Semiconductor Devices

(3-0-0-3)

CMPE Degree: This course is Selected Elective for the CMPE degree.

EE Degree: This course is Selected Elective for the EE degree.

Lab Hours: 0 supervised lab hours and 0 unsupervised lab hours.

Technical Interest Groups / Course Categories: Threads / ECE Electives

Course Coordinator: Doug Yoder

Prerequisites: ECE 3040 [min C]

Catalog Description

Properties of semiconductor devices. Applications in current and future computers, fiber optic and wireless communication systems. Future needs of high frequency, GHz-range, device operation.

Textbook(s)

Fundamentals of Semiconductor Devices

Course Outcomes

Analyze semiconductor quantum wells and quantum mechanical structures qualitatively and quantitatively.

Describe the interactions of photons, phonons, and electrons in semiconductors. 

Describe heterojunctions in semiconductor systems: metal-semiconductor junction and semiconductor heterojunctions. 

Analyze switching characteristics of rectifiers using PN diodes as an example. 

Analyze short channel effect and the frequency response of field-effect transistors.

Analyze d.c. operation and the frequency response of bipolar transistors. 

Describe operating principles of semiconductor-based light sources and photodetectors

Strategic Performance Indicators (SPIs)

N/A

Topic List

  1. System Application Background
    1. Current and future computer systems
    2. Current and future fiber optic and wireless communication systems
  2. General Limits/Capabilities of Existing Technologies
    1. Silicon device characterisgtics
    2. More-than-Moore device technologies
  3. Review of Semiconductor Device Basics
    1. Quantum mechanical phenomena for electrons
    2. Quantum well theory (ideal quantum wells)
    3. Band structures
    4. Doping and impurities
  4. Specific Devices for Computers, Wireless and Fiber:
    1. p-n junctions: steady-state characteristics, a.c. responses, and operation principles as mixers
    2. FETs - Silicon MOSEFT's (MOS Capacitor, threshold voltage, capacitance effects, self-aligned gates, short-chanel effects, basics of CMOS logic families, etc.)
  5. Bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and Heterojunction bipolar transistors
    1. Basic-device operation
    2. Silicon BJTs (DC characteristics)
    3. HBTs (DC characteristics, RF characteristics)
  6. Optoelectronic device technologies : photon emitters
    1. LEDs, (e.g, color, electron-hole annihiliation, generation/recombination)
    2. Basic Semiconductor Lasers theory: Fabry Perot  lasers
  7. Optoelectronic device technologies: photodetectors
    1. Photodiodes (optical absorption, minority carrier injection, factors affecting speed)
    2. Avalanche photodiodes (carrier multiplication, noise, superlattice structures, speed)