ECSE 4962/ ECSE 6220: Physical Foundations of Solid-State Devices

Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

                     Course Information

Course Title: Physical Foundations of Solid-State Devices

Transcript Title: PHYS FOUND OF SOLID-STATE DEV

Course Number: ECSE 4962 / ECSE 6220

Semester/Year: Fall 2022

Credit Hours: 3

Meeting Times: Wednesdays 9.00 am - 11:50 am

Classroom: TBD

                         Instructor

Prof. Michael Shur

Office: CII9001

Office Phone: x2201

Email: shurm@rpi.edu

Office Hours: TBD

TA(s): TBD

                   Course description:

Physical foundations underlying the operation of modern electronic and photonic solid-state devices. Quantum mechanical foundations are emphasized, including the postulates of quantum mechanics, wave-particle duality, uncertainty relation, the Kronig-Penney model, and perturbation theory. In addition, the course covers areas such as semiconductor statistics, doping, heterostructures, transport, and tunneling.

                 Course objective:

The objective of this course is to enable students to understand the physical foundations of solid-state devices and apply knowledge in the design and analysis of devices. The course teaches the physical foundations needed for an understanding of device physics and the operation of electronic and photonic solid-state devices. These foundations include the basics of quantum mechanics, band structures, semiconductor statistics, doping, heterostructures, and transport. The course materials form the foundation for other microelectronics and photonics courses including Semiconductor Devices and Models 1, Semiconductor Devices and Models 2, Advanced Device Concepts, and Optoelectronics.

                   Prerequisites:

ECSE 2210 or equivalent or basic physics or materials science course

                    Textbooks::

1.      M. Shur, Physics of Semiconductor Devices, ISBN: 9780136664963 Copyright Year: 1990 Publisher: Pearson)

2.      Lecture notes on the LMS site

                Other References or Supplements

1.      M. S. Shur, Introduction to Electronic Devices, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1996, ISBN 0-471-10348-9. Lecture notes on the LMS site.

2.      T. Fjeldly, T. Ytterdal, and M. S. Shur, Introduction to Device Modeling and Circuit Simulation for VLSI, John Wiley and Sons, New York, ISBN 0-471-15778-3 (1998)

                                            Student Learning Outcomes: (for ECSE 4962)

·        Students will become proficient in the understanding of the physical foundations of solid-state devices including their quantum-mechanical foundations, carrier-dynamics foundations, and transport foundations.

·        Students will become able to analyze state-of-the-art solid-state devices, particularly compound semiconductor devices based on heterogeneous materials and silicon.

·        Students will become able to use the principles learned in the course to understand designs of  modern solid-state devices and integrated circuits

·        Demonstrate an ability to write up a technical report based on a topic review.

                                         Student Learning Outcomes: (for ECSE 6220)

·        Students will become proficient in the understanding of the physical foundations of solid-state devices including their quantum-mechanical foundations, carrier-dynamics foundations, and transport foundations.

·        Students will become able to analyze state-of-the-art solid-state devices, particularly compound semiconductor devices based on heterogeneous materials and silicon.

·        Students will become able to use the principles learned in the course to understand designs of  modern solid-state devices and integrated circuits

·        Demonstrate proficiency in the mathematical techniques in analyzing physics of advanced semiconductor devices

·        Demonstrate an ability to write up the research problem and analysis results as a short paper or technical report.

                          Course Assessment Measures

Quizzes after each lecture based on the material presented in the lecture, midterm presentation, final presentation, and term paper For the final project, the students can work individually or in teams to apply one of the techniques learned in the course to a real-life application. The topic of the project needs to be chosen by week 5 and in agreement with the instructor. The final project demo/presentation will be held in the last week of classes.

Students taking the course at the 6963 level might be required to answer some additional or complex questions that are focused on more advanced mathematical analysis. Additionally, they would have to submit a more detailed term paper that incorporates simulations or critical reviews. a

                    The details of the grading policy are provided below.

                           Grading policy for 4962

1. Quizes                                                                               20%
2. Midterm presentation and report                                          10%
3. Final presentation                                                                 20%
4. Term paper                                                                         40%

                             Grading policy for 6220

1. Answering lecture questions                                                  10%
2. Midterm presentation and report                                          10%
3. Final presentation                                                                 20%
4. Term paper                                                                        50%

Quizzes Quiz problems will be assigned during each lecture. These problems are required to be done individually in a professional manner (neatness and thoroughness count!).  Graded quizzes will be returned in class approximately one day after they are due.  Collaboration in the solution of the homework problems is permitted and is indeed encouraged if it enhances the learning process, but mere copying of the solution from another student is not allowed.  In general, no late assignments will be accepted.  However, extensions may be requested in writing before the assignment due date and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  

Project: Course projects will be performed individually and involve choosing a research paper/topic to investigate in depth.  Students may choose from a list of recommended topics or propose their own custom projects, subject to instructor approval.  The project should involve a detailed analysis of the chosen topic, computation validation, and possibly experimental validation.  

Course Policies:

•        Attendance and/or Lateness (and penalties, if any, for lateness/absences)

•        Class participation will be measured/graded via quiz answers

•        Missed quizzes or presentations– the quizzes or presentations can be made up if approved by the instructor

•        Use of Wireless Devices – is allowed

Course Topics and Schedule (Subject to change)

                         Academic Integrity

Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are their own. Acts that violate this trust undermine the educational process. The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities and The Rensselaer Graduate Student Supplement define various forms of Academic Dishonesty and procedures for responding to them. Submission of any assignment that violates these policies will result in a penalty that is deemed by the instructor to be appropriate to the infraction ranging from a grade of zero on the assignment in question to failure of the class as a whole. The student will also be reported to the Dean of Students or the Dean of Graduate Education as appropriate. Note that academic dishonesty will be dealt with severely and will be reported to the Dean of Students. If you have any questions concerning this policy before submitting an assignment, please ask for clarification. In this class, all assignments that are turned in for a grade must represent the student’s own work. In cases where help was received, or teamwork was allowed, a notation on the assignment should indicate your collaboration.

Please read and be familiar with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute policies on academic standards, including the definitions and consequences of academic integrity and plagiarism. For information about the RPI institute policies on academic dishonesty, please consult: http://doso.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=676

Please note in particular the sections regarding plagiarism. Plagiarizing is defined by Webster as: “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another’s production) without crediting the source.” Plagiarized work will be submitted to the Dean of Students and the Dean of Graduate Education, and the grade on the assignment will be a zero. The second instance of plagiarism will result in failing the course. If you have any questions, talk to the instructor.

                    Academic Accommodations

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is committed to providing equal access to our educational programs and services for students with disabilities.  If you anticipate or experience academic barriers due to a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS) (dss@rpi.edu; 518-276-8197) to establish reasonable accommodations. Once you have been approved for accommodations, please provide your Faculty Memorandum (a letter provided to students by DSS) to all faculty members for this course. Please provide this at the very beginning of the semester.