Physics 5335 (Semiconductor Physics), Fall, 2010
11:00-12:20pm, Tuesday & Thursday, Science Room 112, Revised 8/28/10
NOTE!! The Phys. 5335 pages are Under Construction!
  The related course Physics 4309-5304 (Solid State Physics) will be offered again in Fall, 2011!
Dr. Myles' Future Teaching is discussed Here.
Course Syllabus. Fall, 2010 Aademic Calendar & Final Exam Schedule.
Announcements   Lectures  Exams
Instructor Contact Information
Dr. Charles W. Myles, Professor of Physics. Phone: 742-3768. Office: Science Room 18. E-mail: Charley.Myles@ttu.edu.  
Office Hours:2:30pm - 4pm MWF, and by appointment.  Webpage:  CWM 
An email distribution list will be developed.  Here is an important email announcement!!
Please be sure that I have your correct email address, that you tell me if it changes, and that you check your email DAILY!!
Text Books
Primary: Semiconductor Physics and Applications, by M. Balkanski & R.F. Wallis (Oxford U. Press, 2000).  Book webpage.
This book is REQUIRED!! Major portions of the course will use this book.
Topics will be discussed in approximately the same order as the table of contents, however, material from many sources other than this book will be used. Webpage with results (~1,000 hits!) from a Google search. The book is available at bookstores & on-line, in hardbound or paperback. New & used versions are possible. A search finds prices from $132 - $275!! 
I urge you to shop & find the best price for you. 
Given the book cost, don't you think it would be worthwhile to actually READ IT??? 

Supplements: 1. Fundamentals of Semiconductor Physics, by P.Y. Yu & M. Cardona (Springer-Verlag).
2. Semiconductor Physics, by K. Seeger (Springer-Verlag).
    Having these is optional. Portions of the course will use some of the information in them..
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Attend as many classes as possible, come to class prepared, do the homework. 
READ the material BEFORE I lecture over it. Keep up as we go along!
Attendance: I don't take roll & have no specific attendance policy. However, isn't it obvious that (unless you're a genius!) class attendance is REQUIRED to get a good grade? (or to LEARN SOMETHING!)? Also, since this is a small class, it will be apparent if you are not there.  
Physics Level, Pre-Requisites, Objective & Topics
Physics Level/Pre-Requisites: The course is designed for MS & PhD students doing semiconductor research (including Engineering students, who are welcome!). A knowledge of elementary quantum mechanics & elementary statistical physics is assumed. Some knowledge of elementary solid state physics would be helpful, but isn't essential. It would be helpful (but it isn't vital) to have had a solid state course similar to our Physics 4309-5304. This is a GRADUATE course!! The text is at a level somewhere between some undergraduate & some graduate texts. 

Objective: To introduce students to semiconductor MATERIALS physics. (Microscopic properties!) This is NOT a semiconductor device course! If you want a device course, this isn’t it!! (PHYS 5336 IS a device course. Take it!). However, near semester’s end, a few device applications will be discussed. This course is complementary to, but definitely  NOT a replacement for Physics 4309-5304 Solid State Physics. 

Topics: The basics of semiconductor materials physics will be surveyed. As a survey, topics must be covered rapidly. Silicon, as well as other materials will be discussed.  A goal is to cover, as an overview, selected topics in Chs. 1-10 of the text. Detailed coverage will be announced as we go. The Syllabus is Here. Course details, including discussions of Homework, Exams, Semester Project & the grading scheme, are found there. PLEASE READ IT!

Announcements & Calendar Items
Announcement Page:  Will have announcements/calendar items.
Usually updated shortly after each class.  Please check it at least 2 or 3 times a week!

Facebook Group
Our Course has a Facebook Group Page: The Group name is Texas Tech Physics 5335, The Physics of Semiconductors.
In an attempt to be in the 21st Century, I've started this Group. I'll try to post announcements & topics of class interest on the Group Wall.
I encourage you to join. If you join, you'll be able to post course-related questions & comments on the Wall, so that others can see them & comment. This may start discussions about the course between some of you & between you & me. It is a "private" Group restricted to students in TTU Physics 5335, Fall, 2010 ONLY! This means that you have to ask me (Group Administrator) to join before you will be able to post. I'll check that you are registered in the course before I let you join. Please bear in mind that I'm new to Facebook & am just learning about it, so I may not do everything this in the most efficient way.
Lectures, Exams, Homework, Semester Project
COPYRIGHT: Lectures & Exams are copyrighted  by C.W. Myles!  No reproduction or use of them other than by students in this course  is allowed!
Click Here to find out how to reduce the # of pages when printing a Power Point file!

Lecture Page: Has some Lectures (Power Point). 
 Note: The lectures are under construction. Most lectures there now were constructed when I taught this course in Fall, 2008.  A GOAL to have more posted as we proceed through the course, but I can't promise this! It might be helpful to download some of them BEFORE I cover the material in class. 
You can print them, several slides/page. Rather than try to take notes on everything in class, you can follow along on the printed Lectures, making extra notes.

Exam Page: Will hopefully have exam (Word) & solutions (.jpg). from when I taught this course in  Fall, 2008.
There will be one exam near midterm. This will be mostly aimed at evaluating the students’ grasp of the physics & identification of the most relevant physical processes. Also, it will have a take home portion with problems to assesss progress in using relevant mathematical tools.

Homework Page: Will have homework assignments (Word) & solutions (.jpg).
Problems will be assigned & graded on a regular basis. Doing problems is the most effective means of learning physics, which is impossible otherwise!!! Homework is due at 5pm on the due date. To keep up, do assignments as soon as material is covered. If you wait to the last day, you likely will run into trouble!
No late homework will be accepted!!!!
You are strongly encouraged to form groups to work on homework & study together! This is how physicists work in real situations! 
NO CONSULTATION with people who had this course previously is allowed! NO use of problem solutions posted in previous years!
This is on the honor system! It will do you no good to merely copy old solutions! Copying solutions will NOT teach you physics! 

Semester Project
Library Research Paper + Presentation: On an advanced topic/application of semiconductor physics that we don't cover in class.
This will be due near the end of the semester. Oral presentations on the same subject will take place then. The paper should be 5-10 typed pages & written in the style of a scientific paper, with all (several) sources properly cited. The presentation should be about 0.5 hour long. It can be (but isn’t required to be!) done in Power Point.
You should have the topic picked by mid-semester!!!  
Topics must be approved by me before you begin.

Motivations the Study Semiconductor Physics
     "Semiconductor Physics" can be defined as the study of the materials that are important for modern technology. As we'll see in this course, the physics of of semiconductor materials is really much, much more than that! It is a very important branch of the broader discipline of "Solid State Physics" which is defined as the study of the microscopic properties of the dense assembly of electrons formed by placing atoms very close together in a solid. Solid State Physics is a very large, very broad physics sub-field & Semiconductor  physics is a large sub-subfield of that ares. Solid State Physics research can be thought of as the opposite of Particle Physics research. Solid State Physics deals with the microcsopic properties of large COLLECTIONS of particles. By contrast, Particle Physics focuses on the properties of INDIVIDUAL particles. Particle physicists tend to break composite objects up into their constituent building blocks, while Solid State physicists (and Semiconductor Physicsists) are interested in what fundamentally NEW PROPERTIES emerge when these building blocks are grouped together in various ways. There are several Technological & Basic Physics motivations for the study of Semiconductor Physics, as well as Solid State Physics in general.
     Technological Motivations: An obvious, very important motivation for the study of Semiconductor Physics is the fact that the microscopic properties it deals with are responsible for the majority of modern technology. These properties determine the material mechanical strength, how they interact with light, how they conduct electricity, etc. So, Semiconductor Physics is an important subject for technology, because it gives guidance on  how to design the circuits needed for modern electronic devices This field, after all, gave us both the transistor & the semiconductor chip! For these reasons, Semiconductor Physics has been traditionally linked to materials science, chemistry & engineering. Recently, it has also developed overlaps with biology, biochemistry, biotechnology & medicine. So, many current research questions in Semiconductor Physics are still at the frontiers of applied science & next-generation technologies.
     Basic Physics Motivations: Another important motivation for studying Semiconductor Physics is the fact that the basic, fundamental physics needed to understand the microscopic properties of these (as well as others) is very interesting. Further, to understand these properties, the ideas & methods of quantum mechanics must be used. In fact, the physics of semiconductors is VERY deeply quantum mechanical. For this reason, Semiconductor Physics has sometimes been called the best "laboratory" for studying subtle quantum mechanical effects. This course is a chance for students to see quantum mechanical ideas & methods applied to cases where their technological consequences are so important. Two examples (of MANY!) for which Solid State Physics discoveries have revealed very interesting fundamental physics are the observations & explanations of Superconductivity (important for solids in general) & the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect (very important for semiconductors). Both of these have exotic quantum explanations. A strong indicator that Solid State Physics in general & Semicondutor Physics specifically has led (& continues to lead!) to the understanding of many very interesting basic physics phenomena is the fact that
More than 40% of the Physics Nobel Prizes in the past 40 years
(& 50% of those in the past 10 years!) have been for work in Semiconductor  Physics!

The Solid State Physics Research Area
Many of you are likely taking this course because it is related to your research area. If so, I believe that you've chosen a very good,  interesting field! LARGE amounts of new physics is discovered in this area all of the time. For example, the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Condensed Matter Physics or DCMP ("Condensed Matter" is ~ the same as "Solid State") is, BY FAR, the largest APS division! Roughly (1/3) of the ~ 50,000 APS members belong to DCMP. Another APS division is the Division of Materials Physics or DMP ("Materials Physics" is ~ the same as "Applied Solid State"), which was started 12-15 years ago. The DMP is rapidly growing & may eventually become similar in size to the DCMP. (Many people belong to both!). BY FAR, the largest annual APS meeting is the joint meeting of DCMP & DMP. It is held each March (it's called the "March Meeting"!). The 2010  March Meeting (Portland, OR) had ~7,000+ people & ~5,000+ papers!
NOTE! No matter what their research area, every Physics graduate student, & every undergraduate who wants to go to graduate school should join the APS! 
The first year's membership is FREE to students & the following student years are highly discounted!
Graduate students working in Solid State, Condensed Matter, Semiconductors, or Materials Physics should also consider joining the Materials Research Society (MRS)! The MRS is another large professional organization, but it has a very interdisciplinary membership. This reflects the fact that people with many different backgrounds are doing various kinds of materials research. For example, it has members with backgrounds in Physics, in Chemistry, & in various types of Engineering.

Miscellaneous Topics
1. Dr. Myles: Do you want to know more about him (education, experience, research, personal, etc.)? See his Homepage & Research Page. 
    A page about his Future Teaching is Here.
2. Physics Contributions of 20th Century Women! Did you ever wonder why there aren't more women physicists?
    Actually, a number of women made very important contributions to many areas of physics in the 1900's.
    Here is a website which discusses this in detail! 
3. Semiconductor Physics Pioneers Web Pages: 
     I. Nobel Prize in Physics, 1956 for the invention of the transistor!
        a. John Bardeen, Bardeen Tribute
        b. Walter Brattain, Brattain Tribute 
        c. William Shockley, Shockley Tribute, Shockley Wierdness
4. Click Here for a link to semiconductor physics java applets.
     These are interactive animations which can teach you some basics about semiconductor physics. 
5. Click Here for a link to the "Britney Spears' Guide to Semiconductor Physics" (no kidding!).
6. Physics News:  a. Physics Central (for the public). b. Focus News (advanced level) from the APS.
8. Click Here to see the Top 10 most influential people of the last 1000 years. 4 of them made contributions to physics!  
       (Borrowed from Dr. Tom Gibson!).
9. Click Here to see that Physics can be Fun!

WY Physics Logo The WORLD YEAR OF PHYSICS 2005 marked 100 years since Albert Einstein published 3 pioneering papers (Relativity, Brownian Motion, Photoelectric Effect), which changed physics forever & are considered the beginning of "modern" physics! The United Nations, the US Congress, & the governments & scientific societies of many countries endorsed it. For more information, click the image on the left.

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