131 - 140 of 183 results for: all courses

Operating principles and applications of emerging technological solutions to the energy demands of the world. The scale of global energy usage and requirements for possible solutions. Basic physics and chemistry of solar cells, fuel cells, and batteries. Performance issues, including economics, from the ideal device to the installed system. The promise of materials research for providing next generation solutions. Undergraduates register in 156 for 4 units; graduates register in 256 for 3 units.

Introduction to quantum mechanics and its application to the properties of materials. No prior background beyond a working knowledge of calculus and high school physics is presumed. Topics include: The Schrodinger equation and applications to understanding of the properties of quantum dots, semiconductor heterostructures, nanowires, and bulk solids. Tunneling processes and applications to nanoscale devices; the scanning tunneling microscope, and quantum cascade lasers. Simple models for the electronic properties and band structure of materials including semiconductors, insulators and metals and applications to semiconductor devices. Time-dependent perturbation theory and interaction of light with materials with applications to laser technology.

Preference to sophomores and juniors. Hands-on approach to synthesis and characterization of nanoscale materials. How to make, pattern, and analyze the latest nanotech materials, including nanoparticles, nanowires, and self-assembled monolayers. Techniques such as soft lithography, self-assembly, and surface functionalization. The VLS mechanism of nanowire growth, nanoparticle size control, self-assembly mechanisms, and surface energy considerations. Laboratory projects. Enrollment limited to 24.

Students use optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and other techniques to characterize recently discovered perovskite semiconductors that can be used to make highly efficient solar cells. This course fulfills the Writing in the Major Requirement for MSE undergrads. Instruction on writing, statistics, generating effective plots with curve fits, using databases to find information and giving oral scientific presentations is given. Instruction on characterization techniques is provided, but it is expected that the students will have already taken a course like MATSCI 153 that covers the fundamentals of the techniques. The emphasis on this course is on doing nanocharacterization experiments and writing up the results. Undergraduates register for 161 for 4 units; graduates register for 171 for 3 units.

Experimental x-ray diffraction techniques for microstructural analysis of materials, emphasizing powder and single-crystal techniques. Diffraction from epitaxial and polycrystalline thin films, multilayers, and amorphorous materials using medium and high resolution configurations. Determination of phase purity, crystallinity, relaxation, stress, and texture in the materials. Advanced experimental x-ray diffraction techniques: reciprocal lattice mapping, reflectivity, and grazing incidence diffraction. Enrollment limited to 20. Undergraduates register for 162 for 4 units; graduates register for 172 for 3 units.

Experimental techniques for the study of the mechanical behavior of engineering materials in bulk and thin film form, including tension testing, nanoindentation, and wafer curvature stress analysis. Metallic and polymeric systems. Prerequisite: ENGR 50. Undergraduates register for 163 in 4 units; graduates register in 173 for 3 units.

Lab course. Current electronic and photonic materials and devices. Device physics and micro-fabrication techniques. Students design, fabricate, and perform physical characterization on the devices they have fabricated. Established techniques and materials such as photolithography, metal evaporation, and Si technology; and novel ones such as soft lithography and organic semiconductors. Prerequisite: 152 or 199 or consent of instructor. Undergraduates register in 164 for 4 units; graduates register in 174 for 3 units.

Unique physical and chemical properties of organic materials and their uses.The relationship between structure and physical properties, and techniques to determine chemical structure and molecular ordering. Examples include liquid crystals, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, hydrogels, and biopolymers such as lipids, protein, and DNA. Prerequisite: Thermodynamics and ENGR 50 or equivalent. Undergraduates register for 190 for 4 units; graduates register for 210 for 3 units.

An introduction to the fundamental physical chemical principles underlying materials properties. Beginning from basic quantum chemistry, students will learn how the electronic configuration of molecules and solids impacts their structure, stability/reactivity, and spectra. Topics for the course include molecular symmetry, molecular orbital theory, solid-state chemistry, coordination compounds, and nanomaterials chemistry. Using both classroom lectures and journal discussions, students will gain an understanding of and be well-positioned to contribute to the frontiers of materials chemistry, ranging from solar-fuel generation to next-generation cancer treatments. Undergraduates register in 192 for 4 units; graduates register in 202 for 3 units.