Equipment Catalog

This CFN manufactured instrument uses three synchronized syringe pumps and coordinated stage motion to deposit soft and hybrid material thin films with binary or ternary gradient composition profiles onto substrates by electrospray deposition.  A Labview graphical user interface enables user-directed or preprogrammed deposition, and feedback control based on image analysis can be used to stabilize the spray.  Film thickness is adjusted between ~40 and ~1000 nm  by controlling stage motion and flow rate.  The stage is heated (max temperature = 250 °C) to control drying rate of the as-deposited solution.  Various “extractor rings” are used to focus the spray into a specific deposition area (~2 mm diameter spot, ~2 mm wide line, or large area) depending on the intended characterization method or application.