Semiconductors Physics and PN Junctions

Objectives

 Integrated circuits are composed of active components whose operation is based on the properties of semiconductor materials (mostly silicon). They represent a compendium of very high-level science and technological development and, at the same time, a factor of socioeconomic progress incomparable since the progress in electricity.

At the end of this module, you will be ready to tackle the operation of all electronic components: principally based on one or more PN junctions or on a Metal/Oxide/Semiconductor (MOS) structure.

Description

All the resources are accessible on the Moodle platform. The theoretical part is divided into 3 parts and is entirely scripted.

If you need or are interested , various links allow you to upgrade:

- In crystallography to better understand the vocabulary used and the calculations made,

- In atomistic, in particular to understand the vocabulary used and the diagrams presented.

The module is composed of:

- 3 classes,

- 1 unsupervised TD during which it is suggested to do exercises whose statements and corrections are on Moodle,

- 1 supervised TD session,

- 1 study desk (over 2 consecutive sessions) to evaluate the skills acquired during this module,

- 1 written test on the knowledge and know-how acquired.

Targeted skills

At the end of this module, students will distinguish a crystalline state from an amorphous state and the different types of crystals. They will identify the crystallographic structure of silicon and calculate its density.

They will be able to differentiate a semiconductor from a conductor or insulator and know how to confer (and/or calculate) its electronic properties.

The students will be able to establish the different currents in semiconductors,

They will be apt to evaluate the semiconductor reactions to various excitations (heat, electromagnetic radiation or electric field) and calculate the time needed to return to equilibrium.

Finally, they will understand the operation of various electronic components based on a PN junction such as a photovoltaic cell, a PIN or an APD photodiode, a LED, a diode Zener, a rectifier diode, etc... but also to design and optimize them for the application to which they are dedicated.

Session 1 ou session unique - Contrôle des connaissances

Session 2 - Contrôle des connaissances