# Chateau de la Tobler

## Tuesday, April 29, 2008

### Knowledge

So, knowing that David and Amy almost never post, I still hope they read, and knowing that LaDale is still mourning over the loss of a loved one, and that Keryn is sick (AKA pregnant), and that Mom is extremely busy with her calling, and that Jenafer is also busy with her children, I thought I would let you all read about what happened to me in my research over the last few work days. On Thursday I discussed with my advisor that the platinum I was using at the start of my sample was not working the way I wanted it to work. I needed it to stay a nice conducting film and it reacted with the silicon in my sample to form a semi-metal, which is not nearly as conductive. After this discussion we concluded that a different metal is desired and so I was going to try tantalum. I started the process on Friday. During this trial run I needed a water pump fairly close to the vacuum pump I was using. Sadly enough, while we were cleaning the lab and rearranging everything, the tubing to the water pump broke and got the electrical parts wet and I shorted the system. This is not good as this pump is the bread and butter to all the other experiments in the lab, not just my own but everyones. So I spent the rest of Friday trying, unsuccessfully, to fit the wiring. We saw several sparks during my attempts to fix it and I blew a few breakers. We even called the company to see if they had a replacement. No such luck. This equipment is so old that they stopped making it and the only way they would have it is it was in their scrap pile. They didn't find it. On Monday I went into the lab and after 2 1/2 hours was able to get it to work. I didn't realize that the spark spread a layer of conductive carbon over everything and that was why it kept shorting the few attempts we made on Friday. So all is working and the worse I had is it only put me back 2 days. Still going forward. Love you all. SKT
P.S. I hope you all are reading and that you just don't have time to write a little about yourself or comment on what has been written. Sorry that my topics don't seem to stir the conversations. I'll keep posting until I find something that everyone feels they can and will comment on. Love you all.

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