ECE EEE 4351 - Solid-State Electronic Devices

Curriculum Designation: Tier II Elective course for electrical engineering majors.

Course (Catalog) Description: Solid-state physics as applied to electronic devices, semiconductor materials, conduction processes in solids, device fabrication, diffusion processes, and semiconductor devices.

Prerequisites: EEE 3300 and EEE 3300L

Course Objectives:

  1. Describe crystal properties and growth of semiconductors.
  2. Apply basic quantum mechanics to atomic and semiconductor models.
  3. Derive equations of charge transport in semiconductors under normal operating conditions.
  4. Determine charge, electric field, potential distributions, and energy band diagrams in pn-junction diodes under normal operating conditions.
  5. Apply the charge diffusion equation to pn-junction diodes and bipolar junction transistors, and derive I-V characteristics for diodes and transistors, and small-signal admittance and transient response for diodes.
  6. Derive I-V characteristics of field-effect-transistors.
  7. Discuss the fundamental applications of photodiodes, solar cells, and light-emitting diodes.
  8. List fabrication steps used in production of pn-junction diodes and various types of transistors.
  9. Describe the impact of electronics on the technology and contemporary issues in solid-state electronics.
  10. Recognize the need for lifelong learning and identify methods to engage in lifelong learning.

Topics Covered:

  1. General introduction to semiconductors.
  2. Carrier modeling.
  3. Basics of device fabrication.
  4. PN junction diodes (electrostatics, currents, small-signal analysis).
  5. Bipolar-junction-transistors and other junction devices (static characteristics, Ebers-Mall equations, dynamic response modeling).
  6. Metal-semiconductor contacts and Schottky diodes.
  7. Junction field-effect transistors, metal field-effect-transistors, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors.
  8. Modern issues in solid-state electronics.

Class Schedule: Three 50 minute or two 75 minute lectures per week (3 credit hours).

Contribution to Professional Component: Engineering topic: 3 credit hours

Science/Design (%): 100% / 0%

Relationship to ABET Student Outcomes: A, H, I, J, M and O (EE)

Prepared by: Bruce A. Harvey

Revised: September 23, 2016