2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Engineering Undergraduate major in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electron Devices I
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Tetsuo Kodera / Takayuki Iwasaki
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- EEE.D351
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course focuses on the device characteristics of electron devices (semiconductor devices) used in integrated circuits such as pn diodes,bipolar transistors, and MOS transistors. The device structures and basic characteristics are explained for two-terminal devices such as pn diodes, and three-terminal devices such as bipolar transistors and MOS transistors. The importance of 3-terminal devices in integrated circuits is discussed, which enables students to learn how the devices are applied in integrated circuits. Furthermore, the instructor explains the basic characteristics of the complementary MOS transistors (CMOS) circuits used as a basic logic component in the integrated circuits, and power devices used for power conversion devices. Through lectures and exercises, students deepen their understanding of the operating characteristics of electron devices.
The integrated circuits used in electronics for information and communication technology are created by integrating a huge amount of electron devices such as diodes and transistors. In order to achieve high performance of integrated circuits, it is necessary to improve the characteristics of electron devices with an understanding of the device physics. Through this course, students learn how precisely controlling the behavior of electrons and holes in a semiconductor allows for creating the operating characteristics of electron devices.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Explain the amplification of transistor.
2) Expand the band diagram of pn diode to explain the rectifying characteristic in current-voltage characteristic.
3) Explain the basic characteristics and design of high-speed bipolar transistor.
4) Explain the basic characteristics and design of scaled MOS transistor.
5) Explain the structure and characteristics of CMOS consisting of p-channel MOS transistor and n-channel MOS transistor.
6) Explain the structure and characteristics of power devices.
Keywords
semiconductor device, pn diode, bipolar transistor, MOS transistor, CMOS, power device
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
- ・Applied specialist skills on EEE
Class flow
At the beginning of each class, solutions to homework that were assigned during the previous class are reviewed. Please read each study objective carefully and do your homework well.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Review of semiconductor physics and pn junction | Understand semiconductor physics and pn junction. |
| Class 2 | Characteristics of bipolar transistor | Explain the device structure and current-voltage characteristic of bipolar transistor. |
| Class 3 | Bipolar transistor - Design of collector region. | Explain various effects of bipolar transistor, and design of collector region. |
| Class 4 | Equivalent circuit of bipolar transistor I | Explain the equivalent circuit model using pn diode. |
| Class 5 | Equivalent circuit of bipolar transistor II | Explain the small-signal equivalent circuit |
| Class 6 | Bipolar transistor - Estimation of velocity. | Explain the speed and high-frequency characteristic of bipolar transistor. |
| Class 7 | Carrier recombination process in bipolar transistor | Explain the current-voltage characteristic considering the carrier recombination process in bipolar transistor . |
| Class 8 | Test the level of understanding of exercise problems and summary of the first part of the course - Solve exercise problems covering the contents of classes 1–7. | Test the level of understanding and self-evaluate achievement for classes 1–7. |
| Class 9 | Basics of MOS transistor and inversion layer | Explain the device structure and inversion layer of MOS transistor. |
| Class 10 | MOSFET： Pinch-off and DC characteristics | Explain the pinch-off characteristics from gradual channel approximation and DC characteristic. |
| Class 11 | MOSFET： Inverter and high speed characteristics | Explain the speed at digital operation based on inverter and analog operation based on cutoff frequency. |
| Class 12 | MOSFET：Threshold voltage | Analyze the threshold voltage of MOS transistor. |
| Class 13 | MOSFET：Scaling | Scaling supporting miniaturization for integration and explanation of its limitations |
| Class 14 | Power device | Explain the structures and characteristics of power devices. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Miyamoto, Yasuyuki. Electron Device. Tokyo: Baifukan; ISBN978-4-563-06991-9. (Japanese)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Furukawa, Seijiro. Semiconductor Device. Tokyo: Corona; ISBN3355-030241-2353. (Japanese)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students' knowledge of the characteristics of pn-diode, bipolar transistor, MOS transistor, CMOS and power devices will be assessed.
Midterm and final exams 80%, exercise problems and reports 20%.
Related courses
- Electron Device II (EEE.D352)
- Memory Device (EEE.D371)
- Power Device (EEE.D381)
Prerequisites
Students must have successfully completed Physics of Semiconductor (EEE.D211).
Office hours
Kodera: Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.
Iwasaki: Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.