Semiconductor Physics and Electronic Devices, Introduction

This course provides a detailed introduction to the principal classes of semiconductor devices in modern microelectronics and photonics. The following topics will be discussed; charge carrier statistics and transport, luminescence, photoconductivity, p-n junctions, metal- semiconductor junctions, diodes, field-effect transistor (MOSFET), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), light-emitting diodes (LED), laser diodes (LD), photodiodes, and photovoltaic solar cells.

This course should provide the students with a basic understanding of the physics and principles of operation of the most important semiconductor devices in modern microelectronics and photonics.

The course will provide the students with knowledge on:
– electronic structure, charge carrier statistics, and transport properties in semiconductors
– fabrication technology for semiconductor devices and integrated circuits
– charge transport in p-n junctions and metal-semiconductor contacts
– the principles of field effect (MOSFET) and bipolar junction (BJT) transistors
– the principles of light-emitting diodes (LED) and laser diodes (LD), photoconductors/photodiodes, and photovoltaic solar cells.

The course will provide the students with technical skills to:
– calculate voltages and currents in existing electronic and photonic semiconductor devices under different biasing conditions
– draw up and analyze circuit models for field effect and bipolar junction transistors
– understand the fabrication technology and principles of operation of new and future electronic and photonic devices based on semiconductors.

The course will provide the students with general skills:
– on the use of mathematics, physics, and electronic circuits to quantitative analysis of defined electronic system components
– for more advanced studies on electronic circuits and systems.

Auditorium lectures and exercises (problems).