General Information
The class focuses on microelectronics. Students learn about semiconductor devices (diodes, BJTs, MOSFETs) and how they are used in analog and digital circuits. It is one of the 3000-level foundation courses.
Prerequisites
Topics Covered
- Basic Semiconductor Physics
- PN Junctions and PN Diodes
- Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)
- Field Effect MOS Transistors (MOSFETs)
- Large Signal and Small Signal Modeling of Devices and Circuits
- Single-Stage Amplifiers
- Multi-Stage Amplifiers
- Differential Amplifiers
- High Frequency Modeling of Devices and Circuits
- Digital Logic Circuits
- Static CMOS Logic Gates
- CMOS memory, SRAM, DRAM, registers
Workload
Moderate to heavy, depending on the semester and the professor teaching the course.
- Problem Sets - Weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the professor. Professor Shealy's problem sets (SP14) were bi-weekly and about half the problems were of his own creation. Otherwise, the problem sets were book problems from Razavi's Introduction to Microelectronics. Professor Afshari's (SP 12/13) problem sets were for the most part taken from the textbook.
- Labs - Bi-weekly, similar to those in ECE 2100.
- Exams - 2 prelims, 1 final in the past. 1 prelim, 1 final in Spring 2015.
Follow on Courses at the 4000 Level
- ECE 4530 (Analog Integrated Circuit Design) - Focuses on design techniques for real analog circuits at the transistor level.
- ECE 4570 (Silicon Device Fundamentals) - Goes much more in detail about device physics.
- ECE 4070 (Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures) Focuses on semiconductor physics and physics of nanostructures for electronic and optoelectronic applications.
- ECE 4740 (Digital VLSI) - "Introduction to Debugging Cadence". Digital design using transistors.
- ECE 4630 (Nanofabrication) Covers fabrication of semiconductor micro and nano structures
- ECE 4060 (Quantum and Statistical Physics) Not offered any more. Covered quantum physics required for understanding electronic and photonic devices. Look at equivalent courses offered in the Physics department.
Advice
- Small signal analysis is used heavily throughout the second half of the course (and in ECE 4530) so make sure you understand it well.
- Be prepared to learn a lot of device physics and analog circuits.
- Attend the sections offered by Rana - that is where you will really learn problem solving skills.
Past Offerings
|
Semester |
Time |
Professor |
Median Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Spring 2014 |
MWF 10:10 - 11:00 |
James Shealy |
B+ |
|
Spring 2015 |
MWF 10:10 - 11:00 |
Farhan Rana |
B+ |