MATERIALS AND NANOSTRUCTURES LABORATORY

The course objective is to provide students with knowledge on basic physical principles and technical skills to operate in research laboratories. In particular, the course focuses on synthesis and characterization processes of materials and nanostructures through frontal lessons and lab activities.

* Description of the laboratory experiments that will be carried out during the course and focus on the application areas where the investigated nanostructured materials are object of interest

* Vacuum systems and vacuum gauges

* Thin films and nanostructure synthesis methods:

* Introduction to synthesis techniques of thin films and nanostructures

- Physical Deposition by Magnetron sputtering:

• physical principles and deposition parameters,
• kinetics of thin films growth
• experimental setup
• synthesis of thin films in lab
• in situ analysis of synthesized thin films

* Optical characterization of materials and nanostructures by photoluminescence:

• physical principles
• experimental setup
• measurements in lab
• data analysis: spectrum analysis and time-resolved measurements

* Structural Characterization by Rutherford Back-Scattering Spectrometry:

• physical principles
• experimental setup
• measurements in lab
• data analysis through specialized software

* Structural Characterization by Scanning Electron Microscopy

• physical principles
• experimental setup
• measurements in lab
• images analysis by specialized software

* Structural Characterization by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy

• physical principles
• experimental setup
• measurements in lab
• data analysis through specialized software

* Correlation between the synthesis parameters and the optical and structural characterization performed on the materials synthesized in the laboratory during the course
* Guidelines on how to make a presentation of scientific results by supporting video-projected slides

1) "Materials Science of Thin Fims" , Milton Ohring

2) "Fundamentals of Nanoscale Film Analysis"; Terry L. Alford, Leonard C. Feldman, James W. Mayer; (2007) Springer

3) "Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy", Ray F. Egerton, Springer

4) scientific papers on the topics subject of the couse