Introductory description

This module builds on core concepts covered in Year 1 and Year 2 to understand range of advance inorganic, organic and hybrid materials. The content will be divided based on parts of the mobile phone. e.g touch screen, data storage, capacitors, transistors, microphone/speakers, receivers/transmitters but with some functional materials having multiple applications. The final section will be focussed on going beyond Moore’s Law and emerging materials and technologies.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Introduction to wider context: How the touch screen smart phone has transformed the way 85% of humanity now communicates, searches for information, shops, banks, navigates and accesses entertainment uses a smart phone. Likely directions for further innovation in capability.
2. The synthesis, chemistry and design of magnetic materials used in data storage: CrO2 cobalt-based alloys (CoCrPt) ferrites (such as Fe2O3) and the future of data storage materials (e.g. PbTiO3).
3. The synthesis, chemistry and design of transparent conducting oxides: indium oxide doped with tin (ITO), indium doped zinc oxide and fluorine doped tin oxide. Compare and contrast properties / advantages of different transparent oxides.
4. Operating principle of the light-emitting diode (organic and inorganic) and transistor and liquid crystals
5. Light-emitting materials used in displays and lighting, including metal-organic complexes used in organic light emitting diodes, luminescent lanthanide based compounds (phosphors and pigments) and up-conversion nanoparticles. Singlets/triplets, Jablonski diagram, intersystem crossing.
6. High performance dielectric materials used in capacitors, microwave resonators, integrated circuits, displays, transistors (perovskite oxides, hafnium oxide, atomic layer deposition).
7. Beyond Moore’s Law electronics: opportunities and challenges.
8. Design of single molecule wires, switches, diodes, transistors, memristor and sensors.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Appreciate the complexity of the smart phone in terms of the range of inorganic, organic and hybrid materials used in its construction, and the central role that chemists play in its development.
• Understand the synthesis, chemistry and design of: (i) Magnetic materials used in data storage; (ii) Transparent conducting oxides used for displays; (iii) Light-emitting and liquid crystal materials used in displays and lighting. (iv) Dielectric materials used in conjunction with all of the above.
• Appreciate that the electronics industry is now close to the limits of what can be achieved with existing materials, in large part because the size of electronic components has reached the quantum size regime.
• Understand how single molecules can be designed to function as nanoscale electronic devices (switches, wires, diodes etc) - potentially the ‘beyond Moore’s Law’ future of electronics - and that chemists have a central role to play in the development of the field.
• Interpret and extract quantitative information from unseen sets of data (i.e. spectra, diffraction patterns and graphs) relating to each of the topics covered in the course.
• Perform simple calculations to determine physical quantities relevant to topics covered in the course.

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Subject specific skills

Understanding of the synthesis and properties of a range of materials relevant to the modern technology, including magnetic storage materials, light emitting materials, transistors, liquid crystals, high performance dielectric materials etc.

Transferable skills

Communication
Critical Thinking
Digital Literacy
Information Literacy
Problem Solving
Professionalism
Sustainability
Teamwork