Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering

Courses

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Materials Science Engineering Courses:

ID Title Credits Offered
MTLE-2100 Structure of Engineering Materials 4 Spring
  The first course in Materials Science and Engineering. Structures of metals, ceramics, and polymers and experimental techniques for their determination are discussed. Laboratory experience is included. Prerequisite: ENGR- 1600 or equivalent.
MTLE-2940 Readings in Materials 3 NA
 
MTLE-2980 Senior Project 3 NA
 
MTLE-4030 Glass Science 3 Fall
  Glasses are used in optical communications (optical fibers), electronics (insulator) and nuclear waste processing in addition to conventional use as windows, light bulbs and containers. Subjects covered include: Formation and structure of inorganic glasses. The relationship between properties and cooling rate. Viscosity and structural relaxation. Phase separation and crystallization. Ionic diffusion and electrical properties. Mechanical strength and fatigue. Glass surface and chemical durability. Optical properties.
MTLE-4050 Introduction to Polymers 3 Fall
  A first course on polymer physics and structure-property relationships. Topics include molecular structure; morphology of amorphous and crystalline polymers; physical properties of polymers in relation to structure, including rubber elasticity, viscoelasticity, and glass transition; mechanical testing. This is a companion course to CHEM-4620 Introduction to Polymer Chemistry. Course is open to advanced juniors, seniors, and graduate students in science or engineering and others by permission of instructor.
MTLE-4100 Thermodynamics of Materials 4 Fall
  Rigorous development of classical thermodynamics as applied to prediction of materials properties. Nonideal gases, solutions, phase equilibria, chemical equilibria, defects. Prerequisites: ENGR-2250, CHEM-1300, ENGR- 1600 or equivalent.
MTLE-4150 Kinetics in Materials Science 4 Spring
  Kinetic processes in materials. Overview of kinetics in relation to equilibrium thermodynamics, atomistics and mathematics of diffusion, phase transformations, and microstructural evolution. All materials classes, including metals and alloys, ionic and intermetallic compounds, glasses, semiconductors, and polymers, will be considered in terms of similarities and differences. Includes laboratory component. Prerequisites: MTLE-4100, CHEM-1300, ENGR-1600.
MTLE-4200 Properties of Engineering Materials I 4 Fall
  Introduction to wave mechanics of particles. Applications to harmonic oscillator, free electrons, Kronig-Penney and Ziman models. Electron energy bands in solids. Charge carrier transport. Electrical conductivity of metals and semiconductors. Junctions and devices based on them. Microelectronics, dielectric and optical properties of materials. Optoelectronic devices. Includes laboratory. Prerequisites: ENGR-1600, MTLE-2100, PHYS-1200.
MTLE-4250 Properties of Engineering Materials II 4 Spring
  This is a required departmental course, but is also appropriate for biomedical engineers and other engineering disciplines as an elective. This course teaches the mechanical properties of metals, ceramics, and polymers from both the macroscopic and atomistic or micromechanical viewpoints. An introduction to three-dimensional stresses and strains. Elastic behavior, plastic behavior, strengthening mechanisms, fracture, creep, and fatigue are all addressed. Includes laboratory component. Prerequisites: ENGR- 1600, MTLE-2100.
MTLE-4310 Corrosion 3 Spring
  Mechanisms, characteristics, and types of corrosion. Methods for testing, combating, and evaluating corrosion resistance. Suitability of metals, ceramics, and organic materials in corrosive environments. Oxidation and other high-temperature gas-metal reactions.
MTLE-4400 Materials Synthesis and Processing I 4 Fall
  Emphasis is on materials synthesis, with four instructional modules drawn from aspects of melt and extractive metallurgy and from the synthesis of polymers, ceramics and glasses, electronic materials, composite materials and nanophase materials. Prerequisites: MTLE-4200, MTLE- 4150, MTLE-4250. Includes laboratory experience.
MTLE-4420 Joining of Advanced Materials 3 Fall
  Individual joining processes including mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, welding, brazing, soldering, thermal spraying, and variants or hybrids of these. Advantages and disadvantages, mechanisms for attaining joint strength, various specific methods and procedures, joint design and analysis, expected properties, practical issues in production, safety, and economics, and special problems with each process. Joining of similar and dissimilar combinations of metals and alloys, intermetallics, ceramics, glasses, polymers, and composites, with special attention to attaining optimum properties. Team term project. Prerequisites: ENGR-1600 and ENGR-2010.
MTLE-4450 Materials Synthesis and Processing II 4 Spring
  Emphasis is on materials processing, with four instruction modules drawn from aspects of casting and molding, deformation processing, powder processing, joining and additive processes, cutting and removal processes, and annealing/ heat treatment processes. Includes laboratory component. Prerequisite: MTLE-4400.
MTLE-4910 Design in Materials Engineering 3 Fall
  Basic design concepts and the underlying structure-property- process-performance interaction. Engineering materials, structures and properties, principles and process of materials selection, generation of materials performances indices, assessment and optimization of performance, processing routes and manufacturing issues, role of reverse engineering and failure analysis in design are covered. Generic design against yielding, fracture, flexure, buckling, fatigue, creep, corrosion, and wear are addressed, as opposed to design of specific products or in specific areas. A semester-long team design project is a principal focus. Team-building and leadership skills are developed. Nontechnical issues of environmental impact, cultural and societal impact, safety and health, ethics, and cost are discussed. Writing assignments and oral reports develop communication skills. Enrollment for MS&E majors is restricted to seniors or graduates. Prerequisite: CHEM-1300 and ENGR-1600 or ENGR-2010.
MTLE-4960 Topics in Materials Engineering 3 Spring
 
MTLE-6030 Advanced Thermodynamics 4 Fall
  Review of classical thermodynamics. Development of basic concepts of statistical thermodynamics. Application of both classical and statistical techniques to the determination of phase and chemical equilibrium in real systems. Prerequisite: MTLE-4100 or equivalent.
MTLE-6060 Advanced Kinetics of Materials Reactions 3 Spring
  Diffusion and phase transformations: solutions to the diffusion equation, moving boundaries, concentration dependent diffusion coefficient, interdiffusion, nucleation, crystal growth from the vapor and solution, solidification. Precipitation: general, cellular, and G-P zones. Allotropic and martensitic transformations. Grain growth. Sintering. Prerequisite: MTLE-4100 or MTLE-6030 or equivalent.
MTLE-6080 Electron Microscopy of Materials 3 Fall
  Introduction to electron optics, electron diffraction contrast mechanisms, specimen preparation, and microanalysis. Theory and operating fundamentals of the SEM, TEM,STEM, and the electron microprobe. Analysis of images from crystalline materials using kinematical and dynamical theories of electron diffraction. Prerequisite: MTLE-2100 or MTLE-6040.
MTLE-6120 Advanced Electronic Properties of Materials 3 Spring
  Review of essential quantum mechanics, including exact models and approximate methods. Application to behavior of electrons in solids. Electronic energy bands in metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Charge carrier statistics and transport. Maxwell's equations. Dielectric, optical, and magnetic properties. Applications to semiconductor, optoelectronic, and magnetic devices.
MTLE-6250 Advanced Mechanical Properties 4 Fall
  The phenomenological, mechanistic and micro-structural aspects of the mechanical properties of materials are developed, with particular emphasis on the similarities and differences among various material systems including metals, ceramics and polymers. Phenomenological aspects of the three-dimensional characteristics of stress and strain, various yield criteria, elastic behavior, viscoelastic behavior, plastic behavior, statistical aspects of brittle fracture and fracture mechanics are presented. Mechanistic and micro-structural topics include edge and screw dislocation behavior, slip systems, critical resolved shear stress, dislocation multiplication and interactions, barriers to motion, polymer chain conformation and entropy.
MTLE-6300 Integrated Circuit Fabrication Laboratory 3 Spring
  Theory and practice of IC fabrication in a research laboratory environment. Test chips are fabricated and the resulting devices and circuits evaluated. Processes and fabrication equipment studied and used include oxidation/diffusion, CVD reactors, photolithography, plasma etching, vacuum evaporator, ion implantation, etc. Instruments used in process monitoring and final testing include thin film profilometer, ellipsometer, resistivity probe, scanning electron microscope, capacitance-voltage system, etc. The fundamentals of hazardous material handling and clean room procedures are studied. (Cross listed as ECSE-6300. Students cannot obtain credit
MTLE-6420 Surface Phenomena 3 Spring
  The thermodynamics and reactivity of surfaces. Classical thermodynamics of surfaces. Atomistic models of the crystal surfaces. Electron diffraction from surface layers. Surface diffusion. Physical and chemisorption of gases, chemical reactions at surfaces. Nucleation of surface and bulk phases.
MTLE-6430 Materials Characterization 3 Fall Odd Years
  Principles and applications of current techniques for the chemical, structural, and morphological characterization of engineering materials, with an emphasis on materials used in the microelectronics industry. Techniques studied include various electron and ion spectroscopies, electron microscopies, and diffraction techniques.
MTLE-6460 Advanced Structure and Bonding in Materials 4 Spring
  Phenomenological and quantitative descriptions of crystal symmetry and structure. Theories of primary and secondary bonding in crystals. Theory and application of diffraction techniques for structure determination. Models of cohesive forces in solids. Emphasis is placed on the intimate connection between crystal structure, bonding, electronic structure, and properties of solids.
MTLE-6900 Graduate Seminar Fall and Spring
 
MTLE-6930 Literature Study 1 to 3 NA
  A special course assignment open to graduate students working toward a masters degree. Applicable where a student cannot reasonably arrange to submit a thesis. A written report on the study must be submitted and defended before a committee of the faculty.
MTLE-6940 Materials Engineering Project 3 NA
 
MTLE-6960 Advanced Mechanical Properties 3 Fall
 
MTLE-6970 Professional Project NA
  Active participation in a semester-long project, under the supervision of a faculty adviser. A Professional Project often serves as a culminating experience for a Professional Master's program but, with departmental or school approval, can be used to fulfill other program requirements. With approval, students may register for more than one Professional Project. Professional Projects must result in documentation established by each department or school, but are not submitted to the Graduate School and are not archived in the library. Grades of A,B,C, or F are assigned by the faculty adviser at the end of the semester. If not completed on time, a formal Incomplete grade may be assigned by the faculty adviser, listing the work remaining to be completed and the time limit for completing this work.
MTLE-6980 Master's Project 1 to 9 NA
  Active participation in a masters-level project under the supervision of a faculty adviser, leading to a masters project report. Grades of IP are assigned until the masters project has been approved by the faculty adviser. If recommended by the adviser, the masters project may be accepted by the Office of Graduate Education to be archived in the Library. Grades will then be listed as S.
MTLE-6990 Master's Thesis 1 to 9 NA
  Active participation in research, under the supervision of a faculty adviser, leading to a masters thesis. Grades of IP are assigned until the thesis has been approved by the faculty adviser and accepted by the Office of Graduate Education to be archived in a standard format in the library. Grades will then be listed as S.
MTLE-9990 Dissertation Variable NA
  Active participation in research, under the supervision of a faculty adviser, leading to a doctoral dissertation. Grades of IP are assigned until the dissertation has been publicly defended, approved by the doctoral committee, and accepted by the Office of Graduate Education to be archived in a standard format in the library. Grades will then be listed as S.