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Unit of study_
MECH5311: Microscopy and Microanalysis of Materials
2025 unit information
This UoS offers the fundamental knowledge that is essential for the microscopy and microanalysis of materials. The UoS will cover the basic fundamental concepts of materials structures and modern materials characterisation techniques that are available in Sydney Microscopy and Microanalysis in the University, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Engineering
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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AMME1362 or AMME2302 or AMME9302 or CIVL1110 or CIVL2110 or equivalent study at another institution |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. communicate effectively the microstructures, crystalline structures and crystalline defects of materials in oral and/or written presentations
- LO2. describe, in relatively simple terms, crystalline lattice structures in reciprocal space, describing theoretically, schematically, and mathematically
- LO3. communicate effectively several common microstructural characterisation techniques in oral and/or written presentations
- LO4. describe, in relatively simple terms, the interactions of fast electrons with matter, describing theoretically, schematically, and mathematically
- LO5. identify crystalline phases using X-ray diffraction and determine crystalline lattice structures using electron diffraction
- LO6. understand common materials preparation techniques for structural characterisation
- LO7. understand the basic working mechanism of the scanning electron microscope and microstructural information that can be extracted from electron backscattered images and secondary electron images
- LO8. understand the basic working mechanism of electron backscatter diffraction and its applications in structural characterisation of materials
- LO9. understand the basic working mechanisms of the transmission electron microscope, including electron diffraction, imaging and spectrometry, and their applications in materials characterisation
- LO10. understand the principle, limitations, and niche applications of atom probe tomography and secondary ion mass spectroscopy for microanalysis of materials
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
Important enrolment information
Departmental permission requirements
If you see the ‘Departmental Permission’ tag below a session, it means you need faculty or school approval to enrol. This may be because it’s an advanced unit, clinical placement, offshore unit, internship or there are limited places available.
You will be prompted to apply for departmental permission when you select this unit in Sydney Student.
Read our information on departmental permission.
Additional advice
This unit requires departmental permission to ensure appropriate foundational knowledge is met. If the prerequisite unit/s were completed at the University of Sydney or if you are enrolled in the Master of Engineering or Master of Professional Engineering (Accelerated), your request does not require supporting documentation to be approved. If you have completed studies at another institution, you must include your transcript when submitting your permission request for review by the Faculty.
