Syllabus for Modeling of Optoelectronic Devices
EEE598, Fall, 2010
Instructor: Dragica Vasileska
Prerequisites: knowledge of solid state theory, some quantum mechanics background, and knowledge of pn-diodes
Text: lecture notes will be provided for each topic by the instructor
Topics Covered:
1. Basic Quantum Mechanics
a. Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
b. Bound States
c. Propagating States
i. Single barrier
ii. Double Barrier Case
iii. Transfer Matrix Approach for the transmission coefficient calculation
iv. Tsu-Esaki formula for the current calculation
v. Quantum wells and Heterostructure materials
Assignment 1. Bound states calculation lab
Assignment 2. Piecewise-constant potential barrier tool
2. Optical gaps and electronic structure calculations
a. Semi-empirical methods
i. Empirical Pseudopotential Method
ii. k.p method
iii. Tight-binding approach
b. Ab-initio calculations
Assignment 3: Implementation of the k.p and tight-binding method
3. Solar Cells:
a. Introduction to Solar Cells
i. Renewable energy and Photovoltaics
ii. What is a solar cell and solar cell modules?
b. Absorbing Solar Energy
i. Air Mass and the Solar Spectrum
ii. Optical Properties of Solar Cell Materials
1. Absorptivity, absorption coefficient, solar cell band gap
2. Antireflection coatings
3. Thickness determination
4. Predicting Absorptivity
iii. Photoluminescence
c. Solar Cell Equations
i. PV device characteristics
ii. Quantum efficiency for current collection
iii. Lifetime, the diffusion length, optical absorption
iv. The transport equations and current extraction
v. Photon recycling
vi. Simulation of Solar Cells with Silvaco and Crosslight
d. Concentrators of Light
i. The thermodynamic limit of light concentrators
ii. Geometrical optics and ray tracing implementation in Silvaco
Assignment 4: Development of a 1D Solar Cell Simulator
Assignment 5: Silvaco simulation of 2D solar cells with ray tracing included
4. Photodetectors
a. Detector Figures of Merit
i. Responsivity
ii. Noise equivalent power
iii. Detectivity
b. Thermal Generation-recombination processes
i. Shockley-Read processes
ii. Internal radiative processes
iii. Auger process
c. Auger-dominated performance
i. Equilibrium devices
ii. Non-equilibrium devices
Assignment 6: Development of 1D Simulator for Photodetectors
5. Light emitting diodes
a. Radiative and non-radiative recombination
i. Radiative electron hole recombination
ii. Radiative recomboination for low-level excitation
iii. Radiative recombination for high-level excitation
iv. Bimolecular rate equations for quantum well structures
v. Luminescence decay
vi. Non-radiative recombination in the bulk
vii. Non-radiative recombination at surfaces
viii. Competition between radiative and non-radiative recombination
b. Theory of radiative recombination
i. Quantum-mechanical model of recombination
ii. The van Roosbroeck-Shockley model
iii. Temperature and doping dependence of recombination
iv. The Einstein model
c. LED basics: Electrical properties
i. Diode current voltage characteristics
ii. Deviation from ideal IV-characteristics
iii. Evaluation of diode parasitic resistances
iv. Emission energy
v. Carrier distribution in pn-homojunctions
vi. Carrier distribution in pn-heterojunctions
vii. Effect of heterojunctions on device resistance
viii. Carrier loss in double heterostructures
ix. Carrier overflow in double heterostructures
x. Electron blocking layer
xi. Diode voltage
d. LED Basics: Optical Properties
i. Internal, extraction, external and power efficiencies
ii. Emission spectrum
Assignment 7: Simulation of LEDs using Silvaco and Crosslight
6. Lasers
a. Basic Laser Physics
i. Stimulated transition: The classical oscillator model
ii. Electric Dipole transitions in real atoms
iii. Atomic rate equations
iv. The Rabi frequency
v. Laser pumping and population inversion
vi. Laser amplification
vii. Linear pulse propagation
viii. Nonlinear optical pulse propagation
ix. Laser mirrors and regenerative feedback
x. Fundamentals of Laser oscillations
b. Optical Beam Resonators
i. Optical waveguide modeling
c. Laser dynamics
i. Laser cavity equations
ii. Laser spiking and mode competition
iii. Laser Q-switching
iv. Active laser mode coupling
v. Passive mode locking
d. VCSELs
Assignment 8: Simulation of VCSELS using Silvaco and Crosslight