Device Physics

An applied physics course in electricity and magnetism, with emphasis on the technologies derived from them. An integrated lab component will provide team-based, hands-on examples and reviews of key concepts. Calculus 3 (Multivariable) may be taken concurrently; however, students should be proficient with vectors and calculus, including the chain rule and trigonometric functions. 

Prerequisite: PHYS 1425 or PHYS 1420, and APMA 1110
 

The MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) is the most successful device in the history of electronics. It is one of the most manufactured devices ever, exceeding several billion per capita. One smartphone alone contains more than 3 billion transistors! 

This course will enable you to understand what transistors are, how they work, and why they are so important in today’s integrated circuits. To this end, we will explore how semiconductor materials can be used to make basic devices including pn-junctions and metal-semiconductor contacts. At the end of the semester, you will be able to design a transistor to specifications and apply the concepts you have learned to a vast array of semiconductor devices.

Course Objectives

This course will enable you to …

• Explain to a non-expert how a transistor works.
• Answer the question: “What makes the MOSFET the most successful electronic device ever?“
• Design a transistor and a diode to specifications.
• Use energy band diagrams to explain the operation principles of advanced semiconductor devices.

Prerequisite: ECE 2200 (Applied Physics II) or equivalent, ECE 2300 (Applied circuits) 
 

Example Textbooks Used in Previous Offerings 

“Semiconductor Physics and Devices” (4th edition), Donald A. Neamen (ISBN 0-07-352958-5). 

"Solid State Electronic Devices" by B.G. Streetman, S.K. Banerjee (7th edition).

“Advanced Semiconductor Fundamentals” (paperback) by R.F. Pierret (2003)

“Semiconductor Device Fundamentals” by R.F. Pierret (1996)

“Semiconductor Devices: Physics and Technology” by S.M. Sze (2002)

“Physics of Semiconductor Devices 3rd Edition” by S.M. Sze and K. K. Ng (2007)

Some Class Topics

• Crystals and Semiconductor Materials
• Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
• Application to Semiconductor Crystals – Energy Bands
• Carriers and Statistics
• Recombination-Generation Processes
• Carrier Transport Mechanisms
• P-N Junctions
• Metal-Semiconductor Contacts – Schottky Diodes
• Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistor (MOSFET)
• MOSFET Operation and Scaling
• Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT)
• Optoelectronic Devices (solar cell, photodiode, LED, laser)
• (Crystal growth, device fabrication, memory devices, CCD)

The goal of this class is for students to learn the fundamental laws that govern electromagnetic waves and to learn how to apply these laws to engineering problems. The semester begins by applying standard circuit theory to the study of transmission lines. This topic introduces students to wave phenomena. Students then cover electrostatics and magnetostatics which lead into Maxwell’s equations. At this point students are prepared to return to wave phenomena by studying plane waves and their reflection and transmission at various boundaries. By the end of the course, students will be able to use Maxwell’s equations to analyze circuit elements (capacitors and inductors), transmission lines, and optical components. In addition, students will have a working knowledge of how electromagnetic fields and waves are observed in the laboratory.

Prerequisite: APMA 2130 (ODE), ECE 2200 (Applied Physics II) or equivalent, ECE 2300 (Applied circuits) 

This class discusses solid state devices that are used for renewable energy application. While we will provide a general overview of most new and interesting technologies via lectures, discussions, and research presentations, we will focus on the detailed technical aspects of few devices namely: solar cells, thermionic devices, thermoelectric devices, solar thermal (CSPs), and batteries.
 

Description: The course covers photonic devices used in today’s fiber optic communication systems from a practical point of view. Its goal is to help students understand both, principles and advanced designs, such that device operation and performance can be understood and analyzed in the context of modern communication systems. The course briefly revisits fundamentals including photon interactions with matter and semiconductor junction devices.

Topics include:  Lasers and modulation, electro-absorption modulator, Mach-Zehnder modulator, optical amplifiers, devices for filtering and switching, optical receivers for direct and coherent detection, photonic integrated circuits, component packaging, devices for 100G long-haul and Terabit-system.

Prerequisites: open to senior undergraduate or graduate students, courses on device physics and signals & systems (ECE 3103 and ECE 2700) recommended.

Solar energy plays an important role in the growth of renewable energy, which will have an important impact on society in meeting its energy needs and improving environmental quality. This course provides an introduction to Photovoltaics and solar energy generation and gives an overview of the subject. The course will describe the operation of photovoltaic cells and efficiency improvements, industrial processes, solar thermal power generation, thin films, and nanomaterials for photovoltaics and future technologies.

The photovoltaics class is a one-semester course designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the subject of photovoltaics and solar energy. Topics that will be covered include basic principles of photovoltaics, operation of a solar cell, light absorption, charge generation and transport, p-n junctions, photovoltaic device design, fabrication and applications, optical and electronic losses, design of high-efficiency solar cells, light trapping structures, solar cell device measurements, industrial solar cells, organic solar cells, thin film solar cells, nanomaterials for solar cells, PV systems, solar concentrators, solar thermal power generation,  and future prospects of photovoltaic and solar energy technology. The class will also have three laboratory sessions to provide students with hands-on experience in solar cell fabrication, characterization, and organic materials for solar cells. The class may also have one or two guest lectures to share their practical experience in the photovoltaics and solar energy area.  

Prerequisites: ECE 2200 Applied Physics 2, APMA 2130 Ordinary Differential Equations. 

Quantum electronics, the study of light and matter interaction, has become the cornerstone in many areas of optical science and technology. The course will start with reviewing the principle of lasers followed by introducing the generalized nonlinear wave equations. This course will cover typical nonlinear effects and their applications in telecommunication, ultrafast laser, quantum computing/information and chemical/bio spectroscopy.

What will the course cover?

1. Review of Maxwell Equations.
2. Introduction to light and matter interaction: the basic principle of laser.
3. Introduction to nonlinear optics.
4. 2nd order nonlinear optics devices: frequency doubler, electro-optic modulators, parametric amplifier, and parametric oscillator.
5. 3rd order nonlinear optics devices: four-wave mixing and optical frequency combs, wave equations in optical fiber, and Raman and Brillouin scattering. 

A laser is a device that amplifies light and produces a highly directional, high-intensity beam that most often has a very pure frequency or wavelength. It comes in sizes ranging from approximately one-tenth the diameter of a human hair to the size of a very large building, in powers ranging from 10-9 to 103 W, and in wavelengths ranging from the microwave to the soft-X-ray spectral regions with corresponding frequencies from 1011 to 1017 Hz. Lasers have pulse energies as high as 104J and pulse durations as short as 10-15 s. They can easily drill holes in the most durable of materials and can weld detached retinas within the human eye. They are a key component of some of our most modern communications. They perform heat treatment on high-strength materials, such as the pistons in our automobile engines, and provide a specialized surgical knife for many medical procedures. They act as target designators for military weapons and enable the rapid checkout we have come to expect at the supermarket. All from a device in only its fourth decade of existence.

Prerequisite: Solid State Devices or equivalent is suggested but not required

Quotes from past course evaluations:

• Attending the lecture is key to success in this class, as the professor mentioned at the start of the course. The professor will discuss very valuable concepts in depth, with very clear slides.
• It was an excellent learning experience and has been essential to my personal/career growth. The class work and lectures are key to gaining depth of important concepts in photonics, that are very difficult to learn independently. The course has allowed me to far better understand my school research and work projects. The material was presented in a way that made it easy to follow along, and I appreciated that the class focuses more on mastering knowledge of the physics concepts and how they apply in a practice. It was a very unique and fulfilling experience. I am very thankful I had the opportunity to take this course.
• This course was very informative and applicable. While we learned important math/physics concepts, we also learned about a lot of other important and practical information about optics and lasers.
• I think this was a great survey course on lasers. There as a good mix of theory and real life application. I enjoyed learning about the different lasers and I found the homework questions to be interesting and engaging.

What will you learn? 

• Fundamentals associated with light, either as an electromagnetic wave or photons, and its interaction with matter.
• The operation of optical amplifiers and their deployment in a broad range of applications
• Laser fundamentals including Lineshapes, Fabry Perot cavities, Population inversion, optical gain, feedback, mode locking, and non-linear optics
• The operating principles of gas, liquid, doped insulator, and semiconductor lasers.

What is the course structure? 

Twenty-four lectures with slides posted on CANVAS prior to the lecture.

No formal text but supplemental material (informal text) will be posted on CANVAS

Approximately five homework assignments

Two exams during the semester and comprehensive final exam

Introduces semiconductor device operation based on energy bands and carrier statistics. Describes operation of p-n junctions and metal-semiconductor junctions. Extends this knowledge to descriptions of bipolar and field effect transistors, and other microelectronic devices. Related courses: ECE 5150, 6155, and 6167. Prerequisite: ECE 3103 or equivalent, or solid state materials/physics course.

Knowledge of the relationship between light and electricity has existed since the nineteenth century. However, the practical, widespread use of this interaction has become feasible only within the last two decades. The advent and use of optoelectronic devices have occurred primarily due to advances in semiconductor materials technology and the development of low-loss optical fibers. Optoelectronic devices convert light to electricity (detectors and solar cells) and electricity to light (emitters). These devices, together with optical fibers and light modulators, have helped usher us into the information age. Optoelectronics, which combines the properties of light with the capabilities of microelectronics, is an essential enabling technology for the information age. Optoelectronic devices and circuits have unobtrusively and efficiently made their way into our daily lives. Telephone networks, laptop computers, remote controls, photography, imaging, bar code readers, compact discs, high-definition television, flat-panel displays, health care, and transportation are just a few examples. Stated differently, optoelectronics helps with the collection, transmission, storage, and display of information in the information age.

Prerequisite: Solid State Devices or equivalent and introductory level optics is suggested but not required

Quotes from past course evaluations:

• Great course taught by a great professor. No one can leave this class without learning a lot about optoelectronics.
• The lectures given by the professor contained a lot of nuanced information that ensured the majority of a subject was explained and how this information was applied in the real world. 

What will you learn? 

• The theory of optical propagation in dielectric waveguides, including the dispersion mechanisms and physical origin of attenuation. 
• Advanced waveguide concepts such as photonic crystals and metamaterials
• The basics of emitters in semiconductor devices. This includes current injection in a forward-biased p-n junction and the advantages of using heterojunctions
• The requirements for optical gain and detailed studies of optical amplifiers
• The threshold conditions for semiconductor lasers and their properties including, current-intensity plots, field Intensity, mode structure, distributed feedback for narrow linewidth, output power limitations, and bandwidth. 
• Types and characteristics of optical modulators
• The physics of photodetectors
  • Solar cells
  • PIN photodiodes: responsivity, dark current, and bandwidth
  • Avalanche photodiodes: gain mechanism and associated noise
• Devices for wavelength division multiplexing
  • Multiplexing and demultiplexing structures
  • Wavelength converters
  • Optical switches

What is the course structure?

Twenty-four lectures with slides posted on CANVAS prior to the lecture.

No formal text but supplemental material (informal text) will be posted on CANVAS

Approximately five homework assignments

Two exams during the semester and comprehensive final exam

Analyzes the principles of electromechanical energy conversion; three-phase circuit analysis; magnetic circuits and nonlinearity; transformers; electromagnetic sensing devices; DC, synchronous, stepper, and induction machines; equivalent circuit models; power electronic control of machines, switching regulators, Class D amplification. Laboratory, computer, and design exercises complement coverage of fundamental principles. 

Prerequisite: ECE 2300 (Applied circuits) AND ECE 2200 (Applied Physics 2)

Co-requisite ECE 3251: This lab provides practical exposure and continuation of the topics covered in the lecture sections of ECE 3250. Topics include principles of measurement and analysis using computerized instrumentation. 

Quantum mechanics is one of the most important discoveries in the 20thcentury and has reshaped today’s science and technology. The rapid development in quantum computation and information is calling for a revolution in engineering and computation. Quantum information and quantum computing is fundamentally different from the classical computers. In order to understand how to build and use a quantum computer, we will review the birth of quantum mechanics and introduce the basic ideas and principles of quantum mechanics. The fundamental concepts in quantum information and computing, such as qubit, entanglement and squeezing, will be discussed. Finally, we will take a quick tour at the physics platform candidates for quantum computing implementation, and the IBM Q quantum computing resources.  
 

Course objectives:

1. To expose our students to the basic concepts and principles of quantum mechanics. 
2. To provide students with the tool to solve simple quantum problems using Schrödinger equation. 
3. To introduce the ideas and concepts of quantum computation and quantum information.

Note: The course will differentiate itself from the Quantum Mechanics course (PHY 3650, 3660) taught in Physics department. We will not explore the contents where nontrivial mathematical formalism, such as complex Hilbert space, are required. Contents that are physics oriented will be avoided as well, such as identical particle statistics, the variational principle, the WKB approximation, scattering and partial wave analysis.

Prerequisites: 

ECE 2200 Applied Physics 2 or equivalent

Examinations and Grading: Homework (40%), Midterm exam (midterm exam 30%, final exam 30%), or Mini project to substitute final exam (30%).

Textbook (recommend):

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, by David J. Griffiths. 

Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers, by David A. B. Miller.

Quantum Mechanics in Simple Matrix Form, by Thomas Jordan.

Reading Material:

Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, by Michael Nielsen and Isaac Chuang. 

Course outline:

Chapter 1: Introduction to the quantum world

1. Can you win this probability game? A peek of Schrodinger’s cat and uncertainty principle.
2. Where it started: the cloud of classical physics - ultraviolet catastrophe.
3. Quanta? Photoelectric Effect.
4. Particle and wave duality for electron in hydrogen atom. 

Chapter 2: Quantum 101

1. The birth of Schrödinger equation.
2. The probability wave and Schrödinger’s cat.
3. Quantum operators and uncertainty principle.
4. The Postulates of quantum mechanics.

Chapter 3: Physics system with quantum mechanics

1. Quantum well system: a quantum system in your iPhone.
2. Practice quantum postulates with quantum well system.
3. Harmonics Oscillator and photons.
4. Prepare for quantum information/computation: Dirac notation. 

Chapter 4: Quantum information 101

1. Qubit: why is it better than classical bit?
2. The EPR paradox: do qubits communicate fast than speed of light?
3. Entanglement 1: teleportation.
4. Entanglement 2: quantum cryptography and key distribution- no eavesdropper.

Chapter 5: Quantum computer 101

1. Quantum gate vs. classical gate.
2. Quantum algorithm.
3. How to build a quantum computer?
4. Hands-on time: the IBM Q quantum computer.

Explores fabrication technologies for the manufacture of integrated circuits and microsystems. Emphasizes processes used for monolithic silicon-based systems and basic technologies for compound material devices. Topics include crystal properties and growth, Miller indices, Czochralski growth, impurity diffusion, concentration profiles, silicon oxidation, oxide growth kinetics, local oxidation, ion implantation, crystal annealing, photolithography and pattern transfer, wet and dry etching processes, anisotropic etches, plasma etching, reactive ion etching, plasma ashing, chemical vapor deposition and epitaxy; evaporation, sputtering, thin film evaluation, chemical-mechanical polishing, multilevel metal, device contacts, rapid thermal annealing, trench isolation, process integration, and wafer yield.

Prerequisite: ECE 3103 or equivalent.
 

Description for the lab: Topics include the determination of semiconductor material parameters: crystal orientation, type, resistivity, layer thickness, and majority carrier concentration; silicon device fabrication and analysis techniques: thermal oxidation, oxide masking, solid state diffusion of intentional impurities, metal electrode evaporation, layer thickness determination by surface profiling and optical interferometer; MOS transistor design and fabrication using the above techniques, characterization, and verification of design models used.