Joint course
Spring 1999
PHY 682.01
Wednesday 7:00 pm
ESE 670.6
Rm. PHY B-131

Novel Electronic Devices

(0-3 credits, grading: ABC)
 

Instructors: K. Likharev (Physics and Astronomy) and S. Luryi (Electrical Engineering)






The goal of this inter-disciplinary graduate course (offered only once in 3 to 4 years) is to discuss the physics and technology of a variety of electronic and optoelectronic devices using semiconductors, dielectrics, magnetic materials, normal metals, and superconductors. We intend to cover not only commercially proven devices, but also those in the exploratory stage, and even the most instructive blind alleys. Special emphasis will be given to device applications and system requirements - both existing and prospective.

Tentative Program

The shopping list of topics includes:

MOS field-effect transistors
CMOS VLSI technology (including DRAM); limits to shrinking
Si bipolar transistors; bi-CMOS
heterostructure bipolar transistors (HBTs)
non-volatile (floating-gate) memories
  field-effect transistors: MESFETs and HEMTs
HBTs: SiGe, GaAs/AlGaAs, InGaAs/InP, etc.
  transit time diodes
Esaki tunnel diode and resonant-tunneling diode
real-space transfer diode
  resonant tunneling diodes and triodes
ballistic and hot-electron transistors
charge injection transistors
rapid single-flux quantum logic
  semiconductor lasers and light-emitting diodes
quantum well lasers
cascade lasers
optical modulators
optical fibers, amplifiers, and switches
self electro-optic effect device
  Schottky-diode and SIS mixers
semiconductor and superconductor IR bolometers
p-i-n and avalanche photodetectors, SAM APD's
quantum well IR photodetectors
photon drag detectors
solid-state X-ray and particle detectors
  CCD detectors and imaging arrays
acoustic charge transfer devices
  active matrix LCDs and thin-film transistors
cold cathode ideas
  magnetic recoding media
ferroelectric RAM single-electron logic
SET/FET hybrids for memory and data storage


We do not expect to cover all of these topics, so choice will much depend on the students. At the first meeting, each student will select a particular topic for his/her presentation. At each of the following meetings (~2 hours once a week) one or two topics will we presented by either a student or an instructor, and then discussed by all seminar participants. Discussions will concentrate on the following questions:

1. What is the basic physics of the device operation?

2. What is its prevalent fabrication technology? Possible alternatives?

3. What useful performance do the devices provide/promise relative to competition?

4. Why is the device used/not used in practice? Any future prospects?

The instructors will provide references to the literature and consultations, and lead the discussions. There are no compulsory prerequisites, however we expect a reasonable command of the basic solid state physics (at a level somewhere between Kittel and Ashcroft/Mermin). Undergraduates so qualified are encouraged to participate.