Module Catalogue 2026/27

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

To provide an advanced knowledge of electronic device manufacture; to explain the importance of yield and reliability; to consider future directions available to electronic device technology; to gain understanding of electronic device fabrication and characterisation in a clean room.

Outline Of Syllabus

Silicon Epitaxy -
Applications, vapour phase expitaxy, doping and autodoping; molecular beam epitaxy; nanoscale characterisation

Polysilicon Deposition -
Applications, deposition process and rate, electrical characteristics, step coverage, oxidation of polysilicon.

Oxidation -
Uses of thermal oxide and CVD oxide, growth and properties of dry and wet oxide, dopant distribution, oxide quality, CVD process, doped oxide and its applications, step coverage and planarisation; high-k dielectrics.

Metallisation -
Uses and desired properties of metallization, evaporation and sputtering, aluminium, silicide and gold metalisation technology, general properties of metalisation.

Etching -
Types, etch rate, selectivity, anisotropy, uniformity, case study; reactive ion etching, process monitoring and end point detection, pattern transfer problems, defects and impurities, deep reactive ion etching.

Surface Contamination -
Particles and films, sources of contamination, cleaning methods; photoresist removal.

Process Monitoring -
Junction depth, resistivity and sheet resistance, Hall effect, majority carrier mobility, doping profiles, current-voltage characteristics, line width.

Deep Submicron Lithography -
G Line, I line, Deep UV, resolution, depth of focus, phase shift lithography, electron beam lithography, x-ray lithography, costs.

Interconnect -
Need for planar process, CR delay, material system wish list, electromigration and reliability, median time to failure.

Doping Technology -
Ion implantation, equipment, masking, dopant profiles, channelling, implantation damage, annealing, diffusion doping. Electrical and physical characterisation of doping.

New materials and technologies -
Novel gate stacks (metal gates, high k dielectrics, atomic layer deposition), new channel materials (strained Si/SiGe), SiC for high temperature electronics, advanced interconnect (Cu-low k), nanotechnology.

Fabrication and test of electronic devices using clean room technology.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

To be able to describe the key fabrication steps used in electronic device fabrication and chip manufacturing; (M1 and M2)
To be able to describe material characterisation techniques used in electronic device fabrication; (M1 and M2)
To be able to describe clean room protocol required for chip manufacture. (M1 and M2)

Intended Skill Outcomes

Ability to describe key processes used in fabrication of electronic devices (M1 and M2)
Ability to explain sources of experimental error in chip fabrication (M3)
Ability to relate electronic device performance to device processing stages (M3)      
Ability to describe cleanroom protocol (M1 and M2)
Ability to describe material and electrical characterisation techniques used in electronic device fabrication (M1 and M2)

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures provide core material and guidance for further reading. Tutorials reinforce taught material with examples involving fabrication and characterisation of electronic material and devices and provide complementary guidance for practical work, while private study allows reading of material for advanced understanding. Problem solving and examples are integrated into lectures and workshops.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The exam provides the opportunity for the students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills (M1, M2) acquired from course lecture material, workshops and independent learning.

The formative oral assessment in semester 2 ensures the student has engaged and acquired key knowledge from the workshops.

General Notes

Original Handbook text: