Lecturer: Daniele Bajoni  

Course name: Semiconductor Device Physics
Course code: 504436
Degree course: Electronic Engineering
Disciplinary field of science: FIS/03
The course relates to:
University credits: ECTS 6
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

The principles of quantum mechanics are described and discussed in view of their applications to semiconductor physics and photonics.

Course programme

The course will start with an introduction on the principles of quantum mechanics, with the aim of giving the students the basic tools to understand the microscopic aspect of physics and their implication for semiconductor devices.

Topics on wave mechanics

• limits of classical physics
• the Schroedinger equation for a single particles, Heisemberg principle, principle of complementarity
• non interacting, identical particles, spin and exclusion principle

Statistical physics

• density-of-states for a system of particles in equilibrium
• Boltzman distribution
• Bose-Einstein distribution
• Fermi-Dirac distribution

Solids

• single-electron states in a periodic potential
• Bloch theorem
• energy band formation
• metals and insulators
• effective mass

Semiconductors

• electrons and holes
• equilibrium distribution, Fermi energy
• p-n junction
• I-V diagrams for a polarized p-n junction in equilibrium

Course entry requirements

It is assumed that one is familiar with the principles of classical physics, in particular with the properties of the electromagnetic waves and with elementary statistical physics. All the mathematical tools developed during the curriculum are assumed to be well established.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 45
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

There is no specific textbook: during the course the instructor will provide students with the presentations used during lectures.
The following textbooks may be used as a complement to specific topics of the course.

S. Gasiorowicz. Quantum Physics. 3rd edition. Wiley.

G.Grosso and G.Pastori Parravicini. Solid State Physics. Academic Press, London.

Testing and exams

The final evaluation will be based on an oral colloquium.