With each instrument I build and/or learn to operate, I gain a new way to explore materials and their properties. I’m inspired by what I see under a microscope or within a spectra. I find joy in developing and performing innovative experiments.
Below is a list of the many instruments and techniques I have dedicated days, months, and years to learning. Through these I deepened my understanding of physics, chemistry, and materials science, and made discoveries for scientific and engineering teams in academia, government, and industry labs that have been published or patented.
INSTRUMENT OPERATION & DATA ANALYSIS
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Energy-dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS),
Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) sample-preparation
Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
Electron Beam Lithography (EBL)
X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD)
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)
Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)
Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS)
Small Area XPS (SA-XPS)
Gas Cluster Ionization Source (GCIS) Depth Profiling
Angle-Resolved XPS (AR-XPS)
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM)
Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
High-Resolution TEM (HR-TEM)
Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS)
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Attenuated Total Reflection FTIR (ATR-FTIR)
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)
Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM)
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM)
Amplitude Modulated KPFM (AM-KPFM)
Frequency Modulated KPFM (FM-KPFM)
Apertureless Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy (ANSOM)
Ellipsometry
Universal Testing Systems – INSTRON
Confocal Microscopy
Electrochemical Testing
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS)
Cyclic Voltammetry (CV)
Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE)
Gas Chromatography (GC)
GC – Barrier Ionization Discharge (GC-BID)
Karl-Fischer Titration (KF)
Materials Fabrication
Sputtering
SEM Sample Preparation
Thin Film Deposition
Multi-layer Thin Film Fabrication
Lithium-ion Battery Cathode Coating
Electroless Nickel Deposition
Silicon Nanowire Etching
Lithium-ion Coin Cell Assembly
Instrumentation
- Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM)
- Modification of a JEOL Scanning Probe Microscope to perform AM- and cryo-FM-KPFM using a in-house built PCB to control laser power, a Zurich Instruments HF2LI Lock-in Amplifier, and an in-house built LabView user interface.
- Differential Thermal Analyzer (DTA)
- Built a differential thermal analyzer to analyze lithium-ion battery electrolyte properties using a dewar, thermocouples, and a 3D-printed battery housing.
Data Analysis Experience
Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)
Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS)
Powder Wettability (Washburn Method)
Failure Analysis and Safety Testing
Constructive Failure Analysis – Electronic Components
Lithium-ion Battery Postmortem Analysis
Thermal Cycling and Thermal Shock Testing
Vibration Testing
Dielectric Withstanding Voltage Testing (DWV)
Cross-Sectioning and Polishing
Thermography
Particle Impact Noise Detection (PIND)
X-ray Inspection
Curve Tracer
Wire Pull Testing
Insulation Resistance Testing
Electronics
PCB Assembly
Surface Mount Soldering
Oscilloscopes
Function Generators
Power Supplies
Wire-Bonder
PID and PLL Loop – HF2LI Lock-In Amplifier
Programming and Data Analysis
Battery Testing Systems
Maccor
Arbin
Electrochemical Testing Systems
BioLogic
Gamry
CoreView
CoreWare
Programming
LabView
Matlab: Simulink
Mathematica
C
Unix
Vpython
BASIC
Data Analysis
Igor Pro
CasaXPS
Origin
AutoCAD
Microsoft Office Suite
Excel: Pivot Tables
Music, Photography, and Video
Photoshop
Flash8/CS3
Logic Pro X
Max/MSP/Jitter
Audacity
Jill Pestana 