Electron Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction in Materials’ Science

Upon successful completion, students:
- be able to interpret at a primary level the structural features and properties of matter
- be able to distinguish different categories of materials according to their structural characteristics
- have a comprehensive knowledge of structural characterization techniques

This course provides a comprehensive insight into the structural characterization of materials using X-ray diffraction, an effective non-destructive method, and advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a destructive but the most powerful technique, giving access to structural and chemical information from the micrometer to the sub-angstrom scale. We will start with the crystalline and amorphous states of matter, the basic types of crystal structures, the symmetry in direct and reciprocal space, and the crystallographic directions and planes - generation and detection of X-rays, data collection, and processing - X-ray diffraction of single crystals, identification of unknown materials, phase identification, and improvement of crystalline structures. We will continue with a deep understanding of modern TEM and the connection between
the optics and operation of the instrument, the physics of electron-matter interactions, the basics of electron diffraction, and how it is represented by the Ewald sphere/reciprocal lattice construction. We will analyze electron diffraction patterns and consider the 2-beam diffraction contrast (kinematical and dynamical theory) and the phase contrast imaging by which the crystal lattice can be imaged with atomic resolution. In a thin, electron-transparent sample, we will consider how to determine the crystallinity, grain structure, size, morphology, defects, and chemical composition using state-of-the-art scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM), including dark field Z- contrast imaging and microanalysis by EDXS and EELS.

14-01-2024