Physics: Microelec. Circuit Fabrication

Provides a firm knowledge base in modern semiconductor fabrication technology. This technology lies at the heart of all modern computer and communication systems. Analyze and evaluate the unit processes involved in creating semiconductor chips such as photolithography, plasma etch, ion implant and metallization. Explore the current state-of-the-art and demonstrate how these building blocks affect the electrical behavior of semiconductor devices. Prerequisites: Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or Physics Graduate student; or Instructor permission. Cross-listed with: EE 5460.

Majors EE, Mat Sci, ME, or PHYS Graduate; or Instructor Permission; Must register for lab; Cross-listed with EE 5460 A; Total combined enrollment: 20 Open to Degree and PACE students.

Semiconductors have become ubiquitous in everyday life, and are becoming increasingly important as they spread beyond traditional computing into areas such as AI, electrified transportation, energy generation, and quantum computing. Over the last five years, the US has passed the $53B “Chips and Science Act”, the European Union has created their own version and the Chinese have made creating a domestic semiconductor industry a chief national goal. Locally, Vermont has been designated a US Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency Tech Hub in the area of Gallium Nitride electronics, recognizing the regional and national importance of wide bandgap semiconductors for high power applications. At the foundation for all this activity is the technology to manipulate materials with light, plasma and heat to create billions of atomic-scale electrical devices, working together to form an integrated circuit with no defects. In this course, we will cover how these devices have been made and how the industry is innovating to keep pushing the state-of-the-art forward. Students in this course will establish a foundation of knowledge in the methods used to fabricate semiconductor circuits used in all modern computer and communication systems. Students will analyze and understand the unit processes involved in creating semiconductor chips such as photolithography, plasma etch, ion implant and metallization. These building blocks will be applied to demonstrate how planer CMOS devices are fabricated and then extended to modern FINFET devices. The laboratory component will expose students to methods used to deconstruct semiconductor devices for purposes of competitive and failure analysis, as well as to unit processes such as lithography and thin film metallization/characterization. Process simulation and physical layout will also be introduced. A final project on recent innovations in device fabrication will provide students an opportunity to delve deeper into a specific area of personal interest. The course covers some electrical engineering concepts but also delves conceptually into optics, chemistry and materials. It is a broad course that can be useful for students or professionals interested in nanofabrication techniques. Students are expected to have understanding of general physics, calculus, and differential equations concepts. Fourier transforms will also be discussed with regards to their applications in photolithography. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Identify key metrics of the semiconductor industry, like Moore’s Law, as well as companies involved. 2. Gain understanding of unit processes: etch, lithography, ion implant, hot process 3. Understanding of process integration and design flow for CMOS manufacturing 4. Gain laboratory skills in circuit analysis, process modeling, lithography, and metrology techniques to analyze metals, polymers, dieletrics and semiconductors

Per UVM policy, students should expect to spend approximately 8 hours a week on coursework outside of class (2hrs/credit). Software tools: TCAD process simulation, Matlab/Python for computation/data analysis, SRIM/TRIM ion implant simulation, Klayout GDS pattern editor.

Grades will be based on homework assignments, midterm exams, laboratory reports, and a final project.