Established in 2015, IMRI was built on the previous Laboratory for Electron and X-ray Instrumentation (LEXI) and newly established transmission electron microscopy (TEM) facilities. Today, IMRI operates a large number of open-access user facilities for the characterization of inorganic, organic, and biological materials and devices ranging from sub-Å to macroscopic length scales – available to all university, industry, and non-profit researchers. It offers advanced techniques and services including structural and chemical characterization in different length scales, 3D imaging, surface analysis, physical property measurements, and fabrication of materials and devices by a variety of techniques. IMRI will play a significant role in the technological development of our society with our upcoming materials engineering and innovations.

Major user facilities available at IMRI include:

• The new transmission electron microscopy facilities including two of the most advanced TEMs in the world (the NION UltraSTEM 200 HERMES and JEOL JEM-ARM300F Grand ARM), an advanced cryo-bio TEM equipped with the state-of-the-art direct electron detecting camera, and a workhorse TEM, as well as a complete range of sample preparation instruments.
• State-of-the-art scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB) systems, scanning probe microscopy (SPM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) facilities.
• Surface analysis facility including a new Kratos AXIS Supra XPS/UPS/AES/ISS spectrometer for the characterization of surface composition and electronic structure of any type of sample.
• The new thermal, elemental, mechanical, physical, and rheological properties (TEMPR) facility.

IMRI facilities are professionally staffed, convenient, and affordable, with open-access, user-friendly services. IMRI has seven PhD technical staff members who train users and provide technical and scientific assistance. Their main responsibilities include supervising the day-to-day operations of IMRI’s facilities and operating in a 24/7 “open access” mode. Additionally, they conduct their own research in areas of biological and materials science.