Students will learn about the following specific topics:

• energy bands
• band gaps
• effective masses
• electrons and holes
• basics of quantum mechanics
• the Fermi function
• the density-of-states
• intrinsic carrier density
• doping and carrier concentrations
• carrier transport
• generation-recombination
• quasi-Fermi levels
• the semiconductor equations
• energy band diagrams

Among the important learning objectives, the course will introduce learners to the process of drawing and interpreting energy band diagrams. Energy band diagrams are a powerful, conceptual way to qualitatively understand the operation of semiconductor devices. In a concise way, they encapsulate most of the device-relevant specifics of semiconductor physics. Drawing and interpreting an energy band diagram is the first step in understanding the operation of a device.

This course material is typically covered in the first few weeks of an introductory semiconductor device course, but this class provides a fresh perspective informed by new understanding of electronics at the nanoscale.