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.
Note: This course was numbered ECE 730 Topic 17 in previous years, and is an approved technical elective for NANO graduate students.
Instructor
Prof.
Irene
Goldthorpe,
Department
of
Electrical
and
Computer
Engineering
Office:
QNC
4601
Email:
igoldthorpe@uwaterloo.ca
Phone:
extention
31242
Textbook
There will be no textbook required for this course. Handouts and lecture slides will be posted on the course website.
Course website
LEARN, ECE 630
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 week}
- 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, beyond MOSFETs {~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.