MS4640: Advanced Analysis of Materials

Academic Units3
Semester1
Pre-requisite(s)Nil
Co-requisite(s)Nil

Course Instructors

Associate Professor Dong ZhiliAssistant Professor Prashant Kumar

Course AIMS

This course will equip you with the  analytical tools and methods needed to conduct nanometric assessments of inorganic materials at the atomic scale. This course is designed to prepare you for the  solution of real-world problems in industry or to support postgraduate studies that will rely heavily upon advanced X-ray and electron beam methods for nanomaterials characterization. This course will further help you understand the operation procedures of various X-ray diffractometers and electron microscopes with the sufficient theoretical knowledge.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you (as a student) would be able to:

  1. Identify the capabilities and limitations of each of the crystal structure analysis techniques covered in the syllabus.
  2. Select the appropriate technique for an investigative work.
  3. Perform data analysis and interpretation of results obtained from XRD and TEM.
  4. Successfully apply the characterisation techniques leaned to the final year projects.

Course Content

This course focuses on the advanced crystal structure analysis techniques, with emphasis on the following topics:

  1. Basics of Crystallography
  2. Advanced X-ray Diffraction techniques
  3. Advanced Transmission Electron Microscopy
  4. Integration of results for nanomaterials analysis

Reading and References

Textbooks/References

  1. Elton N. Kaufmann (Editor), Characterization of Materials, John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
  2. P.J.Goodhew and F.J.Humphreys, Electron Microscopy and Analysis, Taylor & Francis, second edition, 1992.
  3. J.I. Goldstein, D.E. Newbury, P. Echlin, D.C. Joy, C. Fiori and E. Lifshin, Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis, New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003.
  4. I.A.Watt, The principles and practice of electron microscopy, Cambridge, 1989.
  5. M.H.Loretto, Electron beam analysis of materials, Chapman & Hall, 1988.
  6. R. Wiesendanger, Scanning Probe Microscopy, Berlin; New York: Springer-Verlag, 1998.