Dr. Rebecca Cortez is a materials scientist in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Union College. Her current research includes the morphological and electrical characterization of nanoscale materials and thin films. She has also been involved in the fabrication and characterization of radio frequency micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices; low-cycle and fretting fatigue testing of metal alloys; and thermal plasma arc processing for heavy metal immobilization.

Over her career, she has published a variety of papers on the properties and behavior of materials ranging from polyaniline films to zinc oxide nanoparticles. She draws upon this considerable experience to introduce students to a research methodology that includes how to leverage test and measurement systems to maximum effect.

At Union College, the research laboratory includes sophisticated instrumentation used by students from diverse disciplines including chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. In the laboratory, you will find devices like an atomic force microscope. You will also find our EPS150FA probe system, which is dedicated to probing the electrical properties of experimental materials. The EPS150FA probe system is an essential component in many of the laboratory’s ongoing research projects. Nanocomposites for new solar energy materials offer a good example. As the composite layers are built up on a substrate, the photoelectric properties often change. To characterize this change, a series of I-V curves is generated via a source/ measure instrument in conjunction with the precision probe capabilities of the EPS150FA probe system, which is capable of probe tip placement down to a resolution of 30 μm.

For her students, Dr. Cortez regards the EPS150FA probe system as an excellent learning tool as well as an essential research instrument. They gain valuable experience in probe operations that will follow them into the post-graduate world of advanced research. At the same time, EPS150FA probe system is helping to characterize a whole new generation of novel materials that show promise across many different industries and fields of knowledge.

For more information on the EPS150FA visit our website or download the overview brief.