Exploring The CISSY Lab: Overcoming my Fears

XPS and sputtering setups at CISSY Lab at HZB.

A post by HZB summerstudent Noura Mamdouh Abdelmegid: On my first day at PVcomB’s CISSY LAB, I stood in amazement, overwhelmed by the setups surrounding me: Various devices, gas controllers, the XPS machine, accompanied by the glove box and the sputtering. It has been my dream to work as a researcher in a lab, attempting to find solutions to problems or explore new frontiers. However, my worries always followed me —

I was concerned about how I would manage working in the LAB, especially after being introduced to safety precautions. The CO gas-tube worried me the most, as it carried deadly carbon monoxide gas with no color or smell. I had to handle its opening, closing, and checking whenever I conducted an experiment. Another concern of mine was controlling my hands inside the glove box, where the pressure is higher, and I had to wear two (or more) gloves to cover my hands. It felt nearly impossible to sense my fingers inside. Furthermore, I had to work with small screws within the catalysis setup.

Fears in Action

I remember losing the sample I was preparing for measurements inside the vacuum due to a single wrong button click. The diamond pen, used to break wafers, was positioned incorrectly, causing the sample to break into tiny parts, making it challenging to measure. Additionally, there was a gas leakage problem inside the glove box, which delayed my reactions for days, requiring me to take the entire setup outside the glove box to fix it. Nevertheless, I managed to utilize that small broken piece for XPS measurements. I learned to focus and apply less force while using the diamond pen, and I discovered how to detect gas leakage through various methods, including a handy spray that produced bubbles in the presence of a leak.

The Art of Error: Learning from Mistakes

Mistakes mean encountering problems that force you to deviate from your original working plan. Changing the plan opens doors to discovering amazing things that you would never have encountered if everything went smoothly. Although it was frustrating to see my work not aligning with my dreams, I learned that this is how life goes. Moreover, my supervisors helped me build more confidence in handling challenging situations. They showed me the reality behind the lab—the fact that not everything works as expected and that mistakes are a natural part of progress.

Working in a lab, one becomes aware of how things operate, yet also acknowledges that errors can occur. The key is to be courageous enough to seek assistance, take responsibility for the consequences of our actions, and strive to rectify and conduct ourselves correctly. Approaching the end of the internship, I can confidently say that I have undergone a transformation. I have become brave not just within the lab, but in all aspects of my life. I am now more prepared to pursue my dreams without fearing failure, knowing how normal and essential it is. What truly matters is extracting the best from every step and finding joy even in failures, as they may unexpectedly lead to groundbreaking discoveries.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have been immersed in such a remarkable lab environment—an experience that will forever remain unforgettable.

On the author: I am Noura Mamdouh Abdelmegid from Egypt. Studying Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronics Engineering in the 4^th year of bachelor’s program at Zewail city of science and technology.