Open Centre for the Characterization of Advanced Materials (OCCAM)

OCCAM also offers sample preparation, transfer and manipulation services.

Open Centre for the Characterization of Advanced Materials (OCCAM)

OCCAM also offers sample preparation, transfer and manipulation services.

OCCAM is a premier collaborative resource for research, training, and technical development, offering access to state-of-the-art surface analysis and electron microscopy infrastructure and expertise. It enables detailed examination of the bulk properties, interfaces, and surfaces of a wide variety of advanced materials, from the macro to the atomic scale, supporting hundreds of high-impact research programs across diverse fields.
OCCAM’s mission includes both delivering cutting-edge materials characterization to its extensive user community and advancing the boundaries of measurement capabilities. The facility is organized into three main nodes:
• Surface Science (WB104/107/108/111) – with state-of-the-art XPS systems (3), ToF-SIMS, SAM, LEIS, AFM, and profilometry, OCCAM’s surface lab is one of Canada’s best-equipped surface analytical laboratories.
• Electron Microscopy (PT167, LM50) – comprehensively equipped with SEMs (4), TEMs (2), a dual-column FIB tool, and an array of sample preparation infrastructure.
• Sample Preparation and Supporting Characterization (PT164, WB104) – an extensive cadre of sample sectioning, polishing, grinding, and coating infrastructure, as well as several complementary characterization tools (including light microscopes, hardness testers) provide facility research support.
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