Teaching

Convenor: Maksym Myronov (Warwick)

Module Name: Physics of semiconductor materials and devices

Duration: 30 lectures and practical sessions

Duration: 14/10/2025 - 04/12/2025

Days and time: Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:00-12:00

Teams link:

Physics of semiconductor materials and devices - 2025 | General | Microsoft Teams

Course summary

The course offers students a broad and integrated understanding of semiconductor science bridging the gap between fundamental physics and technological application. It lays the groundwork for advanced study and research in semiconductor physics, materials science, electronics engineering, and quantum technologies.

Semiconductors have transformed the way humanity works, communicates, and innovates. This course equips students to be part of that continuing revolution.

Course description

Semiconductor devices are the essential building blocks of modern electronics. They underpin the development of integrated circuits, microprocessors, optoelectronic systems, and countless technologies that define our daily lives. Their unique ability to control, amplify, and manipulate electrical signals makes them indispensable across all sectors from communications and computing to energy, healthcare, and transportation.

At the heart of semiconductor technology lies the physics of semiconductor materials. Understanding the physical principles that govern their electrical, optical, and thermal behaviour is fundamental to the design and optimisation of electronic and photonic devices. The field of semiconductor physics remains one of the most dynamic areas of modern science, driving continuous innovation in electronics, telecommunications, quantum technologies, and renewable energy.

This lecture course provides a comprehensive introduction to the physics and applications of semiconductor materials and devices. It combines rigorous theoretical foundations with insights into current research and industrial practice. Students will explore how atomic bonding, crystal structure, and band theory determine electronic properties, and how these principles translate into device operation from diodes and transistors to LEDs, lasers, and sensors.

The course consists of 22 lectures and 8 practical sessions (each one hour), guiding students from basic concepts to advanced applications. By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of carrier dynamics, semiconductor junctions, transport phenomena, and modern device technologies. They will also be introduced to emerging research trends, including low-dimensional semiconductors, heterostructures, and nanoscale fabrication, preparing them for future work in semiconductor physics.

Lectures outline

1.Introduction

2.Bonds

3.Crystals

4.Energy band structure

5.Carrier concentration at thermal equilibrium

6.Carrier-transport phenomena - 1

7.Carrier-transport phenomena - 2

8.Phonon, optical, and thermal properties

9.Heterojunctions and nanostructures

10.p-n Junction

11.Metal-semiconductor contact

12.Metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitor

13.Diodes

14.Bipolar transistor

15.MOSFET

16.JFETs, MESFETs, and MODFETs

17.Tunnel devices

18.Thyristors and power devices

19.LEDs and lasers

20.Photodetectors and solar cells

21.Sensors

22.Integrated Devices

Course outcomes

 By completing this course, students will:

• Understand the fundamental physical principles underlying semiconductor behaviour.
• Analyse the operation and characteristics of key semiconductor devices.
• Gain familiarity with modern fabrication and characterisation techniques.
• Appreciate the interdependence between materials science, solid-state physics, and device engineering.
• Develop insight into current challenges and emerging trends in semiconductor and quantum technologies.