UG Summer Placement 2025 - University of Nottingham

Read more about the XPS facility at the University of Nottingham here. 

Project Overview

This placement will provide a student with hands-on experience of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) – a highly surface-sensitive characterisation tool used to determine elemental composition, as well as the chemical and electronic state of atoms within a material, by measuring the energy and intensity of electrons emitted upon irradiation with X-rays – and includes both day-to-day instrument operation and a straightforward, but important, research project.

The placement is designed to develop the student’s technical competencies and fundamental knowledge of surface analysis techniques, foster their problem-solving and analytical capabilities, and expand their interpersonal and communication skills. It is ideal for a student interested in materials science, driving them towards RTP career pathways.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the placement, the successful applicant will have developed or delivered:

1. Technical and analytical competency in the operation of XPS instrumentation to the level expected for an independent user.
2. Robust etch-rate data and depth-dependent XPS analysis for various materials, reported as a short academic presentation.
3. Engagement resources, e.g., posters, suitable for knowledge exchange and outreach purposes.

The successful applicant will gain valuable technical knowledge of XPS instrument operation, including the performance of routine tasks and the background knowledge and theory of the technique. An understanding of the relationship between instrument, laboratory and facility management will be gained in addition to the mechanisms of ensuring optimal instrument performance through maintenance and calibration. Whilst developed utilising XPS, these skills are highly transferable technique-to-technique and are critical to any technical-focussed role in STEM they may explore in the future.

As part of the depth-profiling research project, the student will develop further core skills in problem-solving and method development, as the parameter space for ion etching will require optimisation. Moreover, through engagement with the broader team, the student will learn about different analytical techniques for characterising the surfaces (and sub-surfaces) of materials, carefully considering their relative strengths and limitations, enabling the development of critical appraisal skills.

This placement will provide the student with significant experience of knowledge exchange, as they will be using their findings to produce resources suitable for sharing with external researchers and other interested parties, thus providing an opportunity to bolster their communication skills too.