ELENG 105. Microelectronic Devices and Circuits

Catalog Description: This course covers the fundamental circuit and device concepts needed to understand analog integrated circuits. After an overview of the basic properties of semiconductors, the p-n junction and MOS capacitors are described and the MOSFET is modeled as a large-signal device. Two port small-signal amplifiers and their realization using single stage and multistage CMOS building blocks are discussed. Sinusoidal steady-state signals are introduced and the techniques of phasor analysis are developed, including impedance and the magnitude and phase response of linear circuits. The frequency responses of single and multi-stage amplifiers are analyzed. Differential amplifiers are introduced.

Units: 4

Prerequisites: EECS 16A and EECS 16B.

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for EL ENG 105 after completing EL ENG 240A, or EL ENG 140.

Formats:
Fall: 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion, and 3 hours of laboratory per week
Spring: 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion, and 3 hours of laboratory per week

Grading basis: letter

Final exam status: Written final exam conducted during the scheduled final exam period

Class Schedule (Fall 2022):
TuTh 08:00-09:29, Dwinelle 182 – Ali Niknejad

Class Schedule (Spring 2023):
MoWeFr 15:00-15:59, Etcheverry 3106 –

Spring 2020 class homepage on bCourses

Class homepage on inst.eecs

General Catalog listing

Department Notes:

Course objectives: This course introduces the basic theory of semiconductor devices and circuits, and the basic circuit analysis skills for large-signal, small-signal, and ac frequency response. Its intention is to promote rigorous thinking about semiconductor devices and circuits through precise modeling.

Topics Covered:

  • Introduction; Semiconductors ¿ Microelectronics; Moore's Law; Semiconductor basics: Intrinsic silicon, electrons, holes, charge neutrality; Doping: Donors, acceptors, compensation.
  • Charge transport and the IC resistor ¿ Transport: Drift, drift current density, Ohm's law, velocity saturation; IC resistor: Lateral drift current.
  • IC Fabrication ¿ IC resistor: Non-linear resistor; IC resistor: Capacitance (interconnect); Approximate passive models: Extraction; Diffusion currents.
  • Electrostatics Review ¿ 1-D Gauss's law and boundary conditions; Metal-metal capacitor layout; Charge, fields, and capacitance.
  • pn Junctions: Thermal equilibrium ¿ Depletion approximation; Potential vs. doping: The built-in potential; Charge, field, potential for pn junction.
  • pn Junctions: Reverse bias, Forward bias, and Capacitance ¿ Charge, field, potential in reverse bias: qJ = f(vD); pn Junction capacitance: Cj = dqJ / dvD; pn Diode in forward bias: A first pass and the i-v relationship.
  • MOS Capacitors ¿ Surface charge in thermal equilibrium; Depletion, accumulation, and inversion; qG = f(vGS) and Cg = dqG / dvGS .
  • MOSFETs: Large-signal Model ¿ Symbols and drain characteristics; Triode and saturation regions; Backgate effect.
  • MOSFET Sample & Hold Circuit ¿ Graphical analysis; Analytical solution; SPICE.
  • Common Source Amplifier (Resistive Load) ¿ Large-signal transfer curve; Small-signal operation: Motivate small-signal model.
  • MOSFET Small-Signal Model ¿ Transconductance, including backgate output resistance, capacitances.
  • Small-Signal Analysis ¿ Body effect; PMOS model.
  • MOSFET Current Sources (and Sinks) ¿ Diode-connected MOSFET as voltage source; Current mirror concept; Audio Digital-to-Analog Converter Example.
  • Two-Port Models ¿ Four amplifier types: Voltage, current, trans-G, trans-R tests to find amplifier parameters.
  • Common-Drain Amplifier ¿ Voltage gain, input and output resistances.
  • Common-Gate Amplifier ¿ Current gain, input and output resistances.
  • Frequency Response, MOSFET ac Models ¿ Transfer functions; Poles and zeroes; Bode plot techniques.
  • Frequency Response ¿ Phasor analysis for sinusoidal steady-state signals; Bode plots.
  • Frequency Analysis, Second-Order Circuits
  • Second-Order Circuits, Amplifier Response ¿ Unity gain frequency, gain-bandwidth product.
  • Frequency-Domain Analysis Insight & Approximations ¿ Feedforward zero Miller approximation; Method of time constants.
  • Common Gate, Common Drain Frequency Response, Multi-Stage Amplifiers ¿ Boostrapping of gate-source capacitance; Multi-stage amplifiers.
  • Multistage Amplifiers: The cascode ¿ Two-port models; Current and voltage bias design; ac Analysis.
  • Forward-Biased pn Junction, Bipolar Junction Transistor ¿ Modes of operation of a BJT.
  • Bipolar Junction Transistor ¿ Principle of operation.
  • Bipolar Junction Transistor ¿ Transistor action; Ebers-Moll model; Large-signal model.
  • Bipolar Junction Transistor (cont.) ¿ Small-signal model; CE, CB, CC amplifiers; BJT versus MOSFET; Emitter degeneration.
  • Frequency Dependence of Input and Output Impedances ¿ Frequency response of CC amplifier; figures of merit (gm/IC, fT).

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