ECE 630 - Physics and Models of Semiconductor Devices
Course Description
Semiconductor physics. Metal-semiconductor contacts. Physical principles and operation of pn-junctions, MOS capacitors, MOS field-effect transistors, and related optoelectronic devices. Scaling, short-channel effects, and modern and future MOSFETs.
Instructor
Prof.
Irene
Goldthorpe,
Department
of
Electrical
and
Computer
Engineering
Office:
QNC
4601
Email:
igoldthorpe@uwaterloo.ca
Phone:
ext.
31242
Office
Hours:
Wednesdays
in
the
hour
after
lecture
(2:30-3:30pm)
or
email
me
to
arrange
an
appointment
Textbook
There will be no textbook required for this course. Handouts and lecture slides will be posted on the course website.
The following books are useful references:
- "Semiconductor Device Fundamentals", Pierret
- “Device Electronics for Integrated Circuits”, Muller and Kamins
- “Semiconductor Physics and Devices”, Neamen
- “Solid State Electronic Devices”, Streetman
- “Physics of Semiconductor Devices”, Sze
- “Fundamentals of Modern VLSI Devices”, Taur and Ning - Advanced
- “Compact MOSFET Models for VLSI Design”, Bhattacharyya – for MOSFET modeling
Course website
UW-ACE, ECE 630
Lectures
Wednesdays, 11:30am – 2:20pm, EIT-3151
Course Outline
- Semiconductor Physics: band structure, carrier concentrations, transport, generation-recombination, non-equilibrium (excess carriers) {~2.5 weeks}
- P-N junction diode: basic physics, I-V equation, avalanche and zener breakdown, real diodes {~1.5 weeks}
- Metal-semiconductor contacts: Schottky barriers, Schottky diode, Ohmic contacts, contact resistance {~1 weeks}
- MOS capacitor: basic physics, flat band voltage, threshold voltage, C-V measurements {~1 week}
- MOSFETs: operation, I-V equations, subthreshold, channel length modulation, mobility degradation {~1 week}
- Technology computer-aided design (TCAD) of MOSFETs: introduction to SENTAURUS {~0.5 week}
- MOSFET scaling and short-channel behaviour: DIBL, velocity saturation, VT rolloff, gate leakage, interconnects {~1.5 weeks}
- Modern MOSFETs: high-k dielectrics, metal gates, strain, silicon-on-insulator, finFETs {~1 week}
- Future MOSFETs: alternative channel materials (III-V’s, Ge, graphene), nanowire and carbon nanotube transistors {~0.5 week}
- Optoelectronic devices: photodetectors, solar cells, LEDs {~1 week}
Evaluation
Midterm 25%
Assignments (2) 25%
Final Exam 50%
- In the first half of the course, problem sets will be assigned approximately every week. They will not be handed in or graded. There will be a midterm halfway through the term which will test on lecture material and these problem sets.
- In the second half of the course, there will be two assignments which WILL be handed in and graded. In assignment #1, students will use the device simulation software SENTAURUS to model a MOSFET. Assignment #2 will be a problem set based on scaling and modern MOSFETs.
- The exam will be held during the University scheduled exam period.