One of the most important drivers of success in materials research today is the availability of cutting-edge facilities and instrumentation. The Institute for Materials Discovery and Design (IMDD) connects materials science research facilities across the UC San Diego campus including:
CMRR Electronic and Energy Materials Characterization Facility
The electronic and energy materials characterization facility within the UC San Diego Center for Memory and Recording Research (CMRR) provides access to an array of state-of-the-art equipment for the characterization of nanomaterials (both thin-film and powder). Equipment includes XRD, XPS, Hall effect, UV-Vis, AFM/MFM, SEM, and photo current systems to measure crystal structure, and magnetic, surface, transport, and optical properties.
Nano3
Nano3 provides advanced capabilities for fabrication and characterization in a state-of-the-art cleanroom. In addition to providing essential nanofabrication capabilities for research on electronic and optoelectronic materials and devices, Nano3 facilitates research for biomedical and biochemical devices, heterogeneous integrated devices and circuits, and sensor technology. Nano3, housed within UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute, is the primary facility of the San Diego Nanotechnology Infrastructure (SDNI).
San Diego Supercomputer Center
Computing and cyberinfrastructure resources, services, and expertise that drive materials science research are available through UC San Diego's San Diego Supercomputer Center.
Cryo-EM Facility
The cryo-EM facility at UC San Diego provides tools and expertise necessary to facilitate the study of cellular and macromolecular structures through use of single-particle and tomographic techniques. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET) are powerful methods for revealing the structural components of the living world utilizing electron microscopes and electron detectors that enable researchers to see beyond the reach of traditional light and confocal microscopy.