EE 3161 Semiconductor Devices

Spring 2002

Catalogue Description (3Cr.SP-Upper div IT, 2011, Phys 1302, Phys 2303 or Chem 1022; QP-Upper div IT, 3010, Phys 1253, Phys 3501) Elementary semiconductor physics, physical description of pn junction diodes, bipolar junction transistors, field-effect transistors.

Instructors

Richard A. Kiehl

EE/CS 6-129, 612/625-8073, kiehl@ece.umn.edu

Nang Tran

Imation, 651/704-4448, nttran@imation.com

Teaching Assistants

Yuming Liu

EE/CS 6-147C, 612/624-5034, ymliu@ece.umn.edu

Zhenlin Rang

EE/CS 6-147C, 612/624-5034, zrang@ece.umn.edu

Office Hours: To be announced.

Course Website: http://www.ece.umn.edu/class/ee3161/

Text

R.F. Pierret, “Semiconductor Device Fundamentals,” Addison-Wesley, 1996

Prerequisite by Topic

Mathematical skill at the calculus level (Math 1272, 1372, or 1572)

Knowledge of the physical sciences (Phys 1302, Phys 2303, or Chem 1022)

Understanding of device applications (EE 2011)

Course Objectives

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the microscopic mechanisms of device operation. An overview will be presented that includes discussion of energy band theory, material doping, carrier behavior, and transport. These concepts will then be applied to understanding the operation of the most basic semiconductor devices – pn junction diodes, bipolar junction transistors, and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors. The course will prepare a student for advanced study, give the student a fluency in the language of semiconductor devices, improve the student’s ability to design circuits, and enable the student to understand new semiconductor devices.

Course Outcomes

The student will be able to:

1. Calculate transport and equilibrium properties of uniformly doped semiconductors

2. Calculate dc and ac characteristics of junction diodes

3. Calculate dc and ac characteristics of bipolar junction transistors (BJT)

4. Calculate dc and ac characteristics of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors

(MOSFET)

Grading

Homework and Quizzes 15%

First Exam 20%

Second Exam 25%

Final Exam 40%

Exam Dates

Exam 1 Tuesday, February 19, 2002.

Exam 2 Thursday, March 28, 2002.

Final Saturday, May 18, 2002. 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Outline

Semiconductor Physics (3 lect)
• Material Properties
• Quantization
• Energy Bands
• Semiconductors
• Carriers

Carrier Transport (4 lect)
• Drift
• Diffusion
• Recombination

PN Junction Diodes (6 lect)
• Ideal Diode
• Transient Response

Metal-Semiconductor Structures (1 lect)
• Contacts
• Schottky Diodes

Bipolar Junction Transistors (5 lect)
• Transistor action and operation
• I-V equations and behavior
• Ideal vs non-ideal characteristics

MOSFET’s (6 lect)
• MOS capacitor
• Threshold voltage and I-V characteristic
• Non-ideal Behavior
• Fabrication of practical MOSFET’s
• Depletion mode MOSFET’s, JFET’s

(The approximate number of lectures for the T-Th daytime classes are indicated.)

Relationship to Professional Component:

This course is part of the engineering science and engineering design requirement of the professional component.

Relationship to Program Objectives:

This course develops the student's creative thinking and problem solving skills and their technical breadth and depth.