Course

Unit 1

Introduction: Unit cell, Bravais lattices, crystal systems, crystal planes and Miller indices, symmetry elements. Defects and imperfections – point defects, line defects, surface defects and volume defects.

Electrical conductivity: Classical free electron theory – assumptions, drift velocity, mobility and conductivity, drawbacks. quantum free electron theory – Fermi energy, Fermi factor, carrier concentration. Band theory of solids – origin of energy bands, effective mass, distinction between metals, insulators and semiconductors.

Unit 2

Theory of semiconductors: Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, band structure of semiconductors, carrier concentration in intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, electrical conductivity and conduction mechanism in semiconductors, Fermi level in intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors and its dependence on temperature and carrier concentration. Carrier generation – recombination, mobility, drift-diffusion current. Hall effect.

Theory of p-n junctions – diode and transistor: p-n junction under thermal equilibrium, forward bias, reverse bias, carrier density, current, electric field, barrier potential. V-I characteristics, junction capacitance and voltage breakdown.

Unit 3

1. C Kittel, “Introduction to Solid State Physics”, Wiley, 7^th Edn., 1995.
2. D A Neamen, “Semiconductor Physics and Devices”, TMH, 3^rd Edn., 2007.

• S M Sze, “Physics of Semiconductor Devices”, Wiley, 1996.
• P Bhattacharya, “Semiconductor Opto- Electronic Devices”, Prentice Hall, 1996.
• M K Achuthan & K N Bhat, “Fundamentals of Semiconductor Devices”, TMH, 2007.
• J Allison, “Electronic Engineering Materials and Devices”, TMH, 1990.