Physics III : Electronic Properties of Solids
MH24OP.PH3
written examination
The objective of this course is to describe the electronic structure of solids and the main properties and applications resulting from them, with an overview of current technological developments.
In the first part it introduces the basic concepts on the electronic band structures of solids and shows how these concepts explain the major families of properties, electrical, optical and chemical of solids.
In the second part, the course focuses on an important class of materials, semiconductors, and describes in detail the phenomena that occur in a p-n junction. The applications of such junctions are described, in particular solar cells, light-emitting diodes and laser diodes.
The student must be able to do:
– to define the characteristics of the two main models of electronic structure of solids and to know in which context to apply them,
– explain the main parameters that govern the electrical and optical properties of materials and the factors that have a positive or negative effect on these properties,
– interpret a band structure diagram of a solid and deduce its electrical and optical behaviour,
– describe in detail the electronic processes occurring in the main semiconductor devices and explain the factors controlling their performance
– to establish a structure-property relationship for a given application.
Langue(s) : EN
