Optoelectronics: Materials, Processes, Devices
(3-0-0-3)
CMPE Degree: This course is Not Applicable for the CMPE degree.
EE Degree: This course is Not Applicable for the EE degree.
Lab Hours: 0 supervised lab hours and 0 unsupervised lab hours.
Technical Interest Group(s) / Course Type(s): Courses for non-ECE majors, Nanotechnology, Optics and Photonics
Course Coordinator:
Prerequisites: None.
Catalog Description
Optoelectronic materials, physical processes, and devices. Includescompound semiconductor materials, excitation, recombination, gain, and
modulation processes and devices such as emitters, detectors, and
modulators. Crosslisted with PHYS 6771.
Textbook(s)
Semiconductor Optoelectronic DevicesCourse Outcomes
Not Applicable
Strategic Performance Indicators (SPIs)
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