School of Engineering
Epitaxial Core Facility
Epitaxial Core Facility

Gaining Access

Internal Tufts Users (students, post-docs, faculty, staff)

For access as an internal Tufts user (student, post-doc, faculty, or staff), please contact the TEC Facility staff to express your interest in using the facility and to discuss the viability of using the facility's equipment for your work. Then you must complete the following steps:

  • Request and fill out an access request form. The required signatures and billing information must be gathered before attending TEC Facility laboratory specific training.
  • Complete the Tufts EHS Annual Laboratory Safety Training. This training must be completed each calendar year. After passing the training a copy of your completion certificate must be emailed to the lab manager or provided in person at the TEC Facility training and orientation.
  • Arrange a TEC Facility laboratory specific training and orientation session with the TEC Facility staff. This will take approximately 1 hour. Be prepared to describe what type of work you plan to do and any materials you plan to bring into the TEC Facility laboratory space.

After you complete these steps you will be granted daytime (8AM-6PM) Monday-Friday access to the TEC Facility. After hours and weekend/holiday access can be gained following additional training and lab manager approval. Additional equipment specific training is required before the TEC Facility MBE systems or Materials Characterization Laboratory can be used independently. This training can be arranged with staff following completion of the above steps. Additional safety training is required for some activities such as chemical use.

Access to the REAP Optical laboratory and use of the equipment therein requires the permission of the REAP lab's director, Thomas Vandervelde. Access and use of the optical laboratory also requires:

  • Completion of the Tufts EHS "Introduction to Laser Safety Training" course.
  • Completion of REAP Optical laboratory access request
  • Completion of REAP Optical laboratory in person laboratory specific training (~30 min).

External Users (academic, research labs, industry)

The TEC Facility and Materials Characterization Laboratory are open to external users. However, there are additional steps to put the needed legal and financial structures in place.

For access as an external user who is not currently affiliated with Tufts University please contact the TEC Facility Staff and the details of the use arrangement can be worked out. There are options for basic stand-alone equipment use or formal collaboration with Tufts University faculty. The basic steps that will be followed are:

  • Discuss remotely or in person the capabilities of the TEC Facility and its equipment, the scope of activities you hope to carry out, and the type and level of support that the facility can provide.
  • Tufts will provide a contract for the arrangement, which will be reviewed by the external user and then executed.
  • Billing arrangements will be set up to allow for invoicing of costs incurred due to TEC Facility use.
  • Designated personnel will become Tufts affiliates, and at that point will need to go through the same training as Internal Tufts users.
  • External lab users will be charged according to equipment time and services used. Usage rates for external users are listed on the Services and Training page. The rates and fee structure will be made clear during initial discussions and spelled out in the contract.