Alexander Lau completed a semester break internship where he assisted with various thin film deposition and characterization tasks. He read about topics like XRD, thin films, and crystal structures. Lau helped operate CVD equipment, scanned samples under an SEM, and assisted with preparing zinc oxide powder. Through these experiences, Lau learned about thin film deposition techniques, Bragg's law, and factors that influence XRD peak shapes. He also identified optimal conditions for depositing aluminum nitride thin films.