Synthesis
Thin-film growth & process control
Pulsed laser deposition, complex oxides, semiconductors, multilayers, heterostructures, doped materials, process optimization, and custom growth workflows.
Research Infrastructure
NMRL researchers operate within a broad University of Utah research ecosystem that supports the complete materials workflow—from synthesis and nanofabrication to advanced characterization, device testing, and data-driven discovery.
Integrated capabilities
From material growth to working devices.
Capabilities are presented by what researchers can accomplish, rather than by where individual instruments are housed.
Fabrication
Micro- & nanofabrication
Lithography, nanopatterning, thin-film deposition, dry etching, microfluidics, 3D microprinting, device packaging, and process development.
Devices
Electrical & functional testing
Electrical transport, Hall measurements, low-temperature characterization, sensors, optical response, magnetotransport, and device-level measurements.
Advanced research infrastructure
See the capabilities behind the science.
Selected instrumentation available to NMRL researchers across the University of Utah research ecosystem. The emphasis is on what can be accomplished—from nanoscale imaging and structural analysis to cleanroom fabrication and optical characterization.
Nanofabrication
Cleanroom fabrication
Micro- and nanolithography, thin-film deposition, etching, patterning, packaging, micro-3D printing, and process development in the Utah Nanofab cleanroom.
Utah Nanofab →
Atomic-scale characterization
Electron microscopy & interfaces
High-resolution electron microscopy enables direct visualization of thin-film interfaces, lattice structure, defects, and nanoscale microstructure, complementing compositional and surface analysis.
Microscopy capabilities →
SEM / EDS
Scanning electron microscopy
SEM imaging with elemental analysis enables rapid evaluation of morphology, phase contrast, composition, and microstructural features across materials systems.
Instrument details →
X-ray diffraction
Crystal structure & thin-film analysis
XRD supports phase identification, texture and orientation analysis, crystallinity studies, and structural characterization of thin films and bulk materials.
Instrument details →
Optical spectroscopy
UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy
Optical transmission, absorption, reflectance, and related measurements support analysis of transparent conductors, semiconductors, coatings, and functional thin films.
Spectroscopy capabilities →Materials synthesis
Pulsed laser deposition
Thin-film synthesis of oxides, semiconductors, heterostructures, doped systems, and other functional materials with tightly controlled growth conditions and data-guided process optimization.
Connected capabilities
One research environment, many techniques.
NMRL projects can move seamlessly between synthesis, fabrication, characterization, device testing, and analysis without treating each capability as a separate research silo.
Structural & microstructural analysis
XRD, SEM/EDS, electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and complementary imaging for phase, texture, interfaces, defects, and morphology.
Spectroscopy & optical properties
UV–Vis–NIR, Raman, FTIR, and related optical techniques for band-edge, vibrational, transmission, absorption, and reflectance studies.
Thermal & physical properties
DSC, TGA, rheology/DMA, mechanical testing, dilatometry, surface-area, density, and particle-size characterization.
Micro- & nanofabrication
Photolithography, electron-beam and nanoscale patterning, thin-film deposition, plasma etching, packaging, microfluidics, and micro-3D printing.
Electrical & functional measurements
Electrical transport, Hall measurements, low-temperature characterization, sensors, optical response, magnetotransport, and device-level testing.
AI & data-driven research
Machine learning, process-space reconstruction, image analysis, experimental optimization, scientific data analytics, and emerging autonomous-discovery workflows.
End-to-end workflow
One connected research environment.
Materials design, synthesis, fabrication, characterization, testing, and analytics are treated as one iterative research loop.
Materials Design→Thin-Film Synthesis→Micro/Nanofabrication→Advanced Characterization→Device Testing→AI & Data Analytics
University of Utah research ecosystem. NMRL researchers draw on instrumentation and technical expertise available across the University of Utah, including the Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL) and Utah Nanofab, as part of an integrated research workflow. Facility photographs shown above are from the official University of Utah MCL and Utah Nanofab websites and are linked to the corresponding facility pages.