**Disclaimer**
This syllabus is to be used as a guideline only. The information provided is a summary of topics to be covered in the class.
Information contained in this document such as assignments, grading scales, due dates, office hours, required books and materials may be from
a previous semester and are subject to change. Please refer to your instructor for the most recent version of the syllabus.
EEE 436/591
Fundamentals of Solid State Devices
Objective: The objective of this course is an understanding of the operation of semiconductor devices.
To understand device physics, one needs a basic understanding of energy bands, carrier statistics, recombination, and carrier drift and diffusion. We will spend the early part of the course on these topics.
After discussing these aspects of semiconductors, we will concentrate on the basic semiconductor devices: pn junctions, metal-semiconductor devices, metal-oxide semiconductor capacitors and transistors,
and bipolar junction transistors. Wherever possible the emphasis will be on the conceptual understanding
of device operation rather than on memorization of equations.
Prerequisites: ECE 352 or equivalent; a basic understanding of the electronic properties of solids, band
diagrams, electron transport, etc.
Instructor:
Dr. Srabanti Chowdhury
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
ERC building
551 E Tyler Mall
Arizona State University;
Tempe, AZ 85287
Office: ERC-539; Telephone: (480) 965-2831; FAX: (480) 965-8058
Email: srabanti (dot) chowdhury (at) asu (dot) edu
Office hours: T,Th 3-4:40pm at ERC 539, emails are welcome too. If you have questions that can be
answered in a few sentences, I will reply over an email.
Class Hours: T Th, 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm; USE104 http://www.asu.edu/map/interactive/?psCode=USE
Textbooks:
Optional:
Required: R.F. Pierret Semiconductor Device Fundamentals, Addison-Wesley,
1996; (All HWs will be from this book)
M. Grundmann, Physics of Semiconductors: An Introduction Including Devices and
Nanophysics 2nd Ed, Springer Science and Med., 2010; Similar: B.G. Streetman and
th
S.K. Banerjee, Solid State Electronic Devices, Prentice-Hall, 6 Ed., 2006; D.A. Neaman,
rd
Semiconductor Physics and Devices, 3 Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2003.
Homework:
Homework should be done neatly and is due at lecture time. You will lose points if the
homework is messy. All homework counts, none will be dropped. While you are encouraged to discuss the class material with each other, note that one name goes on a homework submission. Aid which results in a student submitting work that does not reflect the
student’s understanding and effort, is a violation of ASU’s academic integrity policy. In
other words, don’t copy each other’s homework. Late homework will not be accepted
without a valid excuse. 1 HW/week. You will definitely have a week to solve problems. HWs will be posted on BLACKBOARD. (PLEASE REGISTER IF YOU INTEND
to get credits)
Computers:
Use of software (e.g., MathCad, Matlab, Mathematica, Spreadsheet, TK Solver, etc.) to
solve homework problems makes life easier for you and if you do not know such programs it forces you to learn them.
Exams:
Intermediate and Finals: One Midterm and One final, 5-8 sets of Quiz. All exams will
be held in class
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Except for a conflict with another examination (which must be given at the time listed in the time
schedule), or for students who have four or more examinations on one day, no changes can be made in
the final examination schedule without prior approval of the Dean. I will not support such requests unless
they involve circumstances beyond a student’s control. Airline reservations and work schedules are within
the student’s control.
Final Grade:
Intermediate Exams:
30%
Final Exam:
40%
Homework:
30%
Your course grade is determined based on your total score (final average) S as follows:
+
-
S ≥ 96: A ; 93 ≤ S < 96: A; 90 ≤ S < 93: A
+
86 ≤ S < 90: B ; 83 ≤ S < 86: B; 80 ≤ S < 83: B
+
75 ≤ S < 80: C ; 70 ≤ S < 75: C
60 ≤ S < 70: D; S < 60: E
Learning Objectives:
♦ Understand semiconductor materials and their crystal structure
♦ Be able to calculate the carrier densities and their space and time dependence
♦ Understand the operation of the most common semiconductor devices: pn junctions, metal-semiconductor
junctions, field-effect devices, and bipolar junction transistors.
Academic Integrity/Cheating: Students should abide by the Student Academic Integrity Policy and ASU’s Student
Code of conduct: http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/studentlife/judicial/academic_integrity.htm.
The highest standards of academic integrity are expected of all students. The failure of any student to meet these
standards may result in suspension or expulsion from the university and other sanctions as specified in the academic
integrity policies of the individual colleges. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating,
fabrication, tampering, plagiarism, or facilitating such activities.
Under no circumstances will violations of academic integrity be tolerated. Penalties include:
Reduced or no credit for submitted work, a failing grade in the class, a note on your official transcript that shows you
were punished for cheating, suspension, expulsion and revocation of already awarded degrees. If you are not sure if
something is allowed or not allowed, you should ask the course instructor. The university requires that, should the
instructor implements any penalty for violation of the academic integrity policy, the instructor reports the matter to the
Dean’s office.
Course Outline
Semiconductor Fundamentals
♦
Introduction
♦
Impact and Use of Semiconductors
♦
What is a Semiconductor
♦
Semiconductor Materials
♦
Crystal Structure
♦
Wafer Orientation
♦
Bonds and Bands
♦
Carrier Densities
♦
Current Flow
♦
Recombination/Generation
♦
Continuity Equation
PN Junctions
♦
Introduction
♦
Fabrication
♦
Statics
♦
Excess Carriers
♦
Ideal Current-Voltage
♦
Breakdown
♦
R-G Current
♦
Capacitance
♦
Transients
♦
Applications
Metal - Semiconductor Devices
♦
Introduction
♦
Metal-Semiconductor Junction
♦
Schottky Diode
♦
Ohmic Contact
♦
Applications
Field - Effect Devices
♦
Introduction
♦
MOS Capacitor - Basics
♦
MOS Capacitor - Quantitative
♦
MOS Capacitor - C-V
♦
MOSFET - Qualitative
♦
MOSFET - Quantitative
♦
MOSFET – Non-idealities
♦
Complementary MOS
♦
Applications
Bipolar Junction Transistors
♦
Introduction
♦
Fabrication
♦
Minority Carriers
♦
Currents
♦
Gain
♦
Current Crowding
♦
Non-idealities
♦
Application
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