World-leading facilities for 2D materials research
Groundbreaking research demands exceptional facilities. The NGI brings together the infrastructure, expertise and collaborative environment to support work across 150 types of 2D materials, giving academic and industrial researchers the tools to make discoveries that matter.
Our research facilities
Extensive equipment in one location
Move seamlessly between instruments without sample disruption
Ultra-clean fabrication environment
Ensuring precision and integrity for nano-device development
Dedicated technical support
Work alongside expert technicians with extensive experience in micro/nanofabrication
Cleanrooms
We have Europe’s most extensive academic cleanrooms dedicated to graphene and 2D materials research.
Our 1,500m² ISO class 5 and 6 cleanrooms span two floors, offering a unique, fully equipped environment for the fabrication, measurement and characterisation of 2D materials and nano-devices.
Unlike other facilities that house only select instruments, our comprehensive cleanroom setup allows seamless research progression across all the equipment needed to support both fundamental and applied 2D material research, including material preparation, characterisation tools, deposition equipment, lithography and wet chemistry.
This means we can provide access to our extensive selection of research tools and equipment without the risk of contamination associated with transporting sensitive nanomaterials between sites.
Ultra-high Vacuum facility
Our UHV facility offers a contamination-free environment for fabricating and characterising high-quality 2D material heterostructures. This includes:
- UHV exfoliation and stacking
- In-situ optical and spectroscopic analysis
- Cryogenic STM/AFM
- Precision thin-film deposition via sputtering and e-beam evaporation.
We also offer additional capabilities, including:
- High-temperature annealing
- Plasma cleaning, ideal for producing pristine interfaces in advanced research and device development.
Research laboratories
The NGI houses 20 research laboratories across three floors, facilitating collaborative research between academia and industry. Some of our key facilities include:
Our Chemistry facility, supporting various chemical processes essential for device fabrication.
A High-temperature furnace facility, equipped for annealing processes and 2D material growth, featuring small to medium-scale chemical vapor deposition (CVD) capabilities.
The Prototyping facility, providing 3D prototyping tools for general machining, prototyping, and 3D object printing, supporting both research groups and industrial partners.
Characterisation
The NGI also offers a comprehensive suite of characterisation equipment to assess materials, formulations and devices, including:
AFM
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for detailed nanoscale surface characterisation and imaging, enabling precise analysis of material topography and properties.
Thermal and surface characterisation
Featuring instrumentation for thermal and surface characterisation, including nano-NMR, porosity analysis, and microscopy.
Nano IR3 range
Providing sub-20 nm optical property imaging of 2D materials across visible, infrared, and terahertz wavelengths, with capabilities for air-sensitive materials under inert atmospheres.
Raman spectroscopy
Offering non-destructive analysis of chemical and structural properties, suitable for both solid and liquid samples.
Browse our equipment
Explore the NGI’s full range of micro‑ and nanofabrication equipment, with detailed specifications and contact information for enquiries.
Access our specialist facilities
Work with our cleanrooms and advanced laboratories to support your project.
