Semiconductor Physics Fundamentals
Description
This foundational subject covers the essential physics principles underlying semiconductor behavior, including crystal structure, energy bands, charge carriers, and basic device physics. Students learn about intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, p-n junctions, and fundamental electrical properties that form the basis for all semiconductor devices.
Learning Objectives
Students will understand crystal structure and atomic bonding in semiconductors, comprehend energy band theory and its applications, analyze charge carrier behavior including electrons and holes, master p-n junction physics and characteristics, calculate semiconductor electrical properties and parameters, and apply fundamental physics principles to explain device behavior and performance.
Topics (12)
Study of diamond cubic crystal structure, covalent bonding in silicon and germanium, lattice parameters, and crystal defects that affect semiconductor behavior.
Analysis of direct and indirect recombination, Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, Auger recombination, and carrier lifetime concepts.
Analysis of valence bands, conduction bands, forbidden energy gaps, and classification of materials as conductors, semiconductors, or insulators based on band structure.
Study of pure silicon and germanium properties, electron-hole pair generation, intrinsic carrier concentration, and temperature effects on electrical properties.
Analysis of donor and acceptor impurities, formation of n-type and p-type semiconductors, majority and minority carriers, and control of electrical properties through doping.
Study of carrier mobility, drift velocity, diffusion coefficients, Einstein relation, and the mathematical description of carrier transport in electric fields.
Analysis of junction formation, depletion region characteristics, built-in potential, electric field distribution, and equilibrium conditions in p-n junctions.
Derivation and analysis of the ideal diode equation, forward bias current flow, reverse bias characteristics, breakdown mechanisms, and temperature effects.
Comparison of silicon, germanium, and compound semiconductors including bandgap energy, carrier mobility, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength.
Study of Fermi-Dirac statistics, Fermi level position in intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, and its significance in device analysis.
Study of photon absorption and emission, optical absorption coefficient, photoluminescence, and applications in optoelectronic devices.
Study of temperature dependence of carrier concentration, mobility, bandgap narrowing, thermal generation, and thermal management considerations.