Capability Summary
ORNL hosts a large collection of cutting-edge instrumentation to study the full spectrum of materials of interest to the scientific community, academia and industry. Efficient use of this broad collection requires coordination and knowledge sharing to ensure the broadest access to these tools of innovation.
The Materials Characterization Core (MCC) offers all laboratory staff and students access to an online catalog, scheduling system and financial management system for ORNL’s shared advanced characterization instruments. Key roles of the core include sustaining and supporting instrument operations, improving awareness of available resources and ensuring shared utilization for instruments procured with Internal Capital Expenditures (ICE) or Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) funds.
Equipment & Facilities
Sample preparation – polishing, sectioning, microscopy, micro-hardness, coatings
Scanning electron microscopes – imaging, structure, and compositional analysis
Spectroscopic instruments – trace element analyses at interfaces and in bulk
Thermal characterization equipment – solids, interfaces, and devices
Properties of crystalline materials – X-ray tomography, scattering, and diffraction
Contact
Jason K. Smith is a Technical Laboratory Coordinator at ORNL who specializes in sensor development and laboratory operations. He holds an M.S. in Physics from the University of Tennessee, focusing on experimental solid-state physics and low-dimensional materials. He completed entrepreneurial leadership training at Babson College and technical training at Lehigh University and ASM International. Smith has developed and commercialized radiation detection sensors, advanced scintillator systems and surface processing methods for harsh environments. He holds patents and has authored publications on SiPM-based devices. For more information on collaborations, contact Smith at [email protected].