FY804: Experimental surface physics (5 ECTS)

STADS: 07002601

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.
4th quarter.

Teacher responsible
Email: per@ifk.sdu.dk

Additional teachers
kloesgen@ifk.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
Show personal time table for this course.

Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
Knowledge of subject matter covered by the courses Electromagnetism I (FY 503) and Thermal physics (FY509) is assumed.

Course introduction
Students will get acquaintance with advanced experimental methods applied to studies of surface properties of hard (inorganic) and soft (organic) matter. They will learn about reactions at surfaces, the surface as a substrate for growth of thin films or 3D nanostructures, and about self-aggregating thin films as in the case of lipid membranes.

Expected learning outcome
Students will after completing this course be able to:

• Describe the phenomenological background for the techniques employed, and be able to judge their areas of applicability.
• Work independently with advanced scientific equipment, and do data processing, and be able to optimize the data quality.
• Use current methods of signal and image processing.

Subject overview
This course is the second module of an advanced course in experimental physics and contains an introduction to the use of state-of-the-art scientific equipment for studies of surface properties. The focus is on experimental facilities for microscopic and spectroscopic analysis of surfaces of solids and of thin films deposited or grown on solids, either in the form of hard matter or soft matter. For hard matter ultrahigh vacuum equipment and facilities are a must, and understanding how to obtain such experimental conditions is an important part of the course. Soft matter surfaces can be studied in their natural environments with specialized techniques.

Three weeks of lectures (a total of 12 hours) covers the theory of surfaces, reactions at surfaces, the growth and properties of thin films and nanostructures on surfaces, and the technological background for ultrahigh vacuum based microscopic and spectroscopic methods. In addition an introduction is given to the work with lipid layers and membranes. Instruments for surface studies include scanning electron microscopes, electron spectrometers, mass spectrometers, scanning probes (STM, AFM), and equipment to monitor low energy electron diffraction. An introduction is given to modern techniques for examination and production of thin organic films through self-aggregation, like mono- or bilayers of lipids forming in contact with water. This includes x-ray and neutron diffraction, neutron reflectometry, Langmuir-Blodgett Technology, AFM, DSC, and FCS.

The experimental part consists of three experimental projects done in groups of 3-4 students, in non-scheduled, but individually planned sessions, a total of 30 hours in the laboratories. The final report will account for the rest of the credits.

The subjects:
1. Electron spectroscopy and microscopy (AES, XPS, SEM+EDX, EELS).
2. Adsorbate dynamics and surface reactions (XPS, AES, TPD).
3. Surface structure, morphology, and composition and physical-chemical properties of surfaces and of thin, inorganic or organic films (LEED, STM, AFM, EELS, neutron reflectometry).
4. Thermodynamic studies of lipids: phase transitions in liquid/solid mixtures (Langmuir-Blodgett technology, microcalorimetry).

Notation/abbreviations:
AES: Auger electron spectroscopy.
XPS: x-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy.
SEM: Scanning electron microscopy.
EELS, ELS: Electron energy loss spectroscopy.
EDX: Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.
STM: Scanning Tunneling microscopy.
AFM: Atomic force microscopy.
LEED: Low energy electron diffraction.
TPD: Temperature programmed desorption.
FCS: Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy.
DSC: Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Literature

Materiale udleveres.

Syllabus
See syllabus.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:
(a) Reports from the experiments. Internal marking, 7-point scale. The reports must be passed in order for one to attend the oral exam.
(b) The course ends with an oral exam, internal marking, 7-point scale.

One total grade will be given, and the 2 exams must be passed with at least 02 as the total grade. If this is not accomplished, the student must take a reexam in the part(s) which is not passed. The grade -3 or “absent” must not show in any of the part exams.

Reexam after 2nd quarter.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.

Forelæsninger, antal timer 12.
Laboratorieøvelser, antal timer ca. 30.
Educational activities

Language
This course is taught in English.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.