Welcome to Essentials of MOSFETs!

We are very excited you have joined us for this new course by Prof. Mark
Lundstrom from Purdue University.

Offered by Purdue Engineering Online

If this is your first course on edX, or you have questions on how to use the edX
platform, we encourage you to go through the edX Demo Course.

Course Length: 5 weeks

Time Commitment: 7-9 hours per week

Course Opens: Monday, September 24, 2018 at 00:00 UTC

Course Closes: Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 23:59 UTC

Verified Certificate Deadline: Friday, October 12 at 23:59 UTC

Teaching Assistants: Evan Witkoske

Prerequisites: A basic understanding of semiconductors as typically taught in an undergraduate

semiconductor device course is assumed. No familiarity with electronics or transistors is assumed,
but those with such a background will gain an understanding of how nanoscale transistors differ from
their micrometer scale cousins.

Course Description: The transistor has been called the greatest invention of the 20th century – it
enabled the electronics systems that have shaped the world we live in. Today’s nanotransistors are a
high volume, high impact success of the nanotechnology revolution. This is a course on how this
scientifically interesting and technologically important device operates.
 Learning Objectives:

• Understand the physical operations of transistors- especially nanoscale transistors.

• Relate the physical understanding to the IV characteristics of the device.

Course Structure:

• All course materials are available immediately.

• A short Lecture Quiz will follow each lecture to assess your understanding of the material
covered.
• NOTE: Lecture Quizzes are TIMED. You will have 30 minutes to answer 5 multiple
choice questions.

• The lowest 6 of the 32 Lecture Quizzes will be dropped--making a total of 130 points
possible

• A “short problem” is provided with each lecture. You should be able to quickly work
these problems after understanding the lecture. Short problems will not be graded, and
solutions will not be posted. You are encouraged to discuss these problems with your
classmates.

• The homework provided in this course will not be graded. The homework is for your
information and practice. Solutions to homework are posted for your convenience

• There will be 5 Unit Tests with a maximum of 40 points on each. You must take all 5
Unit Tests. Your lowest Unit Test score on Units 1-4 will be dropped; the Unit 5 exam
may not be dropped, so there are a maximum of 160 points possible.
• NOTE: Unit Tests are TIMED. You will have 60 minutes to answer 2 multiple choice
questions. Numerical answers will be required - bring a calculator. Exams are closed
book - a formula sheet will be provided.

Grading Policy:

• Grades will be based on the combination of the timed lecture quizzes and timed unit
exams.
• A maximum of 290 points is possible (130 for the lecture quizzes and 160 for the unit
tests)
• A minimum 70% overall will be required to pass the course and achieve a certificate.
Weekly Schedule

WEEKS DATES LEARNING TOPICS

• The MOSFET as a Black Box

• Digital Circuits
Week 1:
• Analog/RF Circuits
Sept 24–Sept
Transistors, Compact
30 • MOSFET Device Metrics
Models, and Circuits
• Compact Models

• Recap

• Energy Band Diagram Review

• Energy Band View of the MOSFET

Week 2:
• MOSFET IV Theory
Essential Physics of Oct 1–Oct 6
• The Square Law MOSFET
the MOSFET
• The Virtual Source Model

• Recap

• Energy Band Diagram Approach

• The Depletion Approximation

• Gate Voltage and Surface Potential

• Flat-band Voltage
Week 3:
• MOS CV
Oct 7– Oct 14
MOS Electrostatics • The Mobile Charge vs. Surface Potential

• The Mobile Charge vs. Gate Voltage

• 2D MOS Electrostatics

• The VS Model Revisited

• Recap
 • The Landauer Approach

• Landauer at Low and High Bias

• The Ballistic MOSFET

Week 4:
• Velocity at the Virtual Source
Transmission Theory Oct 15 - Oct 21
• Transmission Theory of the MOSFET
of the MOSFET
• The VS Model Revisited

• Analysis of Experiments

• Recap

• Limits of MOSFETs

• Power MOSFETs

Week 5: • High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs)

Oct 22 - Oct 28 • Review of PN Junctions

Additional Topics
• Heterostructure Bipolar Transistors

• A Second Look at Compact Model Circuits

• Recap

The Discussion Forum is a great way to interact with the instructor, teaching
assistants, and other students in the course. It is available on most pages and we
encourage you to use them for course related topics, questions about course materials,
collaboration with other students, or to ask questions of the instructors. The forum is
monitored on a daily basis by course staff.
To get the greatest benefit from the Discussion Forum , please follow these guidelines
when participating:
• Avoid slang and/or humor in your posts. Remember, we have students from all
over the world participating and these things can have very different meanings to
others.
• Please flag inappropriate comments and never use derogatory language in a post.
• Collaboration is encouraged, but please do not post or ask for answers.
• Feel free to disagree with others using fact and reason but do not make personal
attacks.
• To avoid repeating comments, please review posts from other students before
posting.
• Please post notifications of bugs or errors in the course materials if you find them.

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