Materials scientists and engineers are concerned with how materials behave at all scales—from electrons to skyscrapers. They are interested in improving the performance of existing materials and in designing and fabricating new, higher-performance materials that don’t exist in nature. An important part of designing new materials is to understand the structure of materials from the atomic level upwards.

Several areas of emphasis are available in the materials science and engineering major.

BIOMATERIALS Apply aspects of materials science and engineering that relate to biomedical fields such as bone tissue engineering, sensors, and biomedical devices. Work in biomaterials can involve all aspects of materials — for instance, new materials development through inspiration from biological structures; innovating novel compositions and structures; or improving the performance of existing materials using structure and process modification.

ELECTRONIC MATERIALS Apply aspects to materials science and engineering that relate to semiconductor devices, sensors, dielectrics, and magnetic and optical devices. Work in electronic materials can involve all aspects of materials engineering, including new materials development; using structure and process modification to improve the performance of existing materials; device design; and failure analysis for yield enhancement.

METALLURGY As a specialization in the broad field of materials science and engineering, metallurgy involves: • Studying the relationship between the structure of metals and their alloys from the atomic level (i.e. 0.2 nanometers) to the bulk level (meters or several meters) and relating that structure to mechanical, chemical, electrical, magnetic, and other properties. • Selecting appropriate metals for given applications, taking into account the requirements of the application and the properties of the material. For example, aluminum alloys are used in aircraft wings and fuselages because they are light and strong. Nickel base alloys are used in jet engines because they are resistant to high-temperature chemical attacks and retain their strength even at very high temperatures. • Making improvements to metallic materials by changes in composition and processing techniques. For example, techniques such as chemical vapor deposition allow very thin films to be made from different composition alloys. These films have excellent properties for many electronic applications.

Metallurgical engineers usually work in interdisciplinary teams that may involve members from many other engineering disciplines.

Other specialization areas are available through the chemistry and physics programs, which collaborate with the material science and engineering program. They include: • Ceramics