Department of Physics, University of
Utah
Course Number: Physics 6520 (3)
Course Title: Physics of Semiconductors II
- REPRESENTATIVE TEXTBOOK
- Semiconductor Physics, K. Seeger, Springer-Verlag, Sixth Edition
- Physics and Geometry of Disorder, A. L. Efros, Mir Publisher, 1986 (Available as
handouts)
- The Fractal Geometry of Nature, B. B. Mandelbrot, W. H. Freeman and Co., NY
1982
- Electronic Properties of Doped Semiconductors, B. I. Shklovskii, A. L. Efros,
Springer-Verlag, 1984
- The Quantum Hall Effects, T. Chakraborty, P. Pietilainen, Second Edition,
Springer-Verlag, 1995
- COURSE DESCRIPTION
- This is the second part of the two-semester course. Semiconductors are an important class
of
materials widely used in the modern electronics. Modern devices often use semiconducting
structures which can be classified as two-dimensional and even one dimensional. Physics of these
structures is very important part of semiconductor physics. In this course the low dimensional
structures are studied in parallel with the traditional bulk materials. Two-dimensional structures
reveal a lot of new fundamental physics, such as integer and fractional Quantum Hall effects.
These two discoveries have been awarded by the Nobel prizes in 1985 and 1998. Quantum Hall
effects and some other new fundamental problems are included in this course.
- The second part of the course contains non-traditional transport: percolation theory,
introduction to fractals, hopping conduction, metal-insulator transition, transport in magnetic
field, Quantum Hall Effects, Aharonov-Bohm effect, theory of amorphous semiconductors.
- PRE-REQUISITE
- Introductory courses of statistical physics and quantum mechanics like
Phys. 3740, 5460 or equivalent are necessary. Solid State Physic 5510-5520, Physics of
Semiconductors 6510 are helpful but not necessary.
- OTHER COMMENTS
- None
- MANDATORY TOPICS
- Topic 1:
- Percolation Theory 2 weeks
- Topic 2:
- Introduction to Fractals 1 week
- Topic 3:
- Hopping Conduction, Variable Range Hopping 2 weeks
- Topic 4:
- Electron-Electron Interaction and the Coulomb Gap 1 week
- Topic 5:
- Metal-Insulator Transition 2 weeks
- Topic 6:
- Classical Transport in Magnetic Field 1 week
- Topic 7:
- Quantum Hall Effect, Integer and Fractional 2 weeks
- Topic 8:
- Introduction to the Theory of Composite Fermions 1 week
- Topic 9:
- Aharonov-Bohm Effect 1 week
- Topic 10:
- Introduction to the Theory of Amorphous Semiconductors 1 week
- Links to exisiting web page for this course:
- Currently does not exist.
-
Prepared by Alexei Efros (2/26/99)