PHYSICS OF MATERIALS

Acquisition of theoretical knowledge and physical principles related to the topics in the program. Basic training on materials (physical properties, synthesis and applications). Basic training on some experimental analysis techniques for the study of materials, with particular reference to industrial applications for microelectronics, renewable energy and nanotechnology.

Knowledge and understanding (knowledge and understanding).
Critical understanding of the main phenomena concerning the synthesis, the processes and the characterization of the materials, both at the macroscopic and the nanometric level.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding (applying knowledge and understanding)
apacity to apply the acquired knowledge to the solution of real technological problems in various scientific fields.

Communication skills (communication skills).
Communication skills in the field of materials Physics

Learning skills (learning skills).
Acquisition of adequate cognitive tools for the continuous updating of knowledge and the ability to access specialized literature both in the field of materials physics and nanotechnology.

Lectures and seminars in classroom

Should circumstances require the lectures to be given online on in a mixed manner, some variations to the mechanisms illustrated above may become necessary, aiming however at fulfilling the planned
course programme.

Properties and characteristics of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and composites). Bonding in solids: metallic, ionic, covalent, Van der Waals and mixed.
Semiquantitative evaluation of the binding energy and relations with the compressibility. Structures crystal packing factor. Relations between microscopic structure and properties
mechanical. Surface energy of solids: description atomistic thermodynamics, mechanics.
Growth layers and islands of the deposited films. Energy of grain boundaries in a polycrystal, the equilibrium shape of the crystalline grains. Transmission electron microscope: principles of operation and applications. Thermodynamics and phase diagrams. Recalling the thermodynamic state functions. Curves of solidification, nucleation homogeneous and heterogeneous. Binary solutions ideal and real: the construction of phase diagrams, energy mixing, configurational entropy. Completely miscible systems. Phase transitions, homogeneous nucleation and heterogeneous grain growth, formation of precipitates, vapor pressure and growth Ostwald. Curves of solidification. Diffusion in solids. Microscopic description of atomic diffusion and distribution of the diffusion coefficient. Steady State: the diffusion equation for an ideal solution. Continuity equation and Fick's laws. Measurement of diffusion coefficient and significance of activation energy. Interstitial diffusionYoung's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and creep modulus of compressibility, relations deformation-tension. Point defects and line. Burger vector of the dislocations. Description of geometric properties of dislocations, deformation field and elastic energy of a dislocation helix and sharp, interactions between dislocations. Deposition of thin films by evaporation. Nucleation, growth and coarsening of grains for ripening. Mechanical properties of a film thin, interaction with the substrate, the field of deformation, thermal expansion and influence on the substrate. Interdiffusion in thin films and the formation of compounds. Metallization and interconnects in semiconductor devices. Preparation of layers monocrystalline semiconductor for chemical deposition from the vapor phase epitaxy and with molecular beam (MBE). Description of experimental apparatus for epitaxial growth. Omostrutture and heterostructures, disagreement and reticular system Si-Ge critical thickness. Property electrical and optical properties of semiconductor layers and their applications in optoelectronics and microelectronics. Some technique for material characterization.

‘Materials Science’ J.C.Anderson, K.D.Leaver, R.D.Rawlings, J.M.Alexander. Chapman and Hall.

‘Termodinamica Statistica’ C.Kittel, H.Kroemer. Boringhieri.

‘Electronic Thin Film Science: For Electrical Engineering and Materials Scientist’ King-Ning Tu,

J.W. Mayer, L. C. Feldman. Prentice Hall.