ECE 730 Topic 29 - Fall 2015

ECE 730 Topic 29 - Computational Nanoelectronics

INSTRUCTOR

Professor Youngki Yoon
Office: QNC 5623
Office hours: After class or by appointment (via email)

LECTURE HOURS

To be determined

DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this course is to convey a new viewpoint to understand the current flow in nanoscale devices. Great success of nanotechnology has brought numerous opportunities in nanoelectronics, but nanoscale devices cannot be well described in a classical manner where empirical fitting parameters are widely adopted. Therefore, this course provides the conceptual and practical framework to explore nanoscale materials and devices based on a totally new ‘bottom-up’ approach. Through hands-on coding assignments, students will grasp physical insights into confined systems and carrier transport in novel semiconductor devices.

COURSE/TEACHING OBJECTIVES

Through this course, students with no or limited background in computational nanoelectronics will

  • acquire the basic concepts of quantum mechanics within the relevant topics of nanoscale devices,
  • obtain in-depth understanding of nanomaterials and nanoscale devices,
  • acquire the knowledge and skill in the field of quantum transport simulation, and
  • develop hands-on coding experience for electronic band structure and device simulation.

SYLLABUS

  1. Introduction (1 week)
    Energy level diagram; Electron/Hole conduction; Origin of current flow; Quantum of conductance
  2. Schrödinger equation (1 week)
    Hydrogen atom; Finite difference method; Boundary conditions
  3. Self-consistent electrostatics (1 week)
    Self-consistent field; Multi-electron picture
  4. Basis functions (1 week)
    Basis functions as a computational tool; Basis functions as a conceptual tool; Equilibrium density matrix
  5. Band structure of semiconductors (1 week)
    Chain of atoms; Brillouin zone; Reciprocal lattice; Band structure of common semiconductors
  6. Subbands of nanomaterials (1 week)
    Quantum wells, wires and dots; Graphene and carbon nanotubes; Density of states; Minimum resistance of a wire
  7. Nanoscale MOS Capacitance (1.5 weeks)
    Model Hamiltonian; Electron density; Quantum capacitance
  8. Open systems (1.5 weeks)
    Contacts; Level broadening; Local density of states
  9. Carrier transport (2 weeks)
    Non-equilibrium density matrix; Transmission; Coherent/Incoherent transport
  10. Project Presentation (1 week)

CODING ASSIGNMENT

Assignment will be given for the topics covered in the class. Matlab (or equivalent software package) will be used (no prior programming experience is required!). Examples are as follows:

  • Current through a simple system with constant density of states
  • Charge in a nanosystem with self-consistent field
  • Eigenvalues under different boundary conditions
  • Band structure of confined systems such as carbon nanotubes and graphene
  • Transmission of a nanoscale device

TEXTBOOK

No textbook is required.

REFERENCES

  • Quantum Transport: Atom to Transistor, Supriyo Datta, Cambridge University Press (2013).
  • Lessons from Nanoelectronics: A New Perspective on Transport, Supriyo Datta, World Scientific Publishing Company (2012).

MARKING SCHEME

  • Assignment: 30%
  • Project: 20%
  • Final Exam: 50%
  • No midterm exam.