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FYS2210 - Semiconductor components

Course content

Modern integrated circuits consist of semiconductor structures like transistors and diodes. Such components will be given a physical description. The student will be introduced to electronic and optical processes in semiconductors and will use this knowledge to describe electronic components like transistors (bipolar, JFET, MOS, HEMT), photodiodes, solar cells and lasers. The students will make their own components in the new laboratorium for micro- and nanotechnology at the University of Oslo.

Learning outcomes

After the course, students should be able to:

• Explain the basic properties of semiconductor materials, such as bandgap, charge carriers, mobility, doping, Fermi level, conductivity, recombination and luminiscens.
• Analytically calculate the operational flow and diffusion flow in semiconductor materials and especially for transitions between p-and n-layers.
• Describe the behavior of a diode and analytically calculate contact potential, depletion zone, electric field strength, charge carrier distributions and current-voltage relationship.
• Explain the behavior of the field effect transistors and bipolar transistors, and specifying the material properties that are critical. Using analytical models for these transistors and calculate the relationship between current and voltage.
• Describe the optical processes in semiconductor materials and explain the behavior of light-emitting diode, photo detector and solar cell. In particular, the student should be able to analyze a solar cell and calculate its electrical power.
• Practically make a Schottky diode on their own in the cleanroom and with support from others also make a metal-oxide field-effect transistor. The student should be able to measure the electrical components and evaluate their performance.
• Collect information on their own and evaluate new semiconductor materials and components with regard to photo voltaic and electronic applications.

Admission

Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisites

In addition to fulfilling the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway, you must either have 2MX/2MY/3MZ and 3MX/3FY/3KJ/3BI/(2KJ+3BT)/(2BI+3BT) from Norwegian upper secondary school, or have completed equivalent studies in mathematics as well as physics, or chemistry, or biology at upper secondary school or university level at another educational institution.

Recommended prior knowledge

FYS1120 - Electromagnetism, FYS1210 - Elementary electronics with project work, FYS2140 - Quantum physics and FYS2160 - Thermodynamics and statistical physics.

Teaching

The course extends over a full semester with 4 hours of teaching per week (lectures and problem solving). Compulsary lab work. Compulsory lab rapports.

Exam information

Written 3-hour midtermtest (medio October) with approx. 20% weight. Lab report with approx. 20% weight. Oral final exam (primo December) with approx. 60% weight. Letter grades.

Detailed information about examinations at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences can be found here

Assessment and grading

Course grades are awarded on a descending scale using alphabetic grades from A to E for passes and F for fail. Read more about the grading system .

An external auditor regularly evaluates the academic quality of the course, including the form of exam used on the course.

Evaluation of this course

Feedback from our students is essential to us in our efforts to ensure and further improve the high quality of our programmes and courses. As a student at the University of Oslo you will therefore be asked to participate in various types of evaluation of our courses, facilities and services. All courses are subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students on a particular course to participate in a more comprehensive, in-depth evaluation of this course, a so called "periodic evaluation".

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