| Unit name | Semiconductor Physics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHYSM2100 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Dugdale |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites | |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Physics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
To show how the transport properties of semiconductors may be exploited to create electronic devices and to explain how they function. To demonstrate the importance of semiconductor devices in fundamental research. To show how the optical properties of semiconductors may be used to create light-emitting diodes and lasers.
Aims:
To show how the transport properties of semiconductors may be exploited to create electronic devices and to explain how they function. To demonstrate the importance of semiconductor devices in fundamental research. To show how the optical properties of semiconductors may be used to create light-emitting diodes and lasers.
Outline syllabus:
Junctions (6): Intrinsic semiconductors. Doping of semiconductors. Carrier density and mobility. The p-n junction. Band bending. Carrier diffusion, generation and recombination. Shockley equation. Depletion layer capacitance. Reverse breakdown. Transient behaviour. Noise. Heterojunctions. Metal-semiconductor junction. Ohmic and Schottky contacts. Device fabrication (growth, photolithography, etching).
Optoelectronics (5): Optical properties of semiconductors. Quantum wells. Quantum dots. Carrier confinement. Light confinement. Homojunction and heterojunction LEDs. Internal loss mechanisms. Encapsulation. Light output characteristics. Wall-plug-efficiency. Semiconductor laser diodes. Stimulated emission. Gain. Threshold current. Double heterostructure laser diode. Separate confinement heterostructure laser diode. Vertical cavity surface emitting laser.
Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) (1): Basic design and fabrication concepts. Simple applications. Transistors (5): Principles of bipolar transistor and field effect transistor (FET). PNP and NPN transistor. Thyristor. JFETs, MESFETs, MOSFETs and HEMTs. Static characteristic. Switching. Simple applications. The 2D electron gas (1): The quantum Hall effect.
Able to calculate band profiles at semiconductor-semiconductor and metal-semiconductor junctions. Able to explain I-V characteristics for semiconductor junctions. Understand the behaviour of simple electronic devices. Able to explain working of simple optoelectronic devices. Understand quantised electron transport in 2D electron gas.
Lectures (18 hours) and problems classes (4 hours).
Independent learning to give a total of 100 hours.
Formative Assessment:
Problem sheets provide formative feedback.
Summative Assessment:
A final 2 hour written examination.
