Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF NANO-ENGINEERING SYSTEMS
Teacher(s): Prof. Paolo Prosposito
Credits: 6
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course aims to provide students with the fundamental notions of physical and chemical characterizations of nanomaterials and nanostructures. Different analysis techniques are highlighted such as optical microscopèy, electronic and contact microscopies, optical and infrared spectroscopies, XPS, Auger, SIMS, etc. A general overview of the radiation-matter interaction is also given. Students will also acquire practical skills thanks to some laboratories that will be carried out during the course.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
It is required to be able to read and understand scientific publications for dissemination or research, usually in English. To be able to connect the different topics (interrelated between them) discussed during the course. To apply theoretically and practically, the concepts acquired during the course.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course it is required to be able to illustrate the relevant points of the program in a concise and analytical manner with appropriate language. The use of a technical language appropriate to the subject is required. It is necessary to know how to analyze a problem / question and to know how to organize an adequate response justifying it. It is necessary to know how to reorganize and develop the experiments performed in the laboratory.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS
Students will be asked to motivate the tools and methodologies used for certain scientific experiences and be able to describe them and implement them even in different forms with respect to those described during the course. They have to be able to integrate explanations also with references to everyday life and they have to be able to provide links with what described and analyzed during the lessons. They are required to be able to abstract general concepts from particular cases.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
They are required to be able to describe the topics covered during the course in a professional manner and with adequate language. They are required to be able to extract the important concepts and to illustrate them in a synthetic and punctual way by providing examples.
LEARNING SKILLS
It is required to be able to read scientific texts in English. To understand graphs and scientific figures. To know how to select and correlate topics.
PREREQUISITES
There are no mandatory prerequisites for this course. However, it is advisable for students to have good basic knowledge of Physics, Chemistry and Materials Sciences.
TOPICS
1. Relativistic dynamics; Atomic structure and transitions.
2. Radiation properties; Radiation – matter interaction.
3. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS): Principles and instrumentation.
4. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS): Principles and instrumentation.
5. Depth profiling and chemical imaging by using XPS, AES and SIMS techniques.
6. Practical applications of surface analysis techniques: examples and experimental tests in the laboratory.
7. Morphological characterization: Optical Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The instrumentations and the basic working principles of the different techniques will be illustrated.
8. Optical spectroscopy of nanostructures. The main optical techniques such as absorption, reflection and photoluminescence will be explained. The influence of the small dimensions of the nanostructures on the optical properties will be discussed.
9. Some practical applications will be carried on and some laboratory instrumentations will be shown.
EVALUATION
- Type: oral examination.
- Description: The final examination consists in some oral questions regarding the entire program. Questions are often also on the laboratory experiences carried out during the lectures.
The oral exam consists in three theoretical questions (each contributes with 10/30 to the final vote). The exam evaluates the overall preparation of the student, the ability to integrate the knowledge of the different parts of the program, the consequentiality of the reasoning, the analytical ability and the autonomy of judgment. Furthermore, language properties and clarity of presentation are assessed, in compliance with the Dublin descriptors (1. Knowledge and understanding; 2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding; 3 . Making judgments; 4. Learning skills; 5: Communication skills).
The final vote of the exam is expressed out of thirty and will be obtained through the following graduation system:
Not pass: important deficiencies and / or inaccuracies in the knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited capacity for analysis and synthesis, frequent generalizations and limited critical and judgment skills, the arguments are presented in an inconsistent way and with inappropriate language,
18-20: just sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics with possible generalizations and imperfections; sufficient capacity for analysis, synthesis and autonomy of judgment, the topics are frequently exposed in an inconsistent way and with inappropriate / technical language,
21-23: Routine knowledge and understanding of topics; ability to analyze and synthesize with sufficiently coherent logical argument and appropriate / technical language
24-26: Fair knowledge and understanding of the topics; good analysis and synthesis skills with rigorously expressed arguments but with a language that is not always appropriate / technical.
27-29: Complete knowledge and understanding of the topics; remarkable abilities of analysis and synthesis. Good autonomy of judgment. Topics exposed rigorously and with appropriate / technical language
30-30L: Excellent level of knowledge and in-depth understanding of the topics. Excellent skills of analysis, synthesis and autonomy of judgment. Arguments expressed in an original way and with appropriate technical language.
ADOPTED TEXTS
J.F. Watts and J. Wolstenholme, An Introduction to Surface Analysis, Wiley, 2003; Y.-W. Chung, Practical Guide to Surface Science and Spectroscopy, Academic Press, 2001; Fundamentals of light microscopy and electronic imaging D. B. Murphy John Wiley and Sons (2001); Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy R.F. Egerton Springer (2005); Nanostructures and Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties and Applications G. Cao and Y. Wang World Scientific Publishing (2011).
Slides of the lessons.
DELIVERY MODE (Presence/e-learning)
Precence.
TEACHING METHODS
Frontal lessons with slides and with a continuous interaction with students. Laboratory lessons with direct participation of the students in the practical scientific experiences.