Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UCLA

School of Engineering and Material Science Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Learn more about Materials Science

Research Highlights

Electroelastomer roll actuators, developed by Prof. Qibing Pei (SCIAM, Oct. 2003 )

Organic single-cell transistor deve- loped by Prof. Yang Yang's group (Adv. Materials, Sept. 2006)

Fall '06 Newsletter Departmental Brochure

Mission Statement

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering faculty, students, and alumni fosters a collegial atmosphere to produce: (i) highly qualified students through an educational program that cultivates excellence; (ii) novel and highly innovative research that advances basic and applied knowledge in materials, and (iii) effective interactions with the external community through educational outreach, industrial collaborations, and service activities.

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
and Applied Science
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1595
tel. (310) 825-5534, fax (310) 206-7353

Scope and Objectives

At the heart of materials science is an understanding of the microstructure of solids. "Microstructure" is used broadly in reference to solids viewed at the subatomic (electronic) and atomic levels, and the nature of the defects at these levels. The microstructures of solids at various levels, especially the defects, profoundly influence the mechanical, electronic, chemical, and biological properties of solids. The phenomenological and mechanistic relationships between the microstructure and the macroscopic properties of solids are, in essence, what the materials science is all about. This is best represented by the "materials science triangle": synthesis-microstructure-properties.

Materials engineering, on the other hand, is concerned with the design, fabrication, and testing of engineering materials. Such materials must fulfill simultaneously the dimensional properties, quality control, and economic requirements. Several manufacturing steps may be involved: (1) primary fabrication, such as solidification or vapor deposition of homogeneous or composite materials; (2) secondary fabrication, including shaping and microstructural control by operations such as mechanical working, machining, sintering, joining and heat treatment and (3) testing, which measures the degree of reliability of a processed part, destructively or non-destructively.

Because the science of materials branches into other fields of study, the department offers joint fields of study in collaboration with other departments. A degree specializing in electronic materials is offered which provides a broad-based background in materials science, with the opportunity to specialize in semiconducting materials used in electronic and optoelectronic devices. The program incorporates several courses in electrical engineering in addition to those in the materials science curriculum.

A joint major field, chemistry/materials science, is offered to students enrolled in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (College of Letters and Science). Several courses in the undergraduate curriculum also play an important role in the manufacturing engineering program.

The graduate program allows for specialization in one of the following fields: ceramics and ceramic processing, electronic and optical materials, and structural materials.

Departmental News

We are pleased to announce that our Department has been awarded an Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) through the Department of Energy. A brief synopsis of the center is described below:
Subject: Molecularly Assembled Material Architectures for Solar Energy Production, Storage, and Carbon Capture
Director: Prof. Vidvuds Ozolins, Dept of Materials Science and Engineering, UCLA
Objective: To acquire a fundamental understanding and control of nanoscale material architectures for conversion of solar energy to electricity, electrical energy storage, and separating/capturing greenhouse gases.
The objective of this EFRC will be achieved through a combination of theoretical modeling, computer simulation, materials synthesis, and experimental measurements on materials that enhance performance and are economically viable on a large scale. The EFRC plans collaborations with scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Eastern Washington University, the University of Kansas, and the University of California-Davis.
(see details...)

Prof. King-Ning Tu has been honored with the prestigious 2008 K.T. Li Chair Professor Award by NCKU. The K.T. Li Technology Lectureship Awards were established with the one million stocks endowed from President Bruce C.H. Cheng of Delta Electronics to honor Mr. K.T. Li, a late Senior Advisor in Presidential Office, Taiwan, who was widely regarded as the key figure in the Taiwan economic “miracle”. They are given to honor outstanding researchers and scholars, and to promote technology education and research.
The awards were presented in the convocation ceremony, held in the headquarter of Delta Electronics in Taipei and hosted by President Bruce C.H. Cheng of Delta Electronics and Academician Michael M.C. Lai, the President of NCKU. (see details...)

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