SYLLABUS

PHYSICS 621: SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS AND DEVICES

PREREQUISITE: SOLID STATE PHYSICS

REFERENCES: Physics of semiconductor devices,

S. M. Sze, John Wiley & Sons.

Introduction to semiconductor materials and devices,

M. S. Tyagi, John Wiley & Sons.

Solid state and semiconductor physics,

J. P. McKelvey, Robert E. Krieger Publishing.

Physics of semiconductors,

J. L. Moll, McGraw-Hill

Semiconductors,

R. A. Smith, Cambridge University Press.

OBJECTIVE: This one-semester course is designed to introduce students to the physics of semiconductor materials and devices. This course is organized into two parts. The first half of the course discusses various material properties of semiconductors, while the second half deals with the physics of semiconductor devices.

SYLLABUS:

CRYSTAL STRUCTURES AND BONDING PROPERTIES

Crystal structures

The bonding of atoms

Crystal defects

SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS AND PROPERTIES

Elemental and compound semiconductors

The valence bond model

The energy band model

Equilibrium carrier concentrations

The Fermi level and energy distribution of carriers

CARRIER TRANSPORT IN SEMICONDUCTORS

The drift of carriers

The Hall effect

Carrier scattering (ionized impurity and phonon)

Theory of conductivity

Theory of the Hall effect

Megnetoresistance

EXCESS CARRIERS IN SEMICONDUCTORS

Excess carriers and quasi-Fermi level

Transport of excess carriers

Ambipolar diffusion and drift

Direct recombination

Indirect recombination

Surface recombination

Trap effect

Space charge relaxation

p-n JUNCTIONS AND DIODES

Construction of p-n junctions

I-V characteristics

p-n junction capacitance

Operation of diodes

MAJORITY CARRIER DIODES

Metal semiconductor contact

Schottky diode

Heterojunctions

MOS TRANSISTORS AND CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES

Semiconductor surfaces

C-V characteristics

MOSFETs

Charged-coupled devices

OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES

Photovoltaic effect of a p-n junction

Solar cells

Photodetectors

Light emitting diodes

Semiconductor lasers