ECE 331: Introduction to Materials for

Electrical Engineers
Course Objective...
Introduce fundamental concepts in Materials
Science and how they are used in ECE
You will learn about:
• material structure
• how structure dictates properties
• how electronic & physical properties are related
This course will help you to:
• use materials properly
• realize new design opportunities with materials
• understand the physics of semiconductor devices

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 ECE 331 – Intro to Materials for ECE

Materials in ECE are: semiconductors, metals (e.g.

Al contacts),
t t ) polymers
l ((e.g. encapsulants
l t ffor LED
LEDs))
and insulators (ceramics such as silicon dioxide in
FETs))

Materials in ECE are single crystals, polycrystals,

amorphous
h layers
l and
d nanostructures
t t

Si (silicon) is NOT the only semiconductor (though

Si electronics is the world’s largest manufacturing
industry), but it is the most important one and will
remaini so!!

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 ECE 331 – Intro to Materials for ECE

III-V examples
GaAs
InP
InAs
AlGaAs
InGaAs
InGaAsP
G N
GaN
InGaN

•Know your periodic table! III - V

•Find your old chemistry notes!
ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1
 Materials Roadmap for Device Technologies: the
Bandgap vs Lattice Constant Relationship

ECE applications
are
III V electronics
III-V expanding across
CD Lasers
Fiber pump lasers this entire space!
Space solar

CMOS, BiCMOS,
CMOS BiCMOS
Terrestrial solar, Telecomm
Power CMOS Optoelectronics
thermophotovoltaics

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPS:
New Age for ECE Materials and opportunities
Roadmaps are calling for unusual properties not
obtainable using conventional materials or processes
• Electronics:
- Nanoscale patterning
- optical interconnects
- speed enhancing materials

• Optoelectronics:
- tunable light emission/detection wavelengths
- seamless integration with electronic systems

• Alternative Energy:
- clean, renewable, cheap, safe, autonomous

- Biocompatiblity and medicine

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1
 The Materials Selection Process

1. Pick Application Determine required Properties

Properties: mechanical, electrical, thermal,
magnetic, optical, deteriorative.

2. Properties Identify candidate Material(s)

Material: structure, composition.

3. Material Identify required Processing

Processing: changes structure and overall shape
ex: casting, sintering, vapor deposition, doping
forming, joining, annealing.

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 ELECTRICAL
• Electrical Resistivity of Copper:
6 Adapted from Fig.g 18.8, Callister 7e.
(Fig. 18.8 adapted from: J.O. Linde,
5 Ann Physik 5, 219 (1932); and
C.A. Wert and R.M. Thomson,
r

Physics of Solids, 2nd edition,

0-8 Ohm-m)
esistivity,

4 McGraw-Hill Company, New York,

1970 )
1970.)

3
2
(10
Re

1
0
-200 -100 0 T (°C)
• Adding “impurity” atoms to Cu increases resistivity.
• Deforming Cu increases resistivity.

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 THERMAL
• Space Shuttle Tiles: • Thermal Conductivity
--Silica fiber insulation of Copper:
offers low heat conduction. - decreases when you add zinc!

Adapted from chapter-

onductiviity
opening photograph, 400
Chapter 19, Callister
7e. (Courtesy of
Lockheed 300

(W//m-K)
Missiles and Space
Company, Inc.)
200

hermal Co
100
0
Th
0 10 20 30 40
Adapted from Composition (wt% Zinc)
Fig. 19.4W, Callister Adapted from Fig. 19.4, Callister 7e.
6e. (Courtesy of (Fig. 19.4 is adapted from Metals Handbook:
Lockheed Aerospace p
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous alloys
y
C
Ceramics S
Systems, and Pure Metals, Vol. 2, 9th ed., H. Baker,
Sunnyvale, CA) (Managing Editor), American Society for
(Note: "W" denotes Metals, 1979, p. 315.)
fig. is on CD-ROM.)
100 mm
ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1
 MAGNETIC
• Magnetic Storage: • Magnetic Permeability
--Recording medium vs. Composition:
is magnetized by --Adding 3 atomic % Si
recording head. makes Fe a better
recording
g medium!

zation
Fe+3%Si

Magnetiz
Fe
F

M Magnetic Field
Adapted from C.R. Barrett, W.D. Nix, and
Fig. 20.23, Callister 7e. A.S. Tetelman, The Principles of
(Fig 20
(Fig. 20.23
23 is from J
J.U.
U Lemke
Lemke, MRS Bulletin
Bulletin, Engineering Materials, Fig. 1
1-7(a),
7(a), p. 9,
Vol. XV, No. 3, p. 31, 1990.) 1973. Electronically reproduced
by permission of Pearson Education, Inc.,
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 OPTICAL
• Transmittance:
--Aluminum oxide may be transparent, translucent, or
opaque depending on the material structure.
polycrystal: polycrystal:
single
g crystal
y low p
porosity
y high
g porosity
p y

Adapted from Fig. 1.2,

Callister 7e.
(Specimen preparation,
P.A. Lessing; photo by S.
Tanner )
Tanner.)

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 Photovoltaics and the role of materials

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1
 Conversion of radiant heat to electricity:
Thermophotovoltaics
p
Front Contact

Grid Finger
Interconnect

n InPAs window
n/p InGaAs
Emitter/Bas
e
p InPAs BSF
p/n InGaAs TJ
n InPAs Buffer

S iI
Semi-Insulating
l ti InP
I P

SiN/Gold Back Surface Reflector

SEM Micrograph Of Processed Ternary
MIM Structure

23

System Effficiency (%)

• Efficiency ~18% 22 26.7°C
26.7°C
21
• With addition of a a front 20
25.6°C
surface filter 19
18 25.6°C
– 0.9 W/cm2
power density 17
16
- h = 20.6% at a radiator 15
temperat re of 1058°C
temperature 1058°C. 850 900 950 1000 1050 1100
Radiator Temperature (°C)

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1

 Wide Bandgap Semiconductors – GaN:
Energy-Efficient
gy Solid State Lighting
g g (SSL)
( )
• Al-Ga-In-N spans uv-blue-green-red-near ir spectrum

National SSL Initiative: by 2020:

• save $115B
50% of elec.used
elec used by lighting: • eliminate 258M metric ton of C
emission
ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1
 SUMMARY
Course Goals:
• Use the right material for the job
job.

• Understand the relation between properties,

structure, and processing.

• Recognize new design opportunities offered

by materials selection.
• Appreciate the relationship between devices,
devices
their characteristics and their constituent materials

ECE331 Wi11 lecture 1