Learning objectives
<br />The lessons deal with the basics and applications of electron and X-ray diffraction based techniques for the structural and optical investigation of materials and structures with high spatial and analytical resolution.<br />In this respect, at the end of the theoretical lessons and before starting the experiments in the labs, some examples of the complementary use of the different techniques as well as of their limits and performance are presented.
Prerequisites
It would be useful the students would know in advance the basics of Solid State Physics and Semiconductor.
Course unit content
<br />There are no published books and le lessons are prepared and presented by the teacher in a Power Point format. The students can have an electronic copy of the lessons as well as a printed one.<br />Topics<br />Introduction to tipical problems in materials science<br />Which techniques, types of probes, peculiarities and limits<br />Basics of Condensed Matter<br />lattice defects<br />band gap<br /> <br />The Scanning Microscopy: principles and applications<br />The Scanning Electron Microscope<br />The Scanning Tunnel Microscope<br />The Atomic Force Microscope<br />Applications<br /> <br />The Transmission Electron Microscopy: principles and applications<br />The transmission Electron Microscope<br />Basics of Electron Diffraction<br />Diffraction Contrast<br />Phase Contrast<br />Specimen preparation and artefacts<br />Applications<br /> <br />The X-Ray Diffraction: Principles and Applications<br />X-Ray Topography<br />High resolution X-Ray Diffraction<br />Applications<br /> <br />Experimental training on selected topics (30 hs)
Full programme
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Bibliography
<br />The following text books are recommended to be used to integrate the teacher lessons.<br />Transmission Electron Microscopy<br />D.B. Williams and C.B. carter<br />Kluwer Academic-Plenum Publisher<br /> <br />Scanning Electron Microcopy: Physics of Image Formation and Microanalysis<br />L. Reimer<br />Springer-Verlag, Series in Optical Sciences<br /> <br />Introduction to Dislocations<br />D. Hull and D.J. Bacon<br />Pergamon<br />Cathodoluminescence Microscopy of Inorganic Solids<br />B.G. Yacobi and D.B. Holt<br />Plenum Publishing Corporation<br /> <br />
Teaching methods
<br />The class is structured in theoretical lessons followed by a training in the labs. Not more than 2-3 students per time are allowed to follow the experiments in order to allow them to personally use the intruments which are normally employed for research activity. The main goal of the lab training is to give the students an experimental research methodology to face practical problems. This is normally achieved by the constant support of the teacher since the techniques used often force the operator to decide in situ the most appropriate experimental approach which is different from time to time depending on the materials investigated.<br />The level of knowledge of both the theoretical basic principles of the techniques and of the most suitable experimental approaches to paractical problems is assessed by a colloquium.
Assessment methods and criteria
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Other information
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