté

At the University of Sherbrooke, Professor Denis Morris’s group has a whole range of optical equipment. Two optical tables are available with a lot of optical material to adapt to all requests.

The first is mainly used for the development of single photon emitters and ultra-precise detectors for spin characterization over time for quantum computers. There are also several lasers, including one that generates and detects terahertz waves, making vacuum terahertz spectroscopy possible.

The second table has the particularity of having a CCD camera and equipment for making optical measurements at low temperature.

Optical and laser platform of the David Cooke laboratory (McGill)

Responsible: David Cooke

Prof. David Cooke has a laboratory for ultrafast THz spectroscopy. The optical platform is equipped with high-frequency lasers (TeraHz) which allows the observation of charge motion on ultrafast timescales in energy-harvesting materials, the development of new tools to control the spatiotemporal nature of THz light to tailor light-matter interactions, and the use of THz pulses to generate, accelerate and manipulate electron pulses for novel ultrafast electron imaging.

Laser platform in Brad Siwick’s laboratory (McGill)

Responsible: Brad Siwick

Pr. Brad Siwick studies ultrafast structural dynamics. For this he has a cold optical platform allowing the development of short-frequency lasers (femtosecond) to directly observe the evolving structure of matter at the level of structural rearrangement at the atomic scale in the unit cell. The platform is also equipped to do diffraction and diffusion of electrons in time.

Partner instrumental platforms

C2MI

Director: Marie-Josée Turgeon

Contact person: David Danovitch

MiQro Innovation Collaboration Center is a partner of the RQMP. The C2MI is the reference in the development and marketing of components essential to digital technologies. Their instrumental platform and expertise are reserved for industrial purposes. Users can therefore be companies or academic projects in collaboration with a company. Here is the list of equipment made available . This includes industrial equipment for scale-up, prototyping, assembly and micro-assembly laboratories, electronic packaging, semiconductor cutting, microsystem integration, printable electronics, surface characterization, thermal dispersion, DRX and reliability testing.

CALCUL QUEBEC

Director: Suzanne Talon
Contact person: Nikolas Provatas

RQMP researchers benefit from the computing infrastructure installed in several university institutions and grouped under the banner of Calcul Québec (http://www.calculquebec.ca ). This non-profit organization (NPO) offers a computing environment that allows them to carry out world-class research projects, funded by accredited funding agencies, by promoting excellence and scientific innovation. Calcul Québec also offers researchers the services of analysts specialized in scientific computing, as well as training in high-performance computing. The researchers in the group work in a wide range of scientific disciplines and fields, in both fundamental and applied sciences: astrophysics, physics and chemistry of materials, nanosciences, bioinformatics, medicine and genomics, mechanical and aeronautical engineering, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, management and optimization of transportation and telecommunications networks, environmental and atmospheric.

MIAM

Responsible: Marta Cerruti

Contact peron: Zhao Lu

The McGill Institute for Advanced Materials, established by the Faculties of Engineering and Science, acts as a focal point for research in all forms of advanced materials through its diverse expertise in materials, microfabrication and advanced facilities. MIAM is an institute dedicated to solving grand societal challenges through fundamental and applied materials research with a focus on health, energy and the environment. MIAM offers a number of important services to the McGill materials community, as well as those outside McGill. These include a state-of-the-art nanofabrication facility and characterization facility, which are also available to external and industrial users.

If you cannot find the equipment you are looking for among our instrument fleet, do not hesitate to use the IRDQ platform of PRIMA Québec which lists all materials science instruments in Quebec.