Physics of Electronic Components

This course provides a step-by-step introduction to the key physical phenomena necessary for understanding how electronic components work and how they are used in electronic circuits. The first part introduces the physics of semiconductor materials, followed by the second part, which covers the characteristics of materials at equilibrium. The third part covers the main phenomena of electron transport. Finally, the fourth and fifth parts present the most important electronic components: diodes and transistors.

The objective of the course is to provide students with the fundamentals needed to understand the main characteristics and limitations of electronic components. 

By combining various concepts from solid-state physics, quantum physics, and semiconductor physics, students will gain the essential knowledge needed to understand how current and future electronic components work.

Fundamentals of Classical Physics

Recommended prerequisites*:

Fundamentals of Quantum Physics

Final Exam + Session 2

1. Semiconductor Materials
2. Crystal Structures of Solids
   1. Types of Semiconductors
   2. Crystal Lattices
   3. Atomic bond
   4. Blemishes and impurities
3. Energy Bands
   1. Formation of Energy Bands 
   2. Kronig-Penney Model
   3. Energy-Wave Vector Relationship 
4. Electrical Conductivity
   1. Energy bands and current
   2. Drift current
   3. Effective mass 
   4. Concept of a hole
   5. Metals, Insulators, and Semiconductors
5. State Density
   1. Mathematical derivation
   2. Extension to the case of semiconductors 
6. Elements of Statistical Mechanics
   1. Statistical Laws
   2. Fermi-Dirac Function
   3. Fermi energy
7. Equilibrium semiconductor
8. Load-bearing structures
   1. Equilibrium Distributions of Electrons and Holes 
   2. Intrinsic concentration
   3. Position of the intrinsic Fermi level
9. Dopants and Energy Levels
10. Extrinsic semiconductor
    1. Equilibrium distribution of electrons and holes
    2. Degenerate and non-degenerate semiconductors
    3. Donor and Recipient Statistics
11. Charge neutrality
12. Extrinsic Fermi Level

• Electronic Transportation

1. Carrier Drift
   1. Drift current density 
   2. Mobility
   3. Conductivity
   4. Saturation rate
2. Distribution of carriers
   1. Diffusion current density 
   2. Total current density
3. Gradual distribution of impurities 
   1. Induced electric field
   2. Einstein's Equation
4. Hall Effect
5. Generation-Recombination 
6. Excess carriers
   1. Continuity Equation
   2. Diffusion Equation
7. Diodes
8. PN diode
   1. Structure of the pn junction
   2. pn junction at equilibrium
   3. pn Junction in Reverse and Forward Bias
   4. Current-Voltage Characteristic
9. Schottky Diode
   1. Metal-semiconductor barrier 
   2. Current-Voltage Characteristic
   3. Ohmic metal-semiconductor contact
10. Heterojunctions
    1. Materials for heterojunctions 
    2. Energy Band Diagram
    3. Two-dimensional electron gas
11. Transistors
12. Field-effect transistor
    1. Operating Principle
    2. Capacitance-Voltage Characteristic
    3. Current-Voltage Characteristic
13. Bipolar transistor
    1. Operating Principle
    2. Operating Modes
    3. Current-Voltage Characteristic

CM: 33 hours