Fees
Rate Structure for Materials Characterization Facility - 2008
Instrument Fee (TAMU users)
| Instrument | User Fee | Off-peak | With training |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFM | $20/hr | $15/hr | $35/hr |
| Confocal, Raman/FTIR microscopes | $25/hr | $19/hr | $40/hr |
| XPS | $20/hr | $15/hr | $35/hr |
| Nanoindenter | $15/hr | $11/hr | $30/hr |
| Cleanroom | $20/hr | $15/hr | $35/hr |
| Evaporation Chamber | $35/deposition (<200nm) | $26/deposition (<200nm) | $50/deposition (by sample) |
| Dicing Saw | $15/hr | $11/hr | $30/hr |
| Dip Pen Nanolithography | $25/hr | $19/hr | $40/hr |
| UV-Vis-NIR Spectrometer | $15/hr | $11/hr | $26/hr |
| Spectrofluorometer | $15/hr | $11/hr | $26/hr |
| Imaging Ellipsometer | $20/hr | $15/hr | $30/hr |
| FE-SEM | $31/hr | $23.25/hr | $46/hr |
| Silicon Wafer 3” | $9.50/ea | ||
| Silicon Wafer 2” | $5/ea | ||
| Silicon tip | $22/ea | ||
| Pyrex glass 3” wafer | $16/ea | ||
| AFM tip | $28/ea |
The MCF rates are the result of a rate study of user facilities at other universities in the US and consultation with the MCF advisory committee.
- All TAMU users will pay the fees listed
- Users from other universities and other non-profit organizations will pay 150% of the fees listed; additional tech fees apply for FE-SEM.
- Companies pay will pay 300% of the fees listed; additional tech fees apply for FE-SEM
Staff rates: Staff time for all instruments is $30/h for TAMU and all non-profit organizations. The staff rate for corporate users is $90/h. Fees for assisted use will be the user fee plus the staff time fee (i.e. $20 + $30 = $50/hr).
Training: To encourage student training, staff time will be billed at 50% cost during training (i.e. $15/hr as opposed to $30).
Block time/off peak use: To encourage instrument use and accommodate research programs that heavily utilize the MCF, off peak usage rates and block purchases will be implemented.
- Off peak rates (from 5 PM–8 AM M-F, weekends) will be 75% of the rate listed ONLY for checked out users
- PIs can purchase “blocks” of off-peak time. Please contact the MCF for rates.
- Fee “capping” for very heavy MCF users will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis
