Organization profile
Organization profile
An interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers, the Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL) is a fully-staffed, open access, analytical research facility at Penn State's Materials Research Institute charged with enabling research and educating the next generation of highly qualified researchers.
MCL laboratories are housed in the Millennium Science Complex and are integrated with the Nanofabrication Laboratory and Materials Computation Center to maximize impact and efficiency. Additionally, MCL is a partner in the Materials Research Facilities Network (MRFN). Supported by the National Science Foundation, this network enhances MCL's ability to support commercial, government, and academic researchers around the globe.
The Materials Characterization Lab has a wide variety of characterization techniques in the areas of Microscopy, Spectroscopy, and Macroscopic techniques which help to increase the different degrees of understanding why different materials show different properties and behaviors.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
Research output
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2D Indium Oxide at the Epitaxial Graphene/SIC Interface: Synthesis, Structure, Properties, and Devices
Turker, F., Xu, B., Dong, C., Labella, M., Nayir, N., Sheremetyeva, N., Trdinich, Z. J., Zhang, D., Adabasi, G., Pourbahari, B., Lu, L. S., Auker, W. E., Wang, K., Baykara, M., Meunier, V., Bassim, N., van Duin, A. C. T., Crespi, V. H. & Robinson, J. A., Jan 27 2026, In: Advanced Materials. 38, 6, e16133.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
Achieving microstructural enhancements at sub-zero temperatures
Rahman, M. H., Liu, G., Long, J., Islam, M. Z., Mu, Y., Cao, D. & Haque, A., Feb 2026, In: Materials Characterization. 232, 116016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Atomic-scale confinement at the graphene/SiC interface: A platform for novel two-dimensional nanomaterials
Lu, L. S., Vera, A., Turker, F., Ananthanarayanan, K. M., Dong, C., Wetherington, M. & Robinson, J. A., May 1 2026, In: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces and Films. 44, 3, 030802.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Cold Sintering of Zeolite 13X: Water versus Sodium Hydroxide Pathways to 99% Densification and Porosity Retention
Gopi, S., Wang, S. F., Randall, C. A., Wang, K. & Gray, J. L., Jan 2 2026, In: Small. 22, 1, e09928.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
3 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
Effect of methane-hydrogen gas admixture on the selectivity toward platinum in dry etching of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching
Petschnigg, M., Andrianov, N., Azeem, S. M., Griesser, T., Wang, K., Shannon, S. C., Deluca, M. & Trolier-McKinstry, S. E., Mar 1 2026, In: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces and Films. 44, 2, 023010.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Enabling the growth of thick, relaxed AlGaN films on bulk GaN substrates
Almeter, J., Wang, K., Kirste, R., Reddy, P., Mecouch, W., Mita, S., Houston Dycus, J., Loveless, J., Rathkanthiwar, S., Collazo, R. & Sitar, Z., Feb 28 2026, In: Journal of Applied Physics. 139, 8, 085302.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
Formation of pea protein fibrils via novel trypsin-assisted self-assembling process
Zhang, W., Wang, K. & Zhang, Y., Mar 2026, In: Food Hydrocolloids. 172, 112153.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2 Link opens in a new tab Scopus citations -
High Entropy Wide-Bandgap Borates with Broadband Luminescence and Large Nonlinear Optical properties
Sarker, S., Wang, Y., Sun, Y., Benyacko, C., Almishal, S. S. I., Zhou, T., Zhang, Z., Nag, J., Sarkar, H., Shallenberger, J., Yennawar, H., Yang, Y., Maria, J. P., Mao, Z. & Gopalan, V., Apr 30 2026, In: Advanced Functional Materials. 36, 35, e25925.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
In Situ Composition and Thickness Monitoring during (BixIn1-x)2Se3 Thin Film Growth: toward Automated Synthesis Control Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry for Quantum and Spintronic Devices
Hilse, M., Niedel, J., Zhang, Q., Richardella, A., Hijazi, H., Shallenberger, J. R., Hengstebeck, R., Law, S., Samarth, N. & Peiris, F. C., Apr 17 2026, In: ACS Applied Nano Materials. 9, 15, p. 6542-6550 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Learning from Failure: An Attempt to Measure Dissolution Kinetics of High-Chromia Refractories by Petcoke-Derived Gasification Slags Using In Situ X-ray Diffraction
Banik, S., Wonderling, N. M. & Pisupati, S. V., Apr 21 2026, In: ACS Omega. 11, 15, p. 22731-22742 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Equipment
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MRI-MCL-ECL: FormFactor 11000 (-60 to 300 C)
Materials Characterization LabEquipment/facility: Equipment
Projects
- 1 Finished
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Acquisition of a Cypher VRS Video-Rate Atomic Force Microscope System
Tighe, T. B. (PI)
8/16/19 → 8/15/20
Project: Research project