The aim of this module is to provide an understanding of how structure leads to materials properties and function and to teach the students how to identify these links through a set of advanced characterisation methods.   This will connect students in the school of engineering directly with the research driven materials   research program on campus and permit them to directly interact with companies that highly value characterisation methods for their product development (such as Johnson Matthey, Unilever, NSG and others). The contents are oriented towards students developing self-driven observations with opportunities for them to present their laboratory work at national student meetings as well as research symposia.

(LO1) On successful completion ofthis module, students will be able to identity the different structures ofmaterials and to understand how the chemistry of the atoms in the structuresleads to properties.

(LO2) Students will demonstrate aknowledge of key structural defects and why they have a significant effect onthe design of materials for engineering applications

(LO3) Students will be able toidentify a structure and calculate key parameters from diffraction patterns,images and spectra.

(LO4) Students will be able tooperate a transmission electron microscope independently and use it as amaterials characterization tool for application development.

(S1) Problem solving/ critical thinking/ creativity analysing facts and situations and applying creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions.

(S2) Numeracy (application of) manipulation of numbers, general mathematical awareness and its application in practical contexts (e.g. measuring, weighing, estimating and applying formulae)

(S3) Team (group) working respecting others, co-operating, negotiating / persuading, awareness of interdependence with others

(S4) Self-management readiness to accept responsibility (i.e. leadership), flexibility, resilience, self-starting, initiative, integrity, willingness to take risks, appropriate assertiveness, time management, readiness to improve own performance based on feedback/reflective learning

Classroom – theory and application of materials characterisation methods The lectures for this module will discuss the fundamental basis of structure-property relationships in materials and then move onto describe how to characterise the structure using electron microscopy.  The main text book for this module will be “Transmission Electron Microscopy” by D.B. Williams and C. B. Carter, published by Plenum.  This book is designed for practical classes involving electron microscopy and will be used as a supplementary workbook for the laboratory exercises. Part 1:Introduction to the Structure of Materials (2 lectures)

- Elements and Bonding, Crystal Structures, Amorphous materials
- Lattice planes, reciprocal space, symmetry, point groups, plane groups space groups
- Diffraction methods and Interpreting Patterns
- Metals, ceramics and molecular solids Part 2:Introduction to Transmission Electron Microscopy (2 lectures) ·  &#x A0;      
- Why use TEM – resolution with electrons, diffraction, atomic scale images and spectra ·         
- Understanding the principles of electron scattering – interactions with nuclei, inelastic and elastic scattering ·         
- Resolution limitations - electronguns, lenses, aberrations, vacuum systems, detectors ·         
- Basic diffraction patterns images and spectra Part 3:Solving Materials Structures by Electron Diffraction (2 Lectures)         
- K-vectors, Bragg’s law, reciprocal space
- Indexing ring patterns, selection rules, identifying crystal classes
- Single crystal diffraction patterns
- Worked examples, class discussions Part 4:Understanding Surfaces, Interfaces and Defects by Electron Imaging (2 Lect ures)
- Imaging in TEM, contrast mechanisms
- Atomic resolution TEM, defectsand interfaces
- STEM imaging and Tomography Part 5:Measuring Changes in Materials Chemistry using Analytical Electron Microscopy(2 lectures)
- Electron transitions in atoms
- Energy dispersive X-rayspectroscopy, qualitative and quantitative analysis, sources of error
- Electron energy loss spectroscopy, quantitative analysis and sources of error         
- Atomic resolution spectroscopy – what is real and what isn’t
- Low dose imaging and in-situobservations Laboratory – How to Operate an Electron Microscope for Materials Characterisation While the classroom section of the class is designed to be generic in its approach, the laboratory work will permit a degree of specialisation based on the materials being used for the experiments.  Each student can select the type of material to focus their set of experiments on(structural alloy, semiconducting device, battery system, heterogeneouscatalyst or polymer) and follow through the set of experiments on that sample.  This approach will allow the course to be readily expanded to other disciplines and to PhD students. Lab 1:  Specimen Preparation and Inserting a Sample into the TEM (2 hrs x 2) Lab 2: Calibration/Acquisition and Analysis of Diffraction Patterns(2 hrs x 2) Lab 3: Calibration/Acquisition and Interpretation of Atomic Scale Images (2 hrs x 2) Lab 4: Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (2 hrs x 2) Lab 5: Low-dose Imaging and In-situ Methods (2 hrs x 2)

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture Description: Interactive lectures will focus on developing an intuitive understanding of what controls the structure/property relationship in advanced materials and how to measure it. Guest lectures from academic/industrial specialists will highlight case studies for particular materials development sectors. Teaching Method 2 - Laboratory Work Description: Students will perform their own hand-on alignment and operation of the microscopes in the ICaL teaching facility. Students have the option of bringing their own samples or using some provided for them.