Master degree in Materials Science

After having completed the course, the student will have skills in:

- Decribing the fundamental properties of semiconducting materials (carriers statistics, charge transport mechanisms).

- Describing the operation principles of electronic devices such as: diode, photovoltaic cell.

- Describing the fundamental properties of various classes of superconducting materials and their respective fields of application.

- Describing the operation principles of a Josephson junction and its possible applications.

- Describing the processes for the synthesis and lithography of semiconducting and superconducting materials used in device fabrication.

- Evaluating and solving experimental issues in the electrical characterization of devices at low-temperature and in the characterization of photovoltaic devices.

After having completed the course, the student will have:

- Theoretical knowledge in the modeling of semiconducting and superconducting materials

- Theoretical knowledge in the modeling of electronic devices based on semiconducting and superconducting materials

- Experimental knowledge in the characterization of the above-mentioned materials and devices.

Knowledge and understanding:

- understanding the basic concepts on the properties of semiconducting and superconducting materials and of related devices

- understanding of the functionalities of laboratory equipment and of relevant experimental techniques for the characterization of semiconducting and superconducting devices

Applying knowledge and understanding:

- ability to understand and manage fundamental physical models to interpret the functionalities of semiconducting and superconducting devices

- basic skill in organizing, analyzing, presenting and discussing experimental data.

The course is organized in 5 credits (40 hours) of frontal lectures and 1 credit (10 hours) of laboratory activities.

Semiconductors:

- Introductory concepts on semiconductor physics: crystal structure, energy bands

- Charge carrier statistics in intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors

- Charge transport mechanisms and Shockley-Reed-Hall theory

- PN junction

- Photovoltaic devices

- Bipolar junction transistor

Superconductors:

- Phenomenology of superconductivity:

• Experimental variables, themodynamics of the superconducting transition, type I and type II superconductivity
• Structure and dynamics of vortexes, pinning
• London equations

- Macroscopic quantum model:

• Quantization of the magnetic flux
• Josephson effect
• Operation principle of the SQUID.

- Different kinds of superconducting materials:

• Low, medium and high-Tc
• Synthesis techniques and applications

 Practical classes:

- Semiconductors: characterization of the basic functional parameters of a photovoltaic cell

- Superconductors: measurement of the I-V characteristics of the YBCO or BSCCO superconductor, measurement of the mean free path and of the ionic radius for a normal metal

• S. M. Sze, “Semiconductor Devices - Physics and Technology”, John Wiley & Sons
• J. I. Pankove, “Optical Processes in Semiconductors”, Dover
• Terry P. Orlando, Kevin A. Delin : “Foundations of Applied Superconductivity”, Addison Wesley, Reading, Massachussets, 1991
• Charles P. Poole, Horacio A. Farach, Richard J. Creswick: Superconductivity, Academic Press, San Diego – London, 1995 
• Lecure notes and slides provided by the teachers.

Timesheet

Exams

Organization of the lectures

The course is organized as follows:
- 24 hours (3 CFU): frontal lectures
- 16 hours (1 CFU): laboratory sessions and relevant introductory lectures

Attendance

Frontal lectures: optional
Laboratory lectures: compulsory (minimum 70% of planned hours)

The "Semiconductor Physics" course activated at the Physics Master
Degree is mutuated from this course.