Schematic diagram of modern bipolar junction transistor (BJT): cross section (top), layout at the wafer surface (bottom). (Image by Jesús del Alamo.)
Course Highlights
This course offers virtually all of its materials online, including a complete set of
lecture notes and
device characterization and design projects. Prof. Jesus del Alamo is in the process of writing a textbook for 6.720 and similar graduate-level and advanced undergraduate-level courses in microelectronic device physics. The tentative title of this book is
Integrated Microelectronics Devices: Physics and Modeling. It will be published by
Prentice Hall in its Electronics and VLSI Series (C. G. Sodini, Series Editor). Most of the graphical material included on this course site will appear in the book.
Course Description
6.720 examines the physics of microelectronic semiconductor devices for silicon integrated circuit applications. Topics covered include: semiconductor fundamentals, p-n junction, metal-oxide semiconductor structure, metal-semiconductor junction, MOS field-effect transistor, and bipolar junction transistor. The course emphasizes physical understanding of device operation through energy band diagrams and short-channel MOSFET device design. Issues in modern device scaling are also outlined. The course is worth 2 Engineering Design Points.