This course aims to deliver underlying physical backgrounds and fundamental working principles of scientific instruments for materials characterization. Instead of merely introducing diverse instruments, the lecture mainly focuses on the basic theories of diffraction, microscopy and spectroscopy techniques which are used for materials characterization at different levels (sub-atomic to macroscopic). Upon completion of this course, the students will be familiar with basic principles of sophisticated scientific instruments and the acquired knowledge can be easily extended to other instruments.

1. Introduction: Overview of materials characterization
2. Common constituents of instruments:
- Signal generation device
- Filter and analyzer
- Sensor and detector
3. Atomic spectroscopy
- Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)
- Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (AES)
- Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy (AFS)
4. Spectroscopy
- X-ray spectroscopy for elemental analysis
- Electron spectroscopy for surface analysis
- Ion spectroscopy (SIMS, RBS)
- Vibrational spectroscopy for molecular analysis
5. Microscopy
- Optical Microscopy (OM)
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
- Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
- Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
- Scanning Probe Microscopy (AFM, STM)
- Atom Probe

1. Participation 10%
2. Quiz/Homework/Project: 30%
3. Midterm exam: 30%
4. Final exam: 30%:

Materials characterization - Lecture Notes
1. Yang Leng, “Materials Characterization: Introduction to Microscopic and Spectroscopic Methods”, John Wiley & Sons Co. (2008).
2. David Brandon & Wayne D. Kaplan, “Microstructural Characterization of Materials”, 2nd edition, John Wiley & Sons Co. (2008).
3. R. W. Cahn, P. Haasen, E. J. Kramer (ed.), “Materials Science and Technology: A Comprehensive Treatment”, Vol. 2A & B Characterization of Materials, VCH (1992)
4. C. R. Brundle, C. A. Evans, Jr., S. Wilson (ed.), “Encyclopedia of Materials Characterization: Surfaces, Interfaces, Thin Films”, Butterworth-Heinemann (1992).

Course outline:

Week 1. What is your purpose of Materials Characterization?
Week 2. Classification of Materials Characterization
Week 3 Why is X-ray diffraction important for crystallography?
Week 4 Fundamental physics in X-ray (diffraction)
Week 5 How X-ray works for powders, crystals, and thin films?
Week 6 Other X-ray techniques and their application (XRR, XMCD, RSM)
Week 7 Overview of spectroscopy (absorption & emission)
Week 8 Mid-term Exam
Week 9 Core-level spectroscopy (XPS, XAS)
Week 10 Surface spectroscopy (XPS, AES, EELS)
Week 11 Advanced spectroscopy (XANES, EXAFS, ARPES)
Week 12 Introduction to microscopy (imaging & morphology)
Week 13 Imaging from microscale (SEM) to atomic scale (TEM)
Week 14 Transmission electron microscopy (TEM, STEM)
Week 15 Surface-sensitive probe (STM, AFM, SCM, SSRM)
Week 16 Final Exam