Nanoelectronics, 7.5 credits

Main field of study with advanced study

The courses Semiconductor Devices 7.5 credits, Optoelectronics 7.5 credits, High-frequency Electronics 7,5 credits. Exemption of the requirement in Swedish is granted. English 6.

The course is included in the Master's programme in Electronics Design, 60 credits. The course is also given as a freestanding course.

The goal of the course is that the student should show good insight into the possibilities offered by nanotechnology to modern electronics development. The course treats fundamental properties of nanostructured materials, nanodevices and important applications within several areas. Possibilities and limitations of extreme downscaling of silicon CMOS technology. Heterogeneous materials integration.

Following successful completion of the course the student should:

Knowledge and understanding

• outline the relevant basics of modern quantum physics in relation to electronics
• outline electrical and optical properties of basic nanostructured materials and nanodevices and their applications
• outline different technologies used for fabrication and analysis of nanostructures and nanodevices

Skills and ability

• perform basic investigations of nanocomponents with I-V, photoluminescence, SEM and AFM
• perform basic quantum mechanical calculations such as solving the Schrödinger equation for simple potentials
• perform computer simulations of transport mechanisms that are relevant to electronics design, such as tunneling and quantum conductance in nanocomponents

Judgement and approach

• discuss and question the contents of a scientific report within the nanoelectronics field
• discuss ethical, social, and sustainable aspects of nanotechnology

Elementary quantum physics. Low-dimensional semiconductor structures: heterostructures, quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots. Plasmonics. Graphene. Electrical and optical properties. Calculation methods, fabrication and analysis methods. Modern VLSI technology for extreme CMOS integration.
Technologies for manufacturing nanoelectronics: electron beam lithography, self-organizing semiconductor structures, heterogenous epitaxy. Tools for characterization of nanoelectronics such as current-voltage measurements (I-V), electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photoluminescence.

The teaching consists of lectures, lab assignments and exercises.

The examination consists of written exam, passed lab assignments and passed oral and written presentation of the project. The written exam constitutes 5.0 credits, lab assignments 1.5 credits and the project 1.0 credit.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions from the specified examination format and allow a student to be examined in another way. Special reasons can e.g. be study support for students with disabilities.

Course evaluation is part of the course. This evaluation offers guidance in the future development and planning of the course. Course evaluation is documented and made available to the students.