The Surface Analysis Laboratory is responsible for various surface analysis measurements and consists of three chambers from Physical Electronics. It containsa Physical Electronics 5700 Electron Spectroscopy Chemical Analysis (ESCA) System, a Physical Electronics 7200 Time Of Flight (TOF)/ Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) System and a Physical Electronics 590 Scanning Auger Microprobe (SAM). The ESCA system is used primarily to investigate surface chemical compositions. ESCA allows for in depth analysis of the first few atomic layers of a prepared sample. The TOF SIMS system is used for molecular surface analysis and investigation of a variety of samples, including polymers, thin films, and semiconductor materials. The SAM System is capable of scanning the electron beam, which makes it possible not only to do elemental analysis (like with the ESCA), but also chemical, secondary electron emission and absorption mapping. Also located in the Surface Analysis Laboratory is the Atomic Force Miroscope (AFM) used to do quantitative measurements of nanomechanical properties of model composite interphases.

The Skunk Works is a lab consisting of a conglomeration of various machines used for surface preparation and analysis.

The STM/TOF Lab contains two chambers. The first chamber is a Scanning Tunneling Microscope by Omicron. The STM provides atomic level resolution of various silicon samples. The second chamber is a Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer. It is used primarily to study large organometalic molecules that are of interest to the microelectronics industry. It also has capabilities for studying photochemistry and dynamics.

The RAIRS Lab (Reflection Absorption Infrared Spectroscopy). RAIRS, which is a highly sensitive surface technique, is our primary tool to identify intermediates of the thermal and electron-induced surface chemistry of simple hydrocarbons on transition metal surfaces.

The Advanced Thin Film Deposition and Characterization Facility, contains the Physical Vapor Deposition , Chemical Vapor Deposition, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and the Ellipsometry Systems. These systems characterize film chemical composition.

The group also as access to a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for surface characterization and for exploring emerging deposition techniques.