Ph 440 Physics of Solid State Devices

This is a survey intended to provide the foundation necessary for understanding of function, technology and design of solid state devices, rather than their application. Topics will include: introduction to and application of concepts of quantum physics to solids, effect of periodicity in solids on electron energy states, electron statistics, metals, insulators, semiconductors and superconductors, thermionic and field assisted electron emission, electron scattering and mobility of charge carriers, intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, quantitative treatment of p-n junction, diffusion and recombination of excess carriers, quantitative treatment of electron injection, majority and minority components of the junction current, breakdown, quantitative treatments of bipolar junction transistor, field effect transistor and tunnel diodes, physics of metal-semiconductor and metal-insulator-semiconductor junctions and devices, superconductivity and superconducting devices, DC and AC Josephson effects, Josephson junctions, superconductive quantum interference devices. This is the first course in a sequence of two: Ph 440 and Ph 441. Also offered for graduate-level credit as Ph 540 and may be taken only once for credit. Recommended prerequisite: Ph 312 or Ph 318.