84542 - SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS AND NANOSTRUCTURES

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the students learn the basic aspects of: the physics of semiconducting materials and devices, their transport and optical properties, their electronic defective states; the physics of semiconductor surfaces and interfaces, the quantum confinement effects at low dimensional systems (quantum wells, wires and dots); the growth methods and mechanisms of semiconductor nanostructures, and their characterization. The students learn the main innovative applications of semiconductor nanostructures to optoelectronic and electronic devices. The students are able to report and discuss a recent article in the relevant literature.

Course contents

1. Semiconductor Physics Elements of crystal structures, band structure and electronic levels of semiconductors. Ideal and Real crystals (role of defects, surfaces and interfaces). The chemical potential, Statistics. Transport properties, generation- recombination mechanisms Shockley Read Hall model. Optical properties of semiconductors.
2. Surface and interface effects. Metal Oxide Semiconductor structure and band diagram, MOS in strong inversion condition, introduction to quantum confinement effects
3. Quantum confinement in 2, 1 and 0 dimension: quantum wells, wires and dots. Electrical and optical properties of low dimensional semiconductors. Growth and deposition of semiconductor nanostructures: methods and mechanisms. Investigation of semiconductor nanostructures by electrical, optical and microscopical methods.
4. Applications of semiconductor nanostructures: LED, solar cells, photodiodes. Advanced (3rd generation) solar cells

Readings/Bibliography

Grundmann M. The Physics of Semiconductors, Springer

Tyagi M. Introduction of Semiconductor Physics and Devices, Wiley

M Jaros Physics and Applications of Semiconductor Microstructures, Oxford Science

J Davis The Physics of Low Dimensional Semiconductors, Cambridge University Press

Teaching methods

Lectures. Group Discussion on Selected Topics.

Assessment methods

Written report on one of the topics selected in the course. Oral exam.

Teaching tools

Lecture Notes on campus.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Daniela Cavalcoli