Nano-Bio-Mechanical Characterization Laboratory

Dr. Gang Feng, associate professor, Mechanical Engineering, leads research in:

• Multiscale Nano-Bio-Mechanical Characterization, with particular emphasis on comprehensive understandings of mechanical behavior of nanomaterials, biomaterials and biosystems through experimental techniques and theoretical modeling
• Rational Design of Nanomaterials and Nanostructures, based on fundamental understanding and principles

Key laboratory facilities:

• Agilent Nano Indenter G200: Equipped with continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) module, dynamic contact module II (DCM II), temperature-control module, and NanoVisionTM scanning probe microscope module, this advanced platform explores material properties at the nano and micro scales with ultrahigh resolution: 10 nano-Newton for load and 0.1nm for displacement, and at a temperature up to 350°C.

Through the CSM module, materials can be characterized at the multiscales from 5 nm to 0.5 mm (over 5 orders of magnitude) within minutes. The DCM II extends the range of load-displacement experimentation down to 3nN with the lowest noise floor of any instrument of its type. Through the NanoVision module, the nanoindenter can create nanoscale quantitative high-resolution scanning topographical images, which is critical to test nanomaterials. Through the temperature-control module, the nanoindenter can characterize materials at various temperatures up to 350°C.

• Agilent 5500 Atomic Force Microscope: This state-of-the-art AFM can test force as small as 1 pico-Newton (1/1000 of a nano-Newton) and offers patented top-down scanning, ultra-precision temperature control, and industry-leading environmental control.
• Hitachi S-4800 Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope: Offers a cold field emission electron source for high resolution, ExB in-lens filter.