Critical Upgrade of the UHV System at the Electrochemical Technology Centre

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The current UHV system was purchased in 2001 when the Electrochemical Technology Centre (ETC) at the University of Guelph (UoG) was formed. This vacuum system integrates several instruments, including scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, auger spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which has been used extensively over the last 18 years. In 2018, with the assistance of NSERC RTI funding and strong support from the Department of Chemistry at UoG, we successfully upgraded the detector and associated electronics to provide simultaneous 128 channel detection and a modern computing system with a software package that operates in a Windows environment. With such a significant first-step upgrade, we were able to obtain a high-resolution XPS spectrum within 30 minutes; however, it requires approximately eight hours to load a single sample and to attain the appropriate operating vacuum level. To address this serious issue, it is essential to carry out a critical second-step upgrade, including a new sample stage and loading system, modification of the bakeout panel, and refurbishment of the existing dual anode X-ray source.******With the proposed upgrade, our XPS housed in the UHV system will perform as well as a current state-of-the-art system, such as XPS-LAB (Scienta Omicron), which costs over $1M USD. The proposed upgrade will enable a completely functional system that can provide dependable support for all of the research programs that are being supported by the ETC. In particular, the innovative research programs of the applicant (Professor A. Chen), the co-applicants (Professor J. Lipkowski) and the major users (Professor J. Dutcher, A. Houmam, X. Qin, P. Rowntree and D. Thomas). The proposed critical upgrade will not only significantly expedite the loading process (multiple sample vs. single sample loading) and increase capacity, but also address the current EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) issue in our HQP training, which is due to the long distance between the Long Transfer Arm Magnet and the Viewing Port (only a few tall male students with a long arm spans can currently operate the UHV system and load the sample). The UHV system is located at the ETC, which is easily accessible by students and researchers on campus and across this region. The Manager of the ETC will continue to maintain the system and provide hands-on training to users. All trained students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates will run their samples and analyze the spectra. It is anticipated that the upgraded UHV system will be in operation every day for over 130 hours per month by the research teams of the applicant, co-applicant, and major users alone. It is essential for student training and will facilitate further regional, national, and international collaborations toward the development of advanced clean technologies to address increasingly critical energy and environmental issues.**