1 Letters in brackets correspond to Electrical Engineering program objectives

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Topics:

Introduction
Overview of Microelectronic Fabrication
Historical Trends
Processes and Structures
Resistor, Diode, and Transistor Layout Design
Safety Issues
Thermal Oxidation of Silicon
Oxidation Theory and Modeling
Oxidation as Barrier Layer
Oxide Types and Quality
Oxide Thickness Characterization
Lithography
Photolithography Process Flow
Wafers
Barrier Layer
Photoresist Types, Application, and Processing
Etching and Pattern Definition
Photomask Fabrication
Exposure Systems
Microscopy
Diffusion
Diffusion Theory and Modeling
Junction Formation
Sheet Resistance Theory and Measurement
Diffusion Systems
Film Deposition
Evaporation
Sputtering
Chemical Vapor Deposition
Epitaxy
Interconnections and Contacts
Ohmic Contact Formation
Packaging and Yield
Device Characterization
Die Attachment
Wire Bonding
Package Styles
Flip Chip, BGA, TAB
CSP
Yield
"Recent Developments in Semiconductor Devices" paper presentations

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Performance Criteria:

for Objective 1:

        a. Students will demonstrate an understanding of semiconductor device fabrication history, trends, and terminology.
        b. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the process flow associated with semiconductor device development.
        c. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of photolithography, oxidation, diffusion, deposition, and semiconductor device characterization.

for Objective 2:

        a. Students will demonstrate an ability to perform photolithography, including mask design, image transfer, and chemical processing.
        b. Students will demonstrate an ability to perform oxidation.
        c. Students will demonstrate an ability to perform dopant diffusion.
        d. Students will demonstrate an ability to perform metal deposition.
        e. Students will demonstrate an ability to characterize semiconductor devices at various stages in their fabrication.

for Objective 3:

        a. Students will demonstrate an ability to research recent developments in semiconductor devices.
        b. Students will demonstrate an ability to prepare a formal written report on a recent development in semiconductor devices.
        c. Students will demonstrate an ability to prepare a formal oral presentation on a recent development in semiconductor devices.

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Course Policies:

Contact Information:

Office : 507 Nichols Hall
Phone : 464-7343 (office)
            464-3961 (home)
E-Mail : addingtonjs@vmi.edu

Office Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday : 0900-1100, 1300-1400
Friday : 1000-1100, 1300-1400
(and by appointment)

Lecture Policies:

Homework - Usually assigned once a week
Midterm - During regular class time
Paper/Presentation - Topic: "Recent Developments in Semiconductor Devices"
Final - Comprehensive

No make-up tests will be given.
Late homework will be graded accordingly.

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Grading Policies:

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(1)                "Cadets' Responsibilities"

"Work for grade" is defined as any work presented to an instructor for a formal grade or undertaken in satisfaction of a requirement for successful completion of a course or degree requirement.  All work submitted for grade is considered the cadet's own work.  "Cadet's own work" means that he or she has composed the work from his or her general accumulation of knowledge and skill except as clearly and fully documented and that it has been composed especially for the current assignment.  No work previously submitted in any course at VMI or elsewhere will be resubmitted or reformatted for submission in a current course without the specific approval of the instructor.
In all work for grade, failure to distinguish between the cadet’s own work and ideas and the work and ideas of others is known as plagiarism.  Proper documentation clearly and fully identifies the sources of all borrowed ideas, quotations, or other assistance. The cadet is referred to the VMI-authorized handbook for rules concerning quotations, paraphrases, and documentation.
In all written work for grade, the cadet must include the words "HELP RECEIVED" conspicuously on the document, and he or she must then do one of two things:  (1) state “none,” meaning that no help was received except as documented in the work; or (2) explain in detail the nature of the help received.  In oral work for grade, the cadet must make the same declaration before beginning the presentation.  Admission of help received may result in a lower grade but will not result in prosecution for an honor violation.
Cadets are prohibited from discussing the contents of a quiz/exam until it is returned to them or final course grades are posted.  This enjoinder does not imply that any inadvertent expression or behavior that might indicate one’s feeling about the test should be considered a breach of honor.  The real issue is whether cadets received information, not available to everyone else in the class, which would give them an unfair advantage.  If a cadet inadvertently gives or receives information, the incident must be reported to the professor and the Honor Court.
Each cadet bears the responsibility for familiarizing himself or herself thoroughly with the policies stated in this section, with any supplementary statement regarding work for grade expressed by the academic department in which he or she is taking a course, and with any special conditions provided in writing by the professor for a given assignment.  If there is any doubt or uncertainty about the correct interpretation of a policy, the cadet should consult the instructor of the course. There should be no confusion, however, on the basic principle that it is never acceptable to submit someone else’s work, written or otherwise, formally graded or not, as one’s own.
The violation by a cadet of any of these policies will, if he or she is found guilty by the Honor Court, result in his or her being dismissed from VMI.  Neither ignorance nor professed confusion about the correct interpretation of these policies is an excuse.

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Experiment Schedule:

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Final Laboratory Report:

Guidelines

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Assignments:

Homework #1                                        Paper/Presentation

Homework #2

Homework #3

Homework #4

Homework #5

Homework #6                                     

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Interesting Links:

History of the transistor (PBS)

Moore presentation (Nov 2002)

Semiconductor Applets

Wafer Fabrication Presentation

Light-emitting transistor operating at 509 GHz (University of Illinois)

Semiconductor Acronym Lists:

    http://www.smta.org/files/acronym_glossary.pdf

    http://www.semiconfareast.com/acronyms.htm

Electromagnetic Energy Spectrum

Laser Wavelengths

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Last modified by Shawn Addington on 04/25/08