ECE 4570 - Electronic Device Fundamentals

Fall. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: ECE 3150 or permission of instructor.

S. Tiwari.

Develops an understanding of device physics by principally focusing on silicon‐based structures. Starting with a look at carrier statistics, energy diagram and transport, the course analyzes the operation of diodes (p/n and Schottky) and bipolar junction transistors to elucidate operational principles in quasistatic, small‐signal and high‐frequency conditions. It then spends about two thirds of the time on metal‐oxide‐semiconductor structures and their transistors with an emphasis on advanced features of modern technology for digital and high frequency operation. The exploration encompasses long to short devices, inversion, strain, gate‐stack, silicon‐on‐insulator, tunneling, hot carriers, instabilities and reliability, and the non‐volatile memories. Accurate modeling, manufacturability and applications underlie this exploration. By using computer simulation and experimental data, the course culminates in a design project dealing with technical concerns in current VLSI industry. The goal for this course is to develop an understanding in the student of the working of the devices so that circuits, devices, and semiconductor processes can all be placed in a fulsome context of the modern integrated semiconductor integrated chip.

Outcome 1: Obtain a well-grounded understanding of semiconductor device operation and advanced ideas in use in microelectronic industry.

Outcome 2: Learn through simulations, the aspects of physical behavior that analytic solutions are incomplete at and their more complete description of operational physics.

Outcome 3: Apply device fundamentals and simulation techniques to design modern nanoscale device structures.

Outcome 4: Develop comprehensive skills straddling electronics, integration, and devices as used in integrated circuits leading to effective communication of results.