Summary of NSF Surface Analysis Workshop
R. E. Kumon
In this talk I summarize my participation in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Surface Analysis Workshop at Kettering University (Flint, Michigan) from 23-27 June 2003. The purpose of the workshop is to provide an overview of surface analysis techniques and their applications to graduate students and faculty, with the ultimate goal of disseminating this information throughout the undergraduate curriculum. Topics covered include optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (IR), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), a.k.a, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and atomic force microscopy (ATM). Daily sessions consisted of lectures in the morning and laboratory demonstrations in the afternoon. I will outline the information presented at the workshop, describe the experimental facilities at Kettering, suggest possible techniques for analysis of polymer samples, and give my overall impressions of the week's activities.