Objective & Syllabus
This course starts with a review of semiconductor fundamentals such as electron and hole, Fermi energy, carrier generation and recombination, p-n junction, metal-semiconductor Schottky diodes, carrier mobility, effective mass. The course content covers conventional semiconductor properties, namely electronic structures, optical and electrical properties, metal-oxide capacitors, junction field effect transistors (JFET), metal-oxide-semiconductor field transistors (MOSFET), NMOS technology, basic CMOS technology, charge coupled devices and sensors, MOS transistor modeling, simulation, and design, advanced MOS transistors. Fabrication methods for MOSFETs, including sputtering, CVD, VPD, oxidation, ion implantation, etching, photolithography, metallization, silicon wafer fabrication technology, transistor on-wafer test, etc. will be introduced. The course also covers the basic principles of deep submicron devices: down-scaling benefits and rules, current issues and trends, FinFETs; memory devices; RAM and ROM; SOI technology, BiCMOS technology, thin film transistor (TFT), non-volatile memory devices, device characterization. Other topics may include neuromorphic transistors, system on chips (SoCs), electronic packaging technology, fabrication systems, reliability, life-cycle analysis, markets and policies. Students will learn not only the conventional device physics and fabrication technologies, but also the state-of-the-art device technologies.
Learning Outcome
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Gain fundamental knowledge about the operation principles of commonly used MOSFET devices, their derivatives, and other advanced variations
- Note the scope and limitation of CMOS technology and Moore's Law
- Learn the main-stream fabrication technologies for mass manufacturing of semiconductor devices to realize functionalized circuits and/or systems on silicon
- Apply the learned knowledge and skills to the analysis of field-effect transistors
- State the technological impact of MOS transistors to the society
- Explain basic physical principles and the engineering know-how of MOS technology
- Establish a general view of MOS transistors and fabrication technologies in the past, present and future
