Syllabus

Module 1: (4 hours)
Measurements and error analysis: Uncertainty of measurements, Types of errors, Experimental uncertainty of single measurement and repeated measurements, Standard deviation, Propagation of error, Significant figures, Data Analysis.

Module 2: (7 hours)
Diffraction and scattering: Diffraction of X-rays in crystals via Laue, rotating crystal and powder method, reciprocal lattice, miller indices, atomic form factor, geometric structure factor, systematic absences and analysis of simple patterns, intensity of diffraction lines in a powder pattern, peak widths, determination of lattice parameters, crystallite size and strain, diffraction of electrons and neutrons, benefit of neutron diffraction. Theory and practice of light scattering, small angle neutron and X-ray scattering. LASER light scattering, Dynamic and Static light scattering.

Module 3: (6 hours)
Vacuum: Need of vacuum, Characteristics of vacuum, Gas flow, Vacuum Pumps, Vacuum Gauges, Vacuum systems, Thin film deposition under vacuum, film thickness measurement. Use of vacuum in cryogenics, Physical properties at low temperature: Electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, Specific heat capacity, magnetic properties.

Module 4: (6 hours)
Microscopy: Optical Microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).

Module 5: (9 hours)
Spectroscopy: Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Secondary ion Mass spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), UV-Visible, Infrared and Raman spectroscopic Techniques

Module 6: (4 hours)
Thermal characterization: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential thermal analysis (DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and their applications.

To understand the sources of error involved in an experimental measurement and its minimization.

To learn the principles and operations of different experimental techniques for the characterization of a wide variety of materials.

To learn the theoretical and practical ideas to analyze, interpret the experimental data, and the representation of the same.

To understand the strengths and weaknesses of the different experimental techniques for characterization of different materials.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:
CO1: Estimate the error involved in any experimental process.

CO2: Understand X-ray/neutron scattering/diffraction processes and data interpretation.

CO3: Understand the morphological and elemental characterization of materials.

CO4: Understand the vacuum process, its application for low temperature, and low temperature properties of matter.

CO5: Learn thermal and optical characterizations of matter.

C. Suryanarayana, M. G. Norton, X-Ray Diffraction: A Practical Approach, Springer (2014).

Y. Leng, Materials Characterization: Introduction to Microscopic and Spectroscopic Methods, Wiley-VCH (2013).

D. K. Schroder, Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization, Wiley–Blackwell (1998).

M. Sayer and A. Mansingh, Measurement, Instrumentation and Experiment Design in Physics and Engineering, Prentice Hall India (1999).