Electrical Engineering: Integrated Circuit Fabrication (A)

About EE 3420 A

Science and technology of integrated circuit fabrication. Interaction of processing with material properties, electrical performance, economy, and manufacturability. Study of unit processes used to make semiconductor chips. Prerequisite: PHYS 1550 or PHYS 1650. Cross-listed with: PHYS 3165.

Notes

Cross-listed with PHYS 3165 A; Total combined enrollment: 20; Must register for lab A01-A02; Prereqs enforced by the system: PHYS 1550 or PHYS 1650; Semiconductor Certificate Requirement

Section Description

In recent 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. At the foundation for all this activity is raw technology; the technology to manipulate materials with light, plasma and heat to create incredibly small electrical devices on breathtakingly huge scales with no defects. How are these devices made? What are the parameters driving the industry forward? What roles exist for young and experienced engineers and scientists? Where are the difficulties and who are the commercial players? All of these questions will be addressed in this course.

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 CMOS devices are fabricated.

The laboratory component of the course 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.

This course only has PHYS 1550 as a prerequisite. It is recommended for STEM majors interested in exploring careers in semiconductor fabrication. It covers some electrical engineering concepts but also delves conceptually into optics, chemistry and materials at the applied level. It is a broad course that can be useful for students or professionals interested in nanofabrication techniques.

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

Section Expectation

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

Evaluation

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

Important Dates

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

• Parking
• PACE Course Pricing
• Textbooks

Taken With This Course