MOS-Transistors and Memories (summer semester 2023)

This two-hour lecture is offered during the summer semester, along with a one-hour practical exercise. It serves as a complement to the "Bipolar Devices" lecture, which is taught in the winter semester. The course builds upon the knowledge acquired in the "Fundamentals of Semiconductor Devices" and "Fundamentals of Materials Sciences" lectures, with a primary focus on the discussion of semiconductor devices based on silicon.

The lecture begins by delving into the properties of the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) system, starting with an in-depth examination of the MOS capacitor before introducing the MOSFET. Subsequently, various models that describe the current-voltage characteristics of the MOSFET are presented, and challenges related to scaling modern MOSFETs, such as short-channel effects, are addressed. The final segment of the lecture concentrates on MOS-based memory technologies, including SRAM, DRAM, and flash memory. Throughout the course, there is a continuous effort to bridge the gap between fundamental device characteristics and practical solutions for highly miniaturized devices.

As a course assignment, students analyze characteristic curves of MOS capacitors and MOSFETs and extract characteristic parameters of the devices.