Teaching

Semiconductor Materials and Devices

EE 3440/5440, PHYS 3675/5675, 4 credits

Spring 2024, 2025

This course offers an introduction to quantum mechanics, density of states, and statistical mechanics as they relate to solid state device theory. Equilibrium and non-equilibrium behaviour of carriers (generation, recombination, drift, diffusion) are covered and applied to derive behaviour of semiconductor devices including pn junctions, MS contacts (ohmic and Schottky), MOS capacitors, field effect transistors, and bipolar junction transistors. Assumptions behind “ideal” device models are discussed as well as non-idealities and small-signal model extraction. Theoretical lecture is paired with a laboratory where students are introduced to on-wafer probing of devices utilizing IV and CV techniques, as well as materials characterization through four point probe and hall effect measurements.

Integrated Circuit Fabrication

EE 3420/5460, PHYS 3165/5165, 4 credits

Fall 2024, 2025

An introductory course that covers the motivation behind CMOS processing and the unit processes that are carried out during fabrication. Topics include: static CMOS logic, crystallography/substrate fabrication, optics and photolithography, wet/dry etching and cleaning, PVD/CVD techniques and oxide growth, solid source and ion implant doping, Fick’s laws of diffusion, thermal processing, and BEOL integration. Theoretical lecture is paired with a laboratory where students deprocess integrated circuits for physical analysis, design a test mask, characterize and optimize photolithography/etching processes to fabricate their design, and utilize TCAD software to model a PMOS process flow.

Radiofrequency Circuit Design

CMPE 5990, 3 credits

Spring 2026

This course covers the fundamentals of passive RF components and circuits. Topics include lumped component non-idealities, transmission line theory, Network theory and calibration, lumped element and distributed filter design (Richards transform, Kuroda identities), and impedance matching for minimum components and maximum Q (lumped element, capacitively loaded line, stub tuners), with emphasis on the Smith chart as a powerful tool for graphical analysis. The course includes hands-on exercises using Keysight ADS for simulation/design/fitting and NanoVNAs for hardware measurement. Students complete a capstone project on simulation/design/fabrication/characterization/parasitic extraction of a circuit of their choice. Past examples include stepped impedance, lumped element, stub, or coupled line low/high/bandpass or bandreject filters, power dividers, and directional couplers.