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 analytical instruments 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
6. Thermoanalytical methods
- Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
- Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
- Thermo-Mechanical Analysis (TMA)

Attendance 10%
Home work 20%
Mid-Term Exam 30%
Final Exam 40%

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. Mauro Sardela, "Practical Materials Characterization", Spinger (2014).
4. R. W. Cahn, P. Haasen, E. J. Kramer (ed.), “Materials Science and Technology: A Comprehensive Treatment”, Vol. 2A & B Characterization of Materials, VCH (1992)
5. C. R. Brundle, C. A. Evans, Jr., S. Wilson (ed.), “Encyclopedia of Materials Characterization: Surfaces, Interfaces, Thin Films”, Butterworth-Heinemann (1992).

1. Introduction: Overview of materials characterization (1st)

2. Diffraction
- Powder Diffraction (2nd, 3rd)
- X-ray Diffraction (4th)
- Neutron Diffraction (5th)
- Reciprocal Space Map (RSM) (6th, 7th)
- Electron Diffraction (8th)

3. Spectroscopy
- X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) (9th, 10th)
- Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) (10th, 11th, 12th)
- Raman Spectroscopy, FTIR (13th, 14th)

4. Imaging/Morphology
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) / FIB (15th, 16th)
- Electron Back Scattered Diffraction / (17th)
- TEM / STEM (18th, 19th, 20th, 21st )
- Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) (22nd)