Ion Beam Materials and Analysis Laboratory

Ion beam materials and analysis 2

The work undertaken in our Ion Beam Materials and Analysis Laboratory supports the health of New Zealand communities, and contributes to the development of innovative new technologies.

Work undertaken in our Ion Beam Materials and Analysis Laboratory is centred around two key outcomes:

Improving the health of New Zealand communities. Our air pollution monitoring, analysis, interpretation and modelling expertise helps government agencies and local authorities to implement effective policies and strategies and develop practical measures to manage and improve air quality. Together we have measurably improved respiratory health outcomes for New Zealanders.

Developing materials for energy harvesting, energy efficiency and a low carbon future. We are working with a range of manufacturing and resource extraction industries to develop innovative ion beam technologies and new industrial materials, which will add significant value to the New Zealand economy, as well as reducing emissions.

  • What is Ion Beam Analysis?

    Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) is a range of techniques where a high-energy ion beam hits a target producing a variety of emitted particles. These particles are characteristic of the elements in the elements of the target sample.

    IBA can determine the variation in the elemental composition in the surface of a material. This composition strongly influences the properties of the material.

     The IBA method uses a particle accelerator to inject the nuclei of light atoms such as hydrogen, deuterium or helium into the surface particles (at 0.75 - 3 MeV), resulting in emitted nuclei, gamma rays or X-rays.

    Our nationally unique capability of accelerator ion-beam technology allows us to alter a material’s properties by depositing other elements, atom by atom, within and on its surface. The primary drivers for this work are the private sector high-technology enterprises for whom we are developing innovative nanomaterials.

     

Our Expertise and Capability:

The Ion Beam Materials and Analysis Research Laboratory houses expertise and technology unique to both New Zealand and many other parts of the world. Collectively we can analyse a sample for almost every element of the periodic table to parts per million (ppm) levels of detection. Examples of our capability include:

Our key equipment includes:

  • A 3MV particle accelerator
  • X-ray fluoresce spectrometer (XRF)
  • The ion beam sputter system and implanters
  • Atomic force microscope (AFM)
  • Contact angle (CA)

Our key analysis techniques include:

  • Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE)
  • Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE)
  • Rutherford Backscattering System (RBS)
  • Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA)
  • Resonant Nuclear Reaction Analysis (RNRA)
  • Elastic Recoil Detection (ERA)
  • Proton Elastic Scattering Analysis (PESA)

Commonly used Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) techniques

Interaction

Abbreviation

Description

Particle Induced X-ray Emission

PIXE

Electrons are in-elastically scattered by the particle beam and elemental specific X-rays are emitted during the de-excitation process.

Particle Induced
γ-ray Emission

PIGE

Nuclei are excited by the particle beam and elemental specific γ-rays are emitted during the de-excitation process.

Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry

RBS

Elastic scattering of the particle beam from the target nuclei.

Nuclear Reaction Analysis

NRA

Nuclear reactions occur between the target nuclei and the particles in the beam which result in the emission of discrete ions that have characteristic energies for each element.

Resonant Nuclear Reaction Analysis

rNRA

Some nuclear reactions occur at specific energies with narrow energy windows called resonances. The reaction can be made to occur at specific depths within the sample which is useful for depth profiling elements.

Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis

ERDA

Elastic recoil of light elements (eg H) from the target in a forward direction occurs at much higher energy than the other heavier elements in the target. The heavier elements are stopped using a filter.

Proton Elastic Scattering Analysis

 

PESA

Measures hydrogen in a sample by using a proton beam to forward recoil hydrogen in the sample. At a forward scattering angle of 45°, both the scattered proton beam and the recoiled hydrogen will have 50% of the initial proton energy.

Our key materials modification techniques include:

  • Ion beam sputtering and implantation equipment and know-how
  • Electron beam annealing, furnaces and nano-structuring capabilities
  • Industrial microwave engineering.

 

We have expertise on the use of radiation devices with most staff as licenced radiation users. We provide advice to other GNS radiation users and have a contractor who provides radiation licensee training, complementing other courses in New Zealand. GNS Science is one of two major air particulate matter analytical groups in New Zealand (with NIWA), and the only one undertaking source characterisation research.

We are also a member of the MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at Victoria University of Wellington, and a member of the Materials Accelerator operated by the University of Auckland.

Our Clients 

We are a trusted provider of research, knowledge and monitoring to New Zealand government agencies, and the work we do informs the development of government, national and regional policies, regulations and strategies.

Our science is used primarily by the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Health and the New Zealand Transport Agency, and all of New Zealand’s regional and local authorities to help understand the sources of air pollution so that they can target solutions for exposed populations.  

We also have deep partnerships with a range of New Zealand research organisations, including universities, other CRI’s, and industry groups.

Our expertise is used internationally, by a range of government agencies and public and private organisations, as well as our partners, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation CSIRO and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology ANSTO.

GNS Science is also the New Zealand representative on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regional Cooperation Agreement air monitoring programme for Australasia and South East Asia. 

Our Location

The Ion Beam Materials and Analysis Laboratory is located within our National Isotope Centre (NIC) in Gracefield, Wellington.

  • Equipment & Technical Capability - Fabrication

    We produce nanosurfaces, advanced materials and ion implantation equipment.

    Ion Implantation: we provide Ion Beam implantation services for researchers using single, interlinked (2 different ion species simultaneously) or in-situ ion implanters (combined ion implantation, RBS and electron beam annealing)

    Thin Film Deposition: performed using an Ion-beam Sputter System

    Electron Beam Annealer: for growing self-assembled nanostructures in an extremely controlled manner and for activation of ion implanted atoms

    Ion Implantation Equipment: we manufacture of Ion Beam Implantation systems and componentry and we use these components to build complete operating electronic control devices

  • Equipment & Technical Capability - Analysis

    We provide high-accuracy elemental analysis (hydrogen to uranium) of materials and surfaces from a wide range of sample types.

     Ion Beam Analysis: a range of techniques where a high-energy ion beam hits a target producing a variety of emitted particles

    Atomic Force Microscopy: Used to determine the topography of nanoscale surfaces to 14 µm depth

    Scanning Electron Microscopy: we can image features <1 µm using single sample (with tilting capability) or multiple sample holder (no tilting)

    Field Emission test system: high vacuum chamber for measuring the field emission (electronic properties) of advanced materials

    Hall Effect measurement: for measuring the resistivity, carrier concentration, and mobility of semiconductors

     

     

  • Sample scope, submission and pricing

    Standard turnaround: 20-30 working days
    Priority turnaround: 10-15 working days

    Common sample types: Trace Elements
    - Tissue 
    - Cores (mud and stone)
    - Dust
    - Fish
    - Man-made debris
    - Particulate Matter
    - Rocks
    - Shell fish
    - Soil
    - Medical and biological
    - Air and water samples

    Common sample types: Advanced Materials  
    - Nanomaterials
    - Surfaces
    - Structures

    Prices: Please contact us

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