Materials Science and Engineering
Graduate programs in Materials Science and Engineering
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Master of Science Degree Candidates for the Master of Science degree follow a program of study formulated in consultation with, and approved by, a faculty adviser. A minimum of 30 points of credit must be taken in graduate courses within a specific area of study of primary interest to the candidate. All degree requirements must be completed within five years. A candidate is required to maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average. Applicants for admission are required to take the Graduate Record Examinations. A research report (6 points of credit, MSAE E6273) is required. Special reports (3 points of credit) are acceptable for Columbia Video Network (CVN) students.
At the end of the first year of graduate study, doctoral candidates are required to take a comprehensive written qualifying examination, which is designed to test the ability of the candidate to apply course work in problem solving and creative thinking. The standard is first-year graduate level. There are two four-hour examinations over a two-day period. Candidates in the program must take an oral examination within one year of taking the qualifying examination. Within two years of taking the qualifying examination, candidates must submit a written proposal and defend it orally before a Proposal Defense Committee consisting of three members of the faculty, including the adviser. Doctoral candidates must submit a thesis to be defended before a Dissertation Defense Committee consisting of five faculty members, including two professors from outside the doctoral program. Requirements for the Eng.Sc.D. (administered by the School of Engineering and Applied Science) and the Ph.D. (administered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences) are listed elsewhere in the bulletin.
Thin film synthesis and processing in this program include evaporation, sputtering, electrodeposition, and plasma and laser processing. For analyzing materials structures and properties, faculty and students employ electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, cathodoluminescence and electron beam–induced current imaging, photoluminescence, dielectric and anelastic relaxation techniques, ultrasonic methods, magnetotransport measurements, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Faculty members have research collaborations with Lucent, Exxon, Philips Electronics, IBM, and other New York area research and manufacturing centers, as well as major international research centers. Scientists and engineers from these institutions also serve as adjunct faculty members at Columbia. The National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory is used for high-resolution X-ray diffraction and absorption measurements. Entering students typically have undergraduate degrees in materials science, metallurgy, physics, chemistry, or other science and engineering disciplines. First-year graduate courses provide a common base of knowledge and technical skills for more advanced courses and for research. In addition to course work, students usually begin an association with a research group, individual laboratory work, and participation in graduate seminars during their first year. MSE Degree Requirements The M.S. degree can be awarded after one year residency and 30 points. A master’s thesis is required. Requirements for the M.Phil. degree include successful completion of a 30 point program, a written qualifying examination, an oral exam and a thesis proposal evaluation. In addition to fulfilling the M.Phil. requirements, Ph.D. and Eng.Sc.D. candidates must submit an approved dissertation, and complete the University residence requirements. Specific course requirements are determined in consultation with the program adviser. Courses suggested for preparation at the level of the general and materials science parts of the written qualifying examination are listed in the qualifying examination memorandum. Core Courses MSAE E4101: Structural analysis of materials MSAE E4132: Fundamentals of polymers and ceramics MSAE E4202: Thermodynamics and reactions in solids MSAE E4206: Electronic and magnetic properties of solids MSAE E4207: Lattice vibrations and crystal defects MSAE E4215: Mechanical behavior of materials MSAE E4250: Ceramics and composites MSAE E4301: Materials science laboratory MSAE E6020: Electronic ceramics MSAE E6081: Solid state physics, I MSAE E6082: Solid state physics, II MSAE E6090: Nanotechnology MSAE E6120: Grain boundaries and interfaces MSAE E6220: Crystal physics MSAE E6221: Introduction to dislocation theory MSAE E6225: Techniques in x-ray and neutron diffraction MSAE E6229: Energy and particle beam processing of materials MSAE E6230: Kinetics of phase transformations MSAE E6240: Impurities and defects in semiconductor materials MSAE E6241: Theory of solids MSAE E6251: Thin films and layers MSAE E8236: Anelastic relaxations in crystals Related Courses of Specialization CHEE E4050: Principles of industrial electrochemistry CHEN E4201: Engineering applications of electrochemistry CHEE E4252: Introduction to surface and colloid chemistry CHEE E4530: Corrosion of metals CHEN E4620: Introduction to polymer science CHEN E4630: Computational laboratory for synthetic & biological polymers CIEN E4212: Structural assessment and failure CIEN E4332: Finite element analysis, I EAEE E4004: Physical processing and recovery of solids EAEE E4011: Industrial ecology for manufacturing EAEE E4160: Solid and hazardous waste management EAEE E4900: Applied transport and chemical rate phenomena EAEE E6228: Theory of flotation Multidisciplinary and External Advisors Admitted students may work with scientific advisors external to the applied physics faculty. Examples of other faculty in areas closely related to applied physics include: Louis Brus, Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Paul F. Duby, Earth and Environmental Engineering C. J. Durning, Chemical Engineering Yasutomo Uemura, Physics |
Graduate Specialty in Solid-State Science and Engineering
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Solid-state science and engineering is an interdepartmental graduate specialty that provides coverage of an important area of modern technology that no single department can provide. It encompasses the study of the full range of properties of solid materials, with special emphasis on electrical, magnetic, optical, and thermal properties. The science of solids is concerned with understanding these properties in terms of the atomic and electronic structure of the materials in question. Insulators (dielectrics), semiconductors, ceramics, and metallic materials are all studied from this viewpoint. Quantum and statistical mechanics are key background subjects. The engineering aspects deal with the design of materials to achieve desired properties and the assembling of materials into systems to produce devices of interest to modern technology, e.g., for computers and for energy production and utilization. Areas of Research The graduate specialty in solid-state science and engineering includes research programs in the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect and electronic transport (Professor Horst Stormer, Physics/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); nonlinear optics of surfaces (Professor Tony Heinz, Electrical Engineering/Physics); semiconductor nanocrystals (Professor Louis Brus, Chemistry/Chemical Engineering); optical and mechanical properties of nanomaterials (Professor Irving Herman, Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); chemical physics of surfaces and photoemission (Professor Richard Osgood, Electrical Engineering/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); molecular beam epitaxy leading to semiconductor devices (Professor Wen Wang, Electrical Engineering/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); luminescence in heavily doped wide-band-gap semiconductors (Professor Gertrude Neumark, Henry Krumb School of Mines/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); and inelastic light scattering in low-dimensional electron gases within semiconductors (Professor Aron Pinczuk, Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics/Physics); large-area electronics and thin-film transistors (Professor James Im, Henry Krumb School of Mines/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); structural analysis and high Tc superconductors (Professor Siu-Wai Chan, Henry Krumb School of Mines/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); x-ray microdiffraction and stresses (Professor I.C. Noyan, Henry Krumb School of Mines/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); magnetic properties of thin films (Professor William Bailey, Henry Krumb School of Mines/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); the structure of nanomaterials (Professor Simon Billinge, Henry Krumb School of Mines/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); electronic stucture calculations of materials (Professor Chris Marianetti, Henry Krumb School of Mines/Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics); and optical nanostructures (Professor Chee Wei Wong, Mechanical Engineering).
Program of Study The applicant for the graduate specialty must be admitted to one of the participating programs: applied physics and applied mathematics, or electrical engineering. A strong undergraduate background in physics or chemistry and in mathematics is important.
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