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This is the fourth contribution from the students in the University of Texas at El Paso Molecular Electronics course given in the fall of 2006.

This presentation is presented at the undergraduate level and introduces spectroscopic ellipsometry, which is one of the most important characterization methods for molecular electronics according to James and Tour of Rice University. Ellipsometry is an optical method for measuring film thickness, number of layers, and surface inhomogeneity. The primary advantage of ellipsometry is that the sample is not damaged or changed by the technique.

Lynn Marie Santiago received her undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) where she was a RISE Scholar. She is currently a master’s student in chemistry at UTEP and is working with Dr. Wen-Yee Lee in an environmental chemistry lab studying the concentration of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in air in the El Paso area. She is one of twelve students in the state of Texas funded by the National Science Foundation through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation – Bridge to the Doctorate Program.

This year UTEP nominated Lynn for the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges award and she has received many awards for her participation in the American Chemical Society Student Affiliates (ACS). In the summer of 2006 she was awarded a scholarship to attend the 4th Annual ACS Summer School on Green Chemistry Washington, D.C.

She has presented her work at various conferences such as ACS, SACNAS, ABRCMS, and JAM. Lynn is a member of ACS, SACNAS, and the National Humane Society of the United States. She also participates in various outreach activities for prospective students in STEM fields as well as being involved with her community by volunteering to judge school science fairs and speaking to students about science. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry after she graduates with her M.S. in July of 2007.

If you reference this work in a publication, please cite as follows:

• Santiago, Lynn Marie (2006), "Spectroscopic Ellipsometry," http://www.nanohub.org/resources/2104/.

  BibTex | EndNote

1. education/outreach
2. ellipsometry
3. experiments
4. material science
5. molecular electronics
6. self-assembly
7. undergraduate research