Ion Technology Center

Project title: Ion Technology Center
Main applicant: Tandem Laboratory and the Division of Applied Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy

The approved VR-RFI infrastructure project “Ion Technology Center” aims to provide and further develop world-leading technical equipment and expertise in ion beam-based material analysis and material modification at the tandem laboratory at Uppsala University (UU). Already today, more than 400 users demand access to this national resource. Project partners include UU, KTH, LiU, and KI.

The infrastructure comprises a total of four accelerators and extensive support facilities in the form of sample preparation and handling in dedicated laboratory spaces that can be used in various ways within the three core areas of mass spectrometry, material analysis, and material modification.

Ion beams offer a high-precision tool for measuring the composition of very small quantities within a material or obtaining depth profiles at the nanometer scale without damaging the sample. In ultrahigh-sensitivity mass spectrometry, high-energy ion beams, for example, enable precise dating of archaeological artifacts, provide time scales for climate research, and contribute to biomedicine by measuring renewal processes in human tissues.

High-precision ion beam analysis is a standard method in thin-film technology, electronics, materials science, and fusion research. It has recently demonstrated unique capabilities for real-time measurements of processes relevant to the synthesis, usage, or degradation of technologically relevant materials.

Furthermore, ion beams are utilized to tailor material properties for electronics or sensors and to test and enhance electronic components with special performance characteristics, particularly in aerospace technology, medical applications, and nuclear technology.

The project's goal is to ensure the development and sustainable operation of a national accelerator facility, thereby ensuring access and utilization of a well-functioning national accelerator facility to meet the needs of the lab's hundreds of collaborative partners, including Swedish research groups, companies, authorities, museums, and the general public, in the future.