2019 Horiba Summer School on Spectroscopic Methods

2019 Summer School on Spectroscopic Methods

To register, please fill out the google form here, or email ixm98@case.edu. Registration will close Friday, July 12th, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Presentations by Dr. Matthieu Chausseau and Dr. Michelle Sestak, HORIBA Scientific.

When: July 16, 2019

Where: Case Western Reserve University, Bingham 103, starting at 10:00 a.m.

Lecture 1, 10:00 – 12:00: Spectroscopic Techniques for Characterization of Materials for Energy Applications

Cutting-edge characterization is critical to developing new materials to advance renewable energy applications, including batteries, fuel cells and photovoltaics. Combining multiple spectroscopic techniques is necessary to improve our understanding of these materials: evaluate their impact, understand and measure potential improvements, understand their behavior in working conditions, and conduct failure analysis to identify root causes and create a path for improvement. Due to the variety of materials and phenomena involved, a single tool cannot provide all the answers.

This presentation will introduce several spectroscopic techniques used for the characterization of materials: Raman, AFM-Raman, X-Ray Fluorescence, and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, and also some less well known but very useful techniques such as Glow Discharge or Inert Gas Fusion. After a brief description of the principle of each technique and its advantages and limitations, we will show multiple examples of data obtained in our applications labs or published in scientific journals to illustrate how these techniques are useful to Renewable Energy Materials researchers. Significant time will be allowed for questions and open discussion.

Lecture 2, 2:00 – 4:00: Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, Unraveled

Are you currently using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry? Do you want to learn more about this technique?  Not sure what it is and how it can help you? Are you afraid of the modeling step? Does it seem like a challenging technique that is difficult to understand?

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry is a non-destructive optical technique based on the change in the polarization state of light as it is obliquely reflected from a thin film sample. Most commonly used to determine thin film thickness (down to a few Angstroms) and optical constants, Spectroscopic Ellipsometryis also capable of providing other information including surface roughness, crystallinity, composition, band gap, and more! This presentation will explain the theory of Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, the instrumentation commonly used and an overview of the types of samples which can be measured, along with some examples and applications. All this in a clear, concise manner that is easily understood by everyone! This is not intended to be an intensive course in Spectroscopic Ellipsometry modeling, but more of an easy-to-understand general overview.

Speaker Biographies

Matthieu Chausseau holds an engineering degree in Chemistry and Process Chemistry as well as a PhD in Analytical Chemistry that he obtained in 2001 from the University of Lyon, France. After spending 7 years supporting French customers for various elemental analysis techniques for a scientific instrument manufacturer, he joined HORIBA Scientific in France as an International Product Manager. In 2015, he became Applications Manager with a team of 19 scientists working on different techniques. During that time, he learned about all techniques from HORIBA Scientific: Raman, X-Ray Fluorescence, ICP, Glow Discharge, Fluorescence, Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, Inert Gas Fusion Techniques, Particle Size Characterization… In 2016, Matthieu transferred to HORIBA Scientific US in New Jersey as Product Manager for Elemental Analysis and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry products.

Michelle Sestak obtained her Ph.D. degree from the University of Toledo in 2012, where she fabricated CdTe solar cells via rf magnetron sputtering and studied them using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry.  The goal of her research was to study the optical constants of CdTe solar cell materials and complete solar cells grown with different sputtering conditions in order to find the parameters required for the most efficient solar cell.  She is now an application scientist at HORIBA Scientific US in New Jersey, where she has worked for the past 7 years to support prospective and existing customers.  Michelle’s main application focus is on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, but she also supports the Raman, XRF, and GD product lines at HORIBA Scientific.

Comments are closed.