Learning outcomes

This course is designed to familiarise students with the various techniques of surface and interface analysis using electron beams and low and high energy ion beams.

Goals

To provide students of the Master in Physics in FA with a theoretical knowledge of the main methods of surface and interface analysis, used for academic and industrial research.

Content

Low energy electron and ion spectrosopies (L. Houssiau; 50% of the overall score)

  1. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
  2. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES)
  3. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS and ToF-SIMS)
  4. Low energy ion scattering (LEIS)

High energy ion spectrometry (J. Colaux; 50% of the overall score)

  1. Ion matter interaction (energy loss, straggling, cross-section)
  2. Radiation or particle detection
  3. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS)
  4. Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD)
  5. (Resonant) Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA or RNRA)
  6. Particle-Induced X- or Gamma-ray Emission (PIXE or PIGE)
  7. Synergy of IBA (Total-IBA)

Assessment method

Low energy electron and ion spectrosopies (L. Houssiau, 15h)

The evaluation will be done in the form of an oral exam with preparation.

High energy ion spectrometry (J. Colaux, 15h)

The oral examination, held in January or August, takes the form of the discussion of a scientific paper dealing with the analysis of specimens using high-energy ion beam. The subject of the paper is free (e.g. Materials Sciences, Cultural Heritage Sciences, Metrology, Life Sciences, Geology, etc.) but it must have been published within the last ten years. Each student selects a paper and submits it to J. Colaux for validation. Each paper cannot be selected by more than one student.
For the January session, the article must be submitted by 16th and validated by 27th December at the latest.
For the August session, the article must be submitted by 12th and validated by 16th May at the latest.
The evaluation consists of discussing the choices made by the authors of the paper. Why did they use these IBA techniques? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these choices? Could or should they have used other techniques (covered in this course SPHYM226)? What particular points need to be considered in order to carry out a reliable and accurate analysis?
Each student is free to prepare or not a support for his/her evaluation. Course materials, available on WebCampus, are authorised for this assessment.

Sources, references and any support material

Nuclear Physics Part 1 (G. Terwagne - Librairie des Sciences, FUNDP) Nuclear Physics Part 2 (G. Terwagne - Librairie des Sciences, FUNDP) - Librairie des Sciences, FUNDP)

Language of instruction

Français