Established in fall 2000, the Penn State MRSEC Central Facilities Laboratory (CFL) is housed in Davey Laboratory, which is located on Penn State University Park Central Campus within a 10 minute walk of the academic departments of the Center participants. It is comprised of several laboratories that contain instruments for advanced electrical and optical characterization, wet and dry sample preparation, and computation. In addition, the MRSEC has also contributed resources to purchase instruments that are located in established user facilities located at Penn State University. Together these user facilities provide investigators with access to the specialized fabrication, characterization, and computational equipment required for researchers in the CNS IRGs. Integration of these instruments into user facilities rather than individual investigator laboratories has enabled the greatest access of the equipment to all MRSEC members who are actively engaged in experimental research, and have provided a mechanism for training courses and workshops related to equipment use and maintenance. Moreover, they also provide natural meeting places for participants from across campus to share technical expertise, which enhances interdisciplinary exchange.

The CNS has contributed to the acquisition of general purpose pieces of equipment which are housed at specialized facilities laboratories at Penn State such as the PSU Nanofabrication Facility, which is part of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), PSU Microfabrication Facility in Electrical Engineering West (EEW), and Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL) at the Materials Research Institute (MRI). The CNS equipment located at the PSU-MCL (TEM, X-Ray), and the NSF-NNIN Nanofabrication Facility (EVG 520HE) have dedicated staff members who are responsible for maintenance of the CNS-based instruments.

	JEOL 2010F Field-emission-gun Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (located in MCL) This STEM can perform high-resolution imaging at a point-to-point resolution of 0.19 nm. The instrument is equipped with a light-element energy-dispersive x-ray detector, electron energy-loss spectrometer and software controls necessary to integrate all of the various detected signals, thus making it a fully functional analytical electron microscope. An electron probe as small as 0.16 nm can be formed with enough current density to perform imaging and spectroscopy simultaneously, thus allowing structure and chemistry to be correlated on atomic-scale dimensions. Such information is critical for nanomaterials and device development. The STEM was delivered in August 2002, and the installation process took approximately six months. Training for Penn State students, staff and faculty began in February 2003. Currently the microscope is operating at full capacity (including evenings and weekends), which is a testament to its usefulness to ongoing and developing research programs.
	Siemens D500 X-Ray Powder Diffractometer (located in MCL) The Siemens D500 powder diffractometer is a theta-theta configured goniometer that permits automated collection of intensity vs. scattering angle scans. Data reduction schemes include unit cell determination, pattern indexing, and precision lattice parameter determination. Crystalline compounds are identified through the use a MDI automation and analysis package with our own database of standard diffraction patterns. The Siemens D500 with sample changer is located in the X-ray Diffraction Laboratory in 159 MRL. It is used for routine X-ray diffraction analysis of up to 40 samples in unattended mode. It is used to identify and characterize materials made as part of the CNS research program, including zeolites, phosphates (ALPOs) used as hosts for carbon nanotube synthesis and mesoporous materials such as MCM-41.
	EV Group 520HE Hot Embosser The EV Group 520HE semi-automated hot embossing system is located in a Class 100 cleanroom at the NSF-NNIN Nanofabrication Facility. The EVG 520HE is a 200 mm compatible tool configured with a universal embossing chamber, high-vacuum and high-contact force capabilities and manages the whole range of polymers suitable for hot embossing. The system enables wafer-to-wafer bonding for MEMs applications, and nm-scale pattern transfer through imprinting. This system was installed in March 2003, and is currently available for general use through the PSU NSF-NNIN node. The Nanofabrication Facility has secured additional funds to enhance the capabilities of this tool by adding an optical alignment system.