Semiconductors Optoelectronics

This course introduces the students to the field of Semiconductor Optoelectronics, which deals with the physics and technology of semiconductor optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes, laser diodes and photodiodes, which are becoming important components in consumer optoelectronics, IT and communication devices, and in industrial instrumentation. Assuming a general science/engineering undergraduate level background, the course begins with a recap of essential (to this course) semiconductor physics, followed by the study of interaction of photons with electrons and holes in a semiconductor, leading to the realization of semiconductor photon amplifiers, sources, modulators, and detectors. A variety of designs and configurations of these devices have been emerging with application-specific characteristics. The course is ‘applied’ in nature, and could be offered at the level of B.E/B.Tech IIIrd/ IVth Year, M.Sc IInd/ M.Tech. I Year.

Week 1  :  Introduction, Energy bands in solids, Density of states
Week 2  :   Occupation probability and Carrier concentration, Quasi Fermi levels
Week 3  : Semiconductor optoelectronic materials and Heterostructures
Week 4  :  Heterostructure p-n junctions, Schottky junctions, Ohmic contacts
Week 5  :  Interaction of photons with electrons and holes in a semiconductor
Week 6  :  Amplification by stimulated emission, The semiconductor laser amplifier
Week 7  :  Absorption in semiconductors and quantum wells, Electro-absorption modulator
Week 8  :  Injection electroluminescence, Light emitting diode and their characteristics
Week 9  :  Semiconductor laser: Device structure and characteristics
Week 10  :  Single frequency lasers, VCSEL and Quantum well lasers
Week 11  :  Semiconductor photodetectors, General characteristics
Week 12  :  Photodiodes: PIN diode and APD. Photonic Integrated Circuits