Large-area electronics: devices and materials
MICRO-566 / 3 crédits
Enseignant(s): Ballif Christophe, Haug Franz-Josef, Würsch Nicolas
Langue: Anglais
Summary
Introduction to the physical concepts involved in the description of optical and electronic transport properties of thin-film semiconductor materials found in many large-area applications (solar cells, displays, imagers, etc) and introduction to the physics of the related devices.
Content
This lecture will start with the general description of thin-film materials which are common in macro-electronic applications. These materials include metal oxides, disordered semiconductors and organic materials. The effect of disorder at the atomic scale on electronic states and electronic transport properties will be discussed, as well as the optical characteristics of such materials in relation to device applications. Then the device physics of various devices based on disordered semiconductors will be presented: first solar cells will be discussed and especially the relation between the material properties (absorption behavior and charge transport) on the cell efficiency. Finally other examples of large-area devices such as photo-detectors, particle sensors and Thin-Film Transistors (for flat panel displays and flat panel imagers) will be presented; the physics of these devices and some fabrication aspects will also been discussed.
Keywords
- thin-films
- ordered and disordered semiconductors
- transparent conductive metal oxides
- organic semiconductors
- optical properties
- electronic properties
- solar cells
- transistors
- particle sensors
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
Semiconductor physics or Solid State Physics
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Distinguish ordered and disordered semiconductors.
- Classify order in a solid on short, medium, and long range.
- Visualize the properties of shallow and deep states in a semiconductor.
- Predict charge transport in semiconductors with band-tails.
- Predict recombination of charge carriers at deep defect states.
- Sketch the working principle of solar cells with p-n and p-i-n junction.
- Sketch the operation of thin film transistors.
- Model the function of thin film transistors in displays, imagers, etc.
Assessment methods
Oral examination
Resources
Bibliography
Arvind Shah, Thin-film silicon solar cells, EPFL Press, 2010.
Robert Street, Hydrogenated amorphous silicon, Cambridge University Press
Ressources en bibliothèque
Moodle Link
Dans les plans d'études
- Semestre: Printemps
- Forme de l'examen: Oral (session d'été)
- Matière examinée: Large-area electronics: devices and materials
- Cours: 2 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
- Exercices: 1 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
- Type: optionnel
- Semestre: Printemps
- Forme de l'examen: Oral (session d'été)
- Matière examinée: Large-area electronics: devices and materials
- Cours: 2 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
- Exercices: 1 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
- Type: optionnel