For the synthesis of different kinds of materials the members of the institute have access to well equipped chemistry labs and different kinds of technical equipment for cutting, grinding and polishing as well as equipment for direct synthesis like sputtering or coating machines. The mechanical workshop of the institute designs new facilities or modifies existing equipment in close collaboration with the scientific staff. Further more there are special devices in the institute like an arc-melter to prepare metallic alloys, special furnaces for sample treatments or a melt-spinner for metallic glass preparation etc. The most important devices for materials synthesis, which are accessible in the institute, are summarized in the list below:
Of course the Institute of Materials Physics provides a broad range of facilities for materials analysis within the interdisciplinary research area covered by the groups that work in our institute. These facilities range from chemical analysis or calorimetry to structure analysis on the atomic scale, to mention just a few examples. A special position takes our isotope lab, where radiotracer measurements are used to determine diffusion behavior and diffusion mechanisms. Classical microscopy is also an important part of an institute in the field of materials physics. Thus, we employ several optical microscopes, but also scanning electron-, transmission electron- and atomic force microscopes, respectively with special equipment for sample preparation. Additionally, we have strong foci on tomographic atom probe tomography, on the electrical characterization of semiconductors or polymer electrolytes, on calorimetry and thermal analysis and also on the mechanical characterization of materials with respect of their yield strength or hardness. The following list summarizes the most important devices that are used for analysis purposes:
thermal analysis
Diamond DSC (Perkin Elmer)
liquid nitrogen thermostat
power compensated DSC for measurements from -170 °C to 500 °C
heating rates up to 500 K/min
Labsys TG-DSC (Setaram)
combined thermogravimetry und heat-flux DSC-measurements up to 1600 °C
modified for measurements in high purity argon atmosphere
Q 100 DSC (TA Instruments)
heat-flux DSC for measurements from -80 °C to 500 °C
modulated DSC
TAM III nano-calorimeter (Thermometric)
high precision isothermal calorimetry up to 150 °C with a resolution of 10 nW
Setup for impedance spectroscopy measurements and temperature / pH measurements
Radiotracer laboratory
Diffusion investigations with the application of radioactive isotopes are traditionally carried out at the Institute of Materials Physics of the University of Münster. The institute has a well-equipped laboratory for radioisotope storage and handling including high-end nuclear detectors for precision counting of both β- and γ-decay intensities. An ultra-low background of the detectors allows reliable detection of extremely small amounts of radioisotopes associated with even a few short-circuit diffusion paths existing in well-annealed coarse-grained polycrystals or, as recently shown, even in bi- and tri-crystals.
