Scanning probe microscopy lab of the scientific and technical services, overview and current capabilities
Markos Paradinas, ICMAB-CSIC
Monday 13 May 2024
12:00 PM
ICMAB -Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles
Abstract
The SPM lab offers surface characterization by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) related experiments both to the ICMAB community and to external users.
In June 2023 the SPM lab has initiated a new phase with the renewal of the scientist in charge and changes on the technical staff. The laboratory has been redistributed and a Park System NX10 new equipment has been installed in September 2023. Since summer 2023 the service has supplied atomic force microscopy data of organic, inorganic and biological samples to 14 ICMAB research groups and 2 external research groups.
In this technical seminar we will present an overview of the service and its current capabilities, including the common topographic characterization of surfaces and also the possibilities on advanced measurements for mechanical, electrostatic, piezoelectric, conductive and magnetic properties characterization.
Short bio
Markos Paradinas received his degree in Physics with specialization in Physics of Materials in 2007. He started his Master Degree period when he joined the Physical Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces group headed by the Prof. Carmen Ocal in the Institute for Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC). He finished the Master on Science and Technology of Materials (CITEM) on September 2008 with a master thesis devoted to the mechanical and conducting response of organic fiber structures studied by atomic force microscopies (AFM). He was awarded with a FPI fellowship for performing his Ph.D project in the same research group. He received his Ph.D degree at the Material Science Institute of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) on 2014 with a dissertation about morphological, mechanical, electrostatic and conductive characterization of self-assembled and nanostructured systems including organic thin films and inorganic surfaces by scanning probe microscopy techniques.
In March 2015 he joined the Atomic Manipulation and Spectroscopy Group (AMS) headed by Prof. Aitor Mugarza in the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) as Laboratory Technician with the main objective of leading the two group laboratories with main responsibilities related with maintenance and development of two ultra-high vacuum and low temperature chambers with two scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) heads. In September 2015 he was awarded with a PTA (Personal Técnico de Apoyo – MINECO) cofounded project to coordinate the installation and use of a MBE/STM UHV chamber in the BOREAS beamline in ALBA synchrotron under the collaboration agreement of ICN2 and ALBA. The award of the PTA promoted him to Laboratory Engineer with permanent position under the Research Engineer category, highest at the ICN2 for employees on the Research Support area. In addition to the coordination responsibilities of the PTA project, he covered other responsibilities on the AMS group such as to be the main technical responsible of laboratories, development of instrumentation in close collaboration with the Instrumental Unit of the Research Support Division, technical and scientific training and support of the researcher, safety responsible of the group, responsible of the group inner technical process and protocols, responsible of the chemical and technical inventory of the group and main coordinator of purchase processes of the group. Besides, he participated in different research lines of the group including the on surface synthesis of graphene nanoribbon and nanoporous graphene films, decoupling of these systems by the intercalation of self-assembled monolayers, their transfer to functional surfaces, etc.
In June 2023 he joined the Scanning Probe Microscopy laboratory of the Scientific and Technical Services of ICMAB as senior technician.
