Delivery Type	Delivery length / details
Seminars / Tutorials	2 tutorials
Lecture	22 lectures

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Exam	2 Hours end of semester examination for BSc students	80%
Semester Assessment	Deadline (week of Semester): Week 5 Course Work: Test 1	10%
Semester Assessment	Deadline (week of Semester): Week 11 Course Work: Test 2	10%
Supplementary Exam	2 Hours written examination for BSc students	100%

Learning Outcomes

After taking this module students should be able to:

understand the basic mechanisms of electrical conductivity in semiconductors.
understand the physics of interfaces.
understand the operation of the p-n junction and appreciate its crucial role in the production of integrated semiconductor devices.
production of integrated semiconductor devices.
understand the operation of MOS devices.
appreciate the future direction of semiconductor device technology.

Brief description

This module provides a basic introduction to semiconductor physics, concentrating on those elements which underpin an understanding of the operation of semiconductor devices. The physics of important devices, such as bipolar and MOS transistors, will be detailed. In addition, an introduction to novel device structures which are being developed as a result of recent massive advances in semiconductor research will be provided.

Content

Semiconductor materials and their crystal structure - Miller indices.
Intrinsic and extrinsic conductivity. Shallow and deep centres.
Diffusion of carriers.
Junctions in semiconductor systems - the metal-semiconductor junction, homo- and hetero-semiconductor-semiconductor junction, and the metal-insulator-semiconductor junction.
The planar p-n and bipolar transistor structure. Planar resistor and capacitor structure.
JFET, MOSFET and MESFET.
Power semiconductor devices (thyristor structures, bipolar power transistors, MOS power transistors).
Semiconductor optoelectronic devices. Detectors (photodiodes and transistors, photovoltaic devices, CCDs) and emitters (LEDs, LCDs and lasers).
Novel devices - HBTs, HEMTs, quantum well devices.

Course Delivery

Assessment

Learning Outcomes

Brief description

Content

Reading List

Notes