ECE6771 Course Syllabus

ECE6771

Optoelectronics: Materials, Processes, Devices (3-0-3)

Technical Interest
Group

Nanotechnology,Optics and Photonics

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Catalog Description

Optoelectronic materials, physical processes, and devices. Includes compound semiconductor materials, excitation, recombination, gain, and modulation processes and devices such as emitters, detectors, and modulators. Crosslisted with PHYS 6771.

Textbook(s)

Bhattacharya, Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices (2nd edition), Prentice Hall, 1997. ISBN 9780134956565 (required)

Strategic
Performance
Indicators (SPIs)

SPIs are a subset of the abilities a student will be able to demonstrate upon successfully completing the course.

Outcome 1 (Students will demonstrate expertise in a subfield of study chosen from the fields of electrical engineering or computer engineering):
1.	Explain the fundamental physical concepts associated with the materials, devices and processes used to produce, detect, or control light.  
2.	Relate basic physical concepts to the principle of operation, performance, and future optimization of optoelectronic devices and systems.

Outcome 2 (Students will demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate advanced problems and apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve those problems):
1.	Understand the linear optical properties of transparent dielectric materials and waveguides, the nonlinear optical properties of electro-optic materials, and apply that knowledge to design and test electro-optic light modulators.  
2.	Understand the principles of light emission in organic and inorganic semiconductors, determine the luminance, quantum efficiency, and luminous efficiency of light sources, and design displays and signage based on light-emitting diodes.

Outcome 3 (Students will demonstrate the ability to utilize current knowledge, technology, or techniques within their chosen subfield):
1.	Design, fabricate, and test optoelectronics devices such as electro-optic devices, light-emitting diodes and lasers, photovoltaics devices and modules, photodetectors, and sensors.

Topical Outline

Review of Bulk Semiconductor Electronic Properties
     Material Composition
     Crystal Growth and Device Processing
     Bandstructure, Statistics, Carrier Transport
Bulk Semiconductor Optoelectronic Properties
     Generation-recombination mechanisms
     Impact ionization
     Optical absorption (including with electric fields)
     Spontaneous and stimulated emission, and gain
Junction and Heterostructures
     Homojunctions
     Heterojunctions
     MS and MIS junction
Quantum Confinement
     Quantum wells
     Superlattices and minibands
     Optical properties of quantum heterostructures
Characterization of Optoelectronic Structures
     Characterization methods for macro-structures
     Characterization methods for quantum structures
Photodetectors
     Basic photonic detection
     Photoconductors
     Junction photodiodes
     Advanced photodiodes
     Photodetector comparisons: responsivity, gain, bandwidth, noise
Emitters
     Light emitting diodes
     Advanced spontaneous emitters
     Review of laser operation: gain + cavity resonance
     Homojunction and heterojunction lasers
     Quantum well and multiple quantum well lasers
     Advanced emitters
     Emitter comparisons: I-V, L-I, bandwidth, linewidth, linearity, 
        temperature sensitivity 
Modulators
     Analog and digital modulation
     Electroabsorption and electrorefraction devices
     Acousto-optic and electro-optic devices
     Quantum confined Stark effect devices (including SEED)
     Liquid crystal modulators
     Modulator comparisons: operational bandwidth, speed, contrast 
        ratio, switching energy, temperature sensitivity