Brief recapitulation of crystal structure. atomic bonding and crystal type
Semiconductor theory plays a very important role in the understanding of modern electronic and optoelectronic devices. A brief recapitulation of crystal structure, reciprocal lattice and semiconductor band theory is given. Strong emphasis is put on impurities, electron and hole statistics at equilibrium and non-equilibrium situations, transport and scattering processes. Optical properties of semiconductor and absorption and emission of photons are also included. Finally, the usefulness of various semiconductor properties will also be exemplified by investigation of various electronic and opto-electronic devices.
The main purpose of this course is to give a basic understanding of the underlying physics and how material properties affect the function of modern semiconductor devices. After the completion of the course, the students shall:Understand how the electron energies are described by a band diagram and be able to extract the salient features from such a diagram. Know the statistics describing the electron and hole concentrations at the band extrema at equilibrium. Know how dopants can be incorporated in the semiconductor and how this affects the presence of electrons and holes. Understand the transport properties of electrons and holes, and know the important scattering processes limiting the transport. Have aquired an understanding of how light (photons) are absorbed and emitted in a semiconductor. Have a clear understanding of the operation of a pn-junction and how various semiconductor materials can be utilized for electronic and opto-electronic devices.
