Electronic Properties and Applications of Materials

Catalog description

The course covers the electrical, optoelectronic, dielectric, and other electron-based properties of solids, semiconductors in particular, and their engineering/ device applications. E SC 419 Electronic Properties and Applications of Materials (3) This course is designed primarily as a Foundation Elective for Engineering Science majors. It covers the electron-based properties of materials and their engineering applications. Building upon the strong foundation of wave, particle and ensemble concepts covered in the prerequisite course (E SC 312), it will offer an advanced introduction to the behavior of electrons in crystalline as well as non-crystalline solids, and its impact on properties. A comprehensive treatment of electrons in solids is essential to understand the electronic, optical, thermal, magnetic and other properties of materials and their incorporation in functional devices. The topics will address many facets of electrons in solids, their interaction with fields, cooperative phenomena and low-dimensional effects, and lead up to a broad range of elementary device applications. It will draw upon the results of quantum mechanics and band theory of solids that will provide the broad umbrella needed for understanding the properties of materials and designing them into practical devices and nanosystems. The importance of structure on material properties will be emphasized, so as to bring forth the importance of artificially synthesized structures and emergence of new phenomena. Along with a detailed coverage of semiconductors due to their widespread applications and their dominance in modern micro- and optoelectronics, dielectric, magnetic and superconducting materials will also be discussed in the course. The role of defects, impurities and interfaces on electrical, optical, dielectric and other properties will be discussed, along with corresponding applications in device structures. The broad topical coverage will prepare students for advanced studies in a variety of fields including micro- and optoelectronics, functional nanosystems and synthesized nanostructures. The course will provide a solid background for senior technical electives such as E SC 481 (Elements of Nano/Micro-electromechanical Systems Processing and Design) E SC 445 (Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices) offered in ESM, as well as Electrical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering Courses. It will also complement (and be independent of) E SC 414M that encompasses atomic structure and mechanical properties of materials.