Analytical Techniques for Material Science

Catalog description

This course will teach the fundamental theories, collection methods, and analyses of modern materials characterization techniques, with the aim of examining the macro, micro, and surface composition and structure of various classes of materials. There is no one perfect tool that will provide all the information a researcher might wish to know about their sample; in this class, learn to select the appropriate analytical technique given the research goals and the tool’s limitations. While it is not the goal of this course to train students as hands on users of particular instruments, students will have the opportunity to interact with several pieces of equipment and analyze data/images from many more. Examples of techniques to be covered include: diffraction, microscopies, spectroscopies, thermal analyses, etc. This course will focus solid state materials with limited application to biological and liquid materials.