Department of Electrical and Computer engineering
ELEG 624: Fundamental Device Principles
By
Olufemi Olowolafe
Syllabus
In order to advance the science and technology of integrated circuits it is crucial to understand the principles and operations of electronic devices. This course, “Fundamental Device principles”, therefore emphasizes the fundamental concepts and operations of electronic devices used in integrated circuits. By design and content, the course is of immense benefits to students of diverse interests ranging from semiconductor device fabrication to circuit design and computer architecture. The course is presented using a standard textbook combined with the professor’s personal notes accumulated from research and industrial experience.
Textbook
“Device Electronics for Integrated Circuits,” 2nd edition, by Richard S. Muller and Theodore I. Kamins, published by John Wiley and Sons.
Content
The course will cover the first 8 chapters in the textbook. Chapter 1 summarizes the concept of semiconductor electronics, while chapter 2 summarizes the science and technology of silicon microelectronics. Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 present the physical principles and applications of the main devices required in integrated circuits.
Course Outline
SubjectNo.
Lectures
1)Physics of Semiconductor Materials3
2)Properties of Charge Carriers in Semiconductors1
3)Characterization: The Hall Effect1
4) Silicon Integrated Technology: planar process, crystal growth, thermal
oxidation, lithography and patterning, doping and diffusion, etc6
5)Metal-Semiconductor Contacts: Equilibrium and non-equilibrium
situations:2
6)Metal-Semiconductor Devices2
7) The pn Junctions and Characteristics4
8)The Junction FETs2
9)Currents in pn Junctions: Generation and Recombination Processes3
10)Bipolar Transistors: Basic Properties 4
11)Bipolar Transistors: Characteristics and Devices2
12)Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Systems: Basic Properties and
characterization5
These allotted numbers of lectures are approximate; the number of lectures for the topics may be slightly longer or shorter. If shorter, we may have enough time to cover one more topic, like the MOSFET.
Homework, quizzes and
tests
Most of the homework assignments will be taken from the problems listed at the end of each chapter and provided weekly. Two quizzes, one mid-semester test and one final examination would be given. The grades would be distributed as follows:
Homework:15%
Quizzes (two):25%
Mid-semester test:20%
Final Exam:40%