Scientific Facilities

ETH Zürich is able to perform at a very high level due to state of the art laboratories and computing facilities, excellent support and high tech scientific equipment in the research groups. Within D-MATL there is a great collaborative spirit which provides an excellent research environment for graduate students and researchers. Additionally, there is organized access to technology platforms. Within the department the following services are provided:

  • NMR Service
    The NMR instrumentation facility available to researchers in the Department of Materials (D-MATL) is jointly operated with the Insitute of Chemical and Bioengineering (ICB) and the Laboratory for Inorganic Chemistry (LAC), both in the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB). Researchers can either profit from the spectra recording service or use the open access possibility.
  • X-Ray Service
    The X-Ray Service supports research activities at the D‐MATL by providing an excellent infrastructure and scientific know‐how in the field of material characterization with X‐ray diffraction techniques. The service includes operation and maintenance of scientific hard‐ and software, theoretical and experimental support of users, organization of beam‐time at synchrotron or neutron facilities as well as general crystallographic consultancy.
  • Materials Discovery Laboratory
    Single crystals of new emergent materials are crucial for the detailed investigation of their fascinating physical properties. Significant progress has been made in the past years in the study of materials that exhibit exotic and interesting properties due to breakthroughs in the synthesis and availability of high quality polycrystalline and single crystal samples of these compounds. The Materials Discovery Lab is a synthesis and crystal growth facility based in D-MATL. The facility stems from a joint initiative between D-MATL and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), with the aim to strengthen the collaboration and exchange of students between ETH Zurich and PSI. The Materials Discovery Lab provides high quality samples to researchers from ETH Zurich, PSI and other national or international institutions, based on capacity and funding.

Additionally we have access to the global technology platforms of ETH, which in particular for materials research are:

  • Scientific Center for Optical and Electron Microscopy (ScopeM)
    ScopeM is a central scientific technology platform of ETH Zurich providing resources and services in light and electron microscopy (and related areas) as well as direct access to state-of-the-art microscopy and sample preparation equipment.
  • Binnig and Rohrer Nanotechnology Center (BRNC)
    The Nanotechnology Center, which ETH Zurich is running in a unique partnership with IBM Research-Zurich, offers an outstanding research infrastructure for academics and industry specialists. It includes a clean room and six “noise-free labs” for carrying out highly sensitive trials on the nanoscale.
  • FIRST Center for Micro- and Nanoscience
    The FIRST technology platform offers the latest facilities for research and education. These include a clean room laboratory measuring 400 m2 which provides ideal conditions for researchers and students working on micro- and nanotechnology.

For further information on how to access the services and scientific facilities of D-MATL please contact .

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