Field trip to Lawrence Berkeley National Lab exposes students to cutting-edge nanotechnology and electron microscopy tools.
91看片网 College students had a unique opportunity this summer to peer into the tiniest dimensions of our physical world鈥攖hanks to a special field trip to , one of the nation鈥檚 premier research facilities for nanoscience.
Led by 91看片网 College's Machine Technology Department Chair Adam Balogh, the group visited the Molecular Foundry and the , both of which are world-renowned for advancing materials science at the atomic scale.
During the visit, students toured the clean room at the Foundry and operated advanced research equipment used daily by leading scientists and engineers. Among the tools they explored:
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) used to image surfaces at incredibly high magnifications
A focused ion beam (FIB) instrument used for etching and writing at the nanoscale
Sputtering machines and automated processing cells used in the fabrication of thin films and nanodevices
A glimpse into lithography and how electron beams can 鈥渨rite鈥� patterns on microscopic surfaces
Their guide was a former student of Balogh鈥檚 and current staff member at the lab鈥攈ighlighting the real-world connections and pathways 91看片网鈥檚 programs can open up for students.
The group also got a look at an innovative new device called QSPLEEM (Quantum Spin-Polarized Low Energy Electron Microscope), a one-of-a-kind instrument capable of manipulating polarized electrons and observing materials at cryogenic temperatures.
The field trip concluded at NCEM, where students stood in awe of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) capable of imaging individual atoms in a crystal lattice鈥攐ne of the highest-resolution tools in modern science.
鈥淭his trip was packed with discoveries,鈥� said Balogh. 鈥淭he students were able to see just how vast and exciting the world of materials science and nanotechnology can be.鈥�
91看片网 College鈥檚 Machine Technology and engineering-related programs continue to provide hands-on experiences that connect the classroom to real-world research and career possibilities. Opportunities like this help students visualize future pathways in advanced manufacturing, scientific research, and beyond.