BEng Electronic Engineering / Course details

Brief Description of the Unit:

1. Integrated circuit process technology. Photolithography, diffusion and ion implantation doping, annealing, dielectric films, thermal growth mechanisms, chemical vapour deposition, polycrystalline silicon and silicon nitride deposition.
2. Metal­-semiconductor junction characteristics, small signal equivalent circuit and the associated parameters.
3. nMOS and pMOS transistors, CMOS technology, the CMOS inverter, planar fabrication of CMOS integrated circuits.
4. MOS transistor's gate and junction capacitances.
5. Current control in MOS transistors, modelling of the MOS transistor, regions of MOS device operation.
6. Small signal equivalent circuits in MOSFETs and their associated parameters.
7. State­-of-­the-­art and emerging device architectures, high­-k metal gate CMOS process, strained silicon, silicon on insulator, FinFET devices.

The course unit aims to:

1. Introduce the key components of microelectronic devices.
2. Introduce modern integrated circuit manufacturing techniques.
3. Emphasise the importance of semiconductor device models.

All of the following Intended Learning Outcomes are developed and assessed. On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

ILO 1: Describe and evaluate the fundamental processes involved in silicon and silicon integrated circuit manufacture.

ILO 2: Describe and apply the key physical concepts necessary to explain the properties of semiconductor materials.

ILO 3: Explain metal-semiconductor junctions in terms of vacuum level, electron affinity and work function for Schottky and Ohmic contacts.

ILO 4: Explain the physics of MOS devices with the aid of energy band diagrams and space charge distribution.

ILO 5: Define and calculate the threshold voltage necessary for strong inversion in ideal, as well as non-ideal MOS devices.

ILO 6: Explain the gradual channel model describing the current control in MOSFETs and analyse small signal device equivalent circuits with associated parameters.

ILO 7: Design and explain the operation of simple CMOS logic structures including CMOS inverters.

ILO 8: Discuss and assess the enormous technical challenges presented by modern and emerging integrated circuit technologies.

Individual Assessment: 
Online Quiz 1: 2%
Online Quiz 2: 2%

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Solid state electronic devices: Streetman, Ben G., author. Pearson, 2016. ISBN: 9781292060767
Microelectronic circuits: Sedra, Adel S., Oxford University Press, 2011. 
The science and engineering of microelectronic fabrication: Campbell, Stephen A., Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN: 0195136055
Physics of semiconductor devices: Sze, S. M., Wiley, 2021. ISBN: 9781119429111