Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN)

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The Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN, www.cenide.de/ican) at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) is a state-of-the-art open core facility, combining equip-ment, methods and scientific expertise for advanced analytics on the nanometer length scale. Organizationally, ICAN is part of the Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE, www.cenide.de) - one of the nationwide leading research networks in nanoscience and nanotech-nology. Main efforts in the present funding period (2014-2017) focused on the establishment of the organizational structure and the foundation of a sophisticated microscopy center with a par-ticular combination of five major complementary analytical techniques for comprehensive char-acterization of nanomaterials (TEM/STEM, SAM, AFM/SPM, TOF-SIMS, XPS). A professional management and a joint team of experienced scientists and technical co-workers ensure high-level analytical service and equal access for internal and external users. Altogether, these fea-tures give ICAN a unique profile among other national and international core facilities and make it an outstanding choice for service measurements in the field of nano and surface analysis. In this proposal (2017-2020) further actions will be taken in order to sharpen the provided serv-ice profile and widen the overall external impact of ICAN. For this purpose, the services and techniques in ICAN will be adapted and expanded to the specific needs of the local research groups in the CENIDE. Further advanced microscopic techniques for 3D analysis, in situ charac-terization and measurement of material properties will be established. The setup of a dedicated sample transfer system will enable the analysis of sensitive materials. Novel laser-based meth-ods will complement the pool of sample preparation techniques. Application notes are being de-veloped in order to illustrate the particular features of individual techniques and specific service packages. In combination with dedicated quality management, public relation and academic out-reach activities, further increased utilization and percentage of external users is targeted. Col-laborations with other core facilities and microscopy centers will be expanded in order to build up strategic alliances and jointly promote actions in order to further support and establish these nationwide service facilities. Overall, these actions will inherently strengthen ICAN and further sharpen its profile among other core facilities and microscopy centers. The UDE rectorate generously supports these structure-building measures and with this ensures the long-term structural and financial sustainability of ICAN well beyond the time frame of the proposed project.