Welcome!
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The Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF) at Duke University is an interdisciplinary shared research facility supporting advanced work in nanotechnology, semiconductor devices, materials science, biotechnology, and quantum-related systems. Open to researchers from Duke, academia, government laboratories, and industry, SMIF provides access to state-of-the-art cleanroom fabrication, imaging, and materials characterization tools within a collaborative and professionally supported environment. SMIF’s infrastructure enables users to move efficiently from concept and prototyping to fabrication and detailed analysis.
At the center of the facility is a 7,000 ft² Class 100/1000 cleanroom equipped for lithography, thin-film deposition, plasma etching, thermal processing, and semiconductor device fabrication. Capabilities include photolithography, electron-beam lithography, atomic layer deposition (ALD), sputtering, PECVD, evaporation, and reactive ion etching, supporting fabrication at both the micro- and nanoscale.
Complementing the cleanroom is an extensive suite of advanced characterization and imaging tools. Researchers have access to scanning and transmission electron microscopy (including cryo-TEM and STEM), focused ion beam systems, AFM, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, and micro-CT imaging. These capabilities enable detailed structural, chemical, optical, and electronic analysis of materials and devices, supporting research ranging from semiconductor processing and nanophotonics to soft materials and quantum materials characterization.
SMIF’s cryo-electron microscopy core provides access to state-of-the-art cryo-transmission electron microscopes that support high-resolution structural analysis of biological and other cryo-compatible samples. The flagship instrument is a Thermo Fisher Krios G3i 300 kV Cryo-TEM equipped with a Gatan K3 BioQuantum direct detector and energy filter, optimized for single-particle analysis and cryo-electron tomography workflows to reveal detailed 3D structure with excellent contrast and low‐dose imaging. SMIF also houses a Thermo Fisher Tundra 100 kV Cryo-TEM for rapid single-particle screening and optimization, both available to trained users for advanced structural biology and materials research.
The SMiF Mass Spec Facility provides isotopic analyses for internal and external users across a wide range of disciplines. We operate a Nu Sapphire multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) capable of measuring the isotopic composition of a wide variety of elements. The instrument is equipped with 16 Faraday detectors and a secondary electron multiplier (SEM) for quantification of small ion beams. The Sapphire has a collision-reaction cell where gases can be introduced to the ion flight path to remove interfering species, opening up several novel applications. Analyses offered: δ7Li, δ26Mg, δ41K, δ44Ca, δ56Fe, δ65Cu, δ66Zn, δ82Se, δ238U. We also have a Nu Horizon 2 isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) capable of measuring light stable isotope ratios. The IRMS is connected to an Ember elemental analyzer (EA) via a continuous-flow interface for high-throughput analysis of organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes in solid samples.
SMIF is designed around a user-focused model that combines advanced instrumentation with expert staff support and hands-on training. Users can be trained and certified to independently operate equipment, while facility staff provide guidance in process development, experimental design, and specialized measurements.
David Mitzi | SMIF Executive Director
Holly Leddy | SMIF Director
Nilakshee Bhattarcharya | CryoEM Manager
Kirk Bryson | Cleanroom
Jay Dalton | Cleanroom
Renata Garcés | Soft Materials Lab
Justin Gladman | Characterization Team Leader
Rosa Grigoryan | Mass Spec Lab Manager
Zhennan Huang | STEM & FIB
Lydia Parks | TEM & FIB
Emily Snell | Optical Spectroscopy
Talmage Tyler | Cleanroom Team Leader
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SMIF 24 hours/day, 7 days/week Staffed Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm |
Fitzpatrick CIEMAS 101 Science Dr. Durham, NC 27708
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Cleanroom 7am to 12 midnight, 7 days/week Staffed Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
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Fitzpatrick CIEMAS
101 Science Dr. Durham, NC 27708 |
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SMIF Mass Spec Facility 24 hours/day, 7 days/week Staffed Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm |
LSRC
308 Research Dr., room A129 Durham, NC 27708 |
| Name | Role | Phone | Location | |
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| SMIF |
General Email
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smif@duke.edu
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