Directors

David W. Greve, Director, Office: Roberts Engineering Hall 231
Lisa M. Porter, Co-Director, Office: Roberts Engineering Hall 145

Many of the technological changes in recent decades-notably the rise of hand-held and high-speed communications and digital data processing-has been made possible by continuing advances in the performance of electronic devices. These advances include continuous improvement in microprocessor performance, optical communication bandwidth, and magnetic and optical disk storage capacity. Other new areas of innovation include the development of micromechanical systems and the development of flat panel display technology. These advances depend on interactions between engineers from many different disciplines. In particular, there is a strong interaction between device design and materials engineering and processing.

The Electronic Materials Minor is intended to provide students with a firm basis for the application of electronic materials in advanced systems. This minor is well suited for students who intend to pursue careers in the electronics industry (including, but not limited to, semiconductor integrated circuit design and manufacturing, and magnetic storage engineering). The minor also provides an excellent preparation for students interested in pursing graduate work in MSE, ECE, or Applied Physics.

This minor is primarily intended to offer ECE and MSE students an understanding of the important features that must be built into a material during processing so that it will function as required in an electronic or magnetic device. Other students interested in pursuing this minor should consult their advisors to determine whether it will be practical in their own curriculum. Such students are expected to take both 18-100 and 27-201 as introductory courses.

Students in the Electronic Materials program are urged to consider registering for an undergraduate project in addition to the requirements below, especially if they intend to apply to graduate school. The co-directors will make every effort to arrange a suitable project for interested students.

Course Requirements for Electronic Materials Minor

The minor requires an introductory course together with a minimum of 48 additional units as specified below.

Required Introductory Courses:

18-100 Introduction to Electrical & Computer Engineering (MSE students)

27-201 Perfect Crystals including lab (ECE students)

Elective Courses:

48 additional units, with 24 units from Group A and 24 units from Group B. Some courses are a required part of one of the curricula and consequently cannot be counted again for the minor program.

We have determined that “courses which are a required part of a curriculum” are those which are specifically named in the curriculum requirements. Consequently technical electives and breadth and depth electives may be double-counted.

Group A

27-202 Defects in Materials (ECE students only)

06-619 Semiconductor Processing Technology

27-542 Processing and Properties of Thin Films

27-217 Phase Relations (ECE students only)

27-533 Principles of Growth and Processing of Semiconductors

27-432 Electronic and Thermal Properties of Metals, Semiconductors and Related Devices

27-433    Dielectric, Magnetic, Superconducting Properties of Materials and Related Devices

(only if not required in your curriculum)

27-551 Properties of Ceramics and Glasses

27-216 Transport in Materials (ECE students only)

33-225 Quantum Physics and Structure of Matter

Group B

18-310 Fundamentals of Semiconductor Devices

18-316 Introduction to Data Systems Technology

18-412 Field Effect Devices and Technology

18-715 Physics of Applied Magnetism

18-716 Advanced Applied Magnetism

18-8XX An appropriate 800-level course

(for example, 18-813, 18-815, 18-819).

Other appropriate courses may be substituted with the approval of the coordinators in the event that limited course offerings make it impossible to satisfy the requirements as described above.