Modern tools/techniques for both bulk- and thin-film characterization. Topics may include ion-solid interactions, Rutherford back scattering, secondary ion mass spectrometry, solid-state NMR, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, small-angle x-ray/neutron scattering, transmission/scanning electron/probe microscopy, near-field scanning optical microscopy, porosimetry, adsorption techniques, and ellipsometry.prereq: grad student or instr consent