Nanotechnology

Week 8 - Materials Characterization and Surface Analysis

This week will focus on the 'tools of the trade' in characterizing nanomaterials developed for high performance applicatations, and including materials charcaterization, failure analysis, and QA/QC.

Materials characterization techniques
- AES - PPT lecture (4.1 Mbytes)
- ESCA - PPT lecture (1.2 Mbytes)
- SEM
- TEM
- AFM-SPM - PPT lecture (13 Mbytes)
- Organic analysis techniques
Materials characterization methods
- Materials characterization
- QA/QC
- Failure analysis (FA)
- Problem solving
- Multi-technique approaches
Materials analysis laboratories
- Evans Analytical Group (EAG Labs)
- This lecture will be taught by Robert Cormia, including a tour of a materials analysis lab (Evans Analytical Group, and / or the Nanocharacterization Laboratory at Stanford University).
Modeling and simulation
- Accelrys informatics solutions
Web Tutorials for this section
- Evans Analytical Group - http://www.eaglabs.com/tutorial.htm
- Albany Nanotech Programs - http://www.albanynanotech.org/Programs/metrology/
- SEM - http://mse.iastate.edu/microscopy/choice.html
- Surface Analysis Techniques - http://www.cem.msu.edu/~cem924sg/LectureNotes.html
- Spectroscopy and spectrometry - http://chemistry.about.com/od/spectroscopy/

Learning outcomes for this week

What is materials characterization?
Why is materials characterization essential to nanotechnology?
What are image, surface, and bulk analysis techniques?
Describe typical applications / problems in materials characterization
What are QA/QC, FA, and materials characterization?
Why is a multi technique approach important in materials characterization?
Compare and contrast internal and private analytical laboratories
How does an AFM / SPM operate, and what can you do with it?
How does an SEM work? What can you characterize with it?
How do AES and XPS work, and what types of analysis can you do with them?