Physics of semiconductors

The course introduces the fundamental concepts of semiconductor solid state physics and shows how the electronic and optical properties can be finely tuned in these materials. Covered topics include crystalline structure, energy bands, electron and hole statistics in energy bands, effective mass equation, carrier transport in solids, transport equation, semiconductor homo- and hetero-junctions, optical processes in semiconductors, electronic and optical properties of semiconductors. Some fabrication techniques and elaboration routes are presented as well.

1. Semiconductor crystallographic structures, energy bands, Fermi-Dirac distribution, intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors
2. Semiconductors at equilibrium (mass action law, electroneutrality, Fermi level,…).
3. Transport (diffusion, conduction, mobility, charge carriers conservation equation,…).
4. Semiconductors out of equilibrium (carriers injection, depletion regions,…).
5. P-N junctions
6. Fabrication methods