Module Notes
Faculty Member (Members):
Postgraduate, Fall Semester
Module Type: Specialization Courses
Teaching Language: English/Greek
Course Code: GCHM_C612
ECTS Credits: 8
Module Availability on Erasmus Students: No
Module Details

Understanding of structure fundamentals  in inorganic crystalline solids and of structural characterization techniques. Correlation and interpretation of basic physical properties, based on crystal and electronic structure, for metals/alloys, semiconductors, superconductors, dielectric and magnetic materials. Understanding phenomena related to the presence of  structural defects.

Ability to understand in a unified manner the structure and properties of inorganic crystalline materials on the basis of the position and motion of the atomic (ionic) centers and the behaviour of shared valence electrons.

There are no formal prerequisites. It is advisable for the students to have a relatively good background in Solid State Physics and Chemistry and in Materials Science.

Crystal structure
Periodicity of atoms in crystals :Lattices and crystallographic systems. Miller Indices.  Symmetry and symmetry elements.  Simple structures (NaCl, CsCl, ZnS, Diamond, Hexagonal).  Amorphous-glassy materials. 

X-ray, neutron and electron diffraction from crystal lattices 
Bragg’s Law. Laue Equations. Reciprocal lattice (reciprocal simple, body-centered and face-centered cubic lattices). Diffraction conditions.  Βrillouin Zones. Structure factor.Techniques of X-Ray,neutron and electron diffraction: Principles and instrumentation. 

Bonds in crystals
Noble gas crystals  (Van der Waals bonds, equilibrium constants in lattices, cohesion energy).  Ionic crystals (Madelung’s constant).  Covalent crystals.  Metallic bonds.  Hydrogen compounds.  Ionic radii and coordination in crystalline compounds.  Intermetallic compounds  (Laves, Zintl  and  Hume-Rothery  phases).

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Crystalline Solids
Elastic properties. Normal Modes of Lattice Vibrations. Phonons. Heat Capacity (Εinstein and Debye Models).  Thermal Conductivity.  Thermal Expansion .

Electronic Structure of Crystalline Solids
The electron as particle, wave and Schroendinger equation solution. The Free Electron Theory. The Theory of Energy Bands.Band Gap. Electrons and Holes. Metals and Insulators at absolute zero.

Semiconductors
Intrinsic / extrinsic semiconductors (donors, acceptors). Carrier mobility and temperature dependence of semiconductivity. Types and preparation of pure semiconductors.

Dielectric and Magnetic Materials
Dielectric constant and Optical Properties. Frequency dependent polarizability. Applications of dielectrics. Dia- and para-magnetism. Ferromagnetism. Curie point.  Magnetic domains and Magnetization curve. Hard and soft magnets.

Superconductivity
ΒCS theory–Cooper pairs. Influence of Magnetic field – Meissner Effect .Thermodynamic aspects. Types of superconductivity. Superconducting band gap and Josephson junction.  High-Tc superconductors.

Point Defects and Alloys
Lattice Vacancies. Diffusion. Color centers. Magnetic alloys and  KondoEffect. Order-disorder transitions.

H.P.Klugg, L.F.Alexander, X-Ray Diffraction Procedures, 2nd Ed., J.Wiley&Sons,1974
D.M.Adams, Inorganic Solids, J.Wiley&Sons, 1974, 376pp.
M.T.Weller, Inorganic Materials Chemistry, OxfordSci. Publ., 1994
A.C.Stergiou, Methods of Crystal Structure, Ziti Publ. Co, Thessaloniki  (in Greek)
V.Nastopoulos, Structural Chemistry, University of Patras Publ. 2008 (in Greek).
C.Kittel, “Introduction to solid state physics”, 7thEd. J.Wiley, 1995
L.Solymar and D. Walsh, “Electrical Properties of Materials”, 6thEd. ,OxfordSciencePublications, 1997.
Η.Ibach - Η.Lueth , “Solid State Physics-Introduction to the the principles of Materials  Science”, (Translation in Greek: S. Ves, Ε. Paloura, Α. Αnagnostopoulos, Χ. Polatoglou)
Edit. Ζiti , 2012.
S. Ladas, Notes : Inorganic Materials (PartΒ), DChE, U.Patras (in Greek).

Lectures using electronic and conventional means. Analytic presentation of selected examples. Student guidance to seek internet and other course related Literature information.

Series of problems given by each instructor (30% of the final instructor grade). Final written exam with questions/ problems contributed by each instructor (70%  of the  final instructor grade). The final grade is the average of the three instructors’ grades