Physical electronics and photonics research
The Physical electronics and photonics curriculum includes five upper-division undergraduate and 14 graduate courses in the areas of semiconductor devices and materials, characterization, photonic/photovoltaic devices, semiconductor processing/intelligent control, nanoelectronics, molecular electronics, transport, and computational electronics as well as occasional specialty courses.
Research activities
The faculty in the Physical Electronics and Photonics program are actively pursuing research in many areas of semiconductor materials and devices. They engage students in the MSE, MS, and PhD programs. Research is typically supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and private industry.
Courses
Senior Level Undergraduate Courses
EEE 434 – Quantum Mechanics for Engineers
EEE 435 – Microelectronics
EEE 436 – Fundamentals of Solid-State Devices
EEE 437 – Optoelectronics
EEE 439 – Semiconductor Facilities and Cleanroom Practices
EEE 465 – Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
Graduate Courses
EEE 530 – Advanced Silicon Processing
EEE 531 – Semiconductor Device Theory I
EEE 532 – Semiconductor Device Theory II
EEE 533 – Semiconductor Process/Device Simulation
EEE 534 – Semiconductor Transport
EEE 535 – Electron Transport in Nanostructures
EEE 536 – Semiconductor Characterization
EEE 537 – Fundamentals of Optoelectronics
EEE 538 – Optoelectronic Devices
EEE 539 – Introduction to Solid-State Electronics
EEE 565 – Solar Cells
Physical electronics and photonics faculty research interests
Devices for bio environments and bio-inspired materials
Jennifer Blain Christen
Jennifer Blain Christen
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Bio-compatible integration techniques for CMOS electronics/sensors, microfluidics and soft lithography, bio-MEMS, low power analog and mixed-mode circuits for bio-medical/analytical instrumentation, systems engineering focusing on multi-physics/multi-modal and feedback including neural, electrochemical and optical/fluorescence systems
Michael Goryll
Michael Goryll
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Surface and interface physics, new materials in CMOS processing, fabrication of nanoscale semiconductor devices, transport phenomena in nanopores, integration of biomineralized structures with silicon MEMS, electrophysiological properties of cell membrane ion channels, low-noise analog amplifier design, electronic instrumentation for biophysical measurements
Richard Kiehl
Richard Kiehl
Professor
Research Interests
Nanoelectronics: self-assembled nanostructures, novel nanodevice concepts, locally connected circuit architectures and non-Boolean computing paradigms.
Marco Saraniti
Marco Saraniti
Professor, Vice Dean of Faculty Administration
Research Interests
Computational electronics, biophysics
Chao Wang
Chao Wang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Nanostructures, nanoimprint lithography, nanooptics, biomolecular sensing, nanofluidics, DNA hydrodynamics, ferroelectrics.
Flexible electronics
David Allee
David Allee
Professor, Associate Director
Research Interests
Flexible electronics, large area sensing arrays, VLF electric and magnetic fields, fundamental and external electrical noise, nuclear amplifiers, nanometer scale device and nanofabrication
Stephen Phillips
Stephen Phillips
Professor, Director, School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Applications and integration of microsystems including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microelectronics, microactuators, neural recording and neural stimulation; applications of systems and control including adaptive control, control of microsystems, prosthetics, feedback control over nondeterministic networks
Hongbin Yu
Hongbin Yu
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Nanostructure and nano device fabrication and characterization; flexible, transparent and wearable electronics; wide bandgap semiconductor electronic and optoelectronics; quantum size effect in metallic and semiconducting nanostructures; integrated microwave and power devices
Lasers, LEDs, optoelectronics
Stephen Goodnick
Stephen Goodnick
Professor
Research Interests
Solid state device physics, transport in nanostructures, nanoelectronic devices and circuits, computational electronics, RF and microwave devices, optoelectronic, energy conversion devices
Yu Yao
Yu Yao
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Electronic transport and optic properties of semiconductor nanostructures, two dimensional materials, nanophotonic structures and their applications in advanced optoelectronics and reconfigurable optical devices; mid-infrared technology and its application for infrared sensing, medical and imaging
Yong-Hang Zhang
Yong-Hang Zhang
Professor
Research Interests
Optoelectronic materials and devices such as solar cells, laser diodes and photodetectors
Yuji Zhao
Yuji Zhao
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Electronics and photonics; MOCVD growth and device applications of GaN wide bandgap semiconductors, including LEDs, lasers, solar cells, and power transistors; nanofabrication and nanoscale characterizations; new physics, materials, devices for future solid-state electronics
MEMS
Jennifer Blain Christen
Jennifer Blain Christen
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Bio-compatible integration techniques for CMOS electronics/sensors, microfluidics and soft lithography, bio-MEMS, low power analog and mixed-mode circuits for bio-medical/analytical instrumentation, systems engineering focusing on multi-physics/multi-modal and feedback including neural, electrochemical and optical/fluorescence systems
Stephen Phillips
Stephen Phillips
Professor, Director, School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Applications and integration of microsystems including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microelectronics, microactuators, neural recording and neural stimulation; applications of systems and control including adaptive control, control of microsystems, prosthetics, feedback control over nondeterministic networks
Trevor Thornton
Trevor Thornton
Professor
Research Interests
Silicon-on-insulator MESFETs, molecular electronics and sensors, microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS)
Research Interests
Silicon-on-insulator MESFETs, molecular electronics and sensors, microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS)
Chao Wang
Chao Wang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Nanostructures, nanoimprint lithography, nanooptics, biomolecular sensing, nanofluidics, DNA hydrodynamics, ferroelectrics.
Nanostructures
David Allee
David Allee
Professor, Associate Director
Research Interests
Flexible electronics, large area sensing arrays, VLF electric and magnetic fields, fundamental and external electrical noise, nuclear amplifiers, nanometer scale device and nanofabrication
Yu Cao
Yu Cao
Professor
Research Interests
Physical modeling of nanoscale technologies, design solutions for variability and reliability, and neural-inspired hardware and algorithms for learning
David Ferry
David Ferry
Regents’ Professor Emeritus
Research Interests
Quantum effects in submicron semiconductor devices and nanostructures, general development of quantum transport in open systems
Stephen Goodnick
Stephen Goodnick
Professor
Research Interests
Solid state device physics, transport in nanostructures, nanoelectronic devices and circuits, computational electronics, RF and microwave devices, optoelectronic, energy conversion devices
Christiana Honsberg
Christiana Honsberg
Professor
Research Interests
Ultra-high efficiency solar cells, silicon solar cells
Zachary Holman
Zachary Holman
Trustee Professor
Research Interests
Amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells, light management in solar cells, transparent conductive oxides, semiconductor nanoparticles, optical and electronic properties of nanoscale materials, plasma synthesis of powders, deposition of powders and thin films
Richard Kiehl
Richard Kiehl
Professor
Research Interests
Nanoelectronics: self-assembled nanostructures, novel nanodevice concepts, locally connected circuit architectures and non-Boolean computing paradigms.
Michael Kozicki
Michael Kozicki
Professor
Research Interests
Nanoionics, dendritic/fractal structures, low-energy resistive memory (CBRAM, RRAM)
Ying-Cheng Lai
Ying-Cheng Lai
ISS Professor
Research Interests
Nonlinear dynamics, complex networks, quantum transport in nanostructures, graphene physics, signal processing, biological physics
Chao Wang
Chao Wang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Nanostructures, nanoimprint lithography, nanooptics, biomolecular sensing, nanofluidics, DNA hydrodynamics, ferroelectrics.
Yu Yao
Yu Yao
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Electronic transport and optic properties of semiconductor nanostructures, two dimensional materials, nanophotonic structures and their applications in advanced optoelectronics and reconfigurable optical devices; mid-infrared technology and its application for infrared sensing, medical and imaging
Hongbin Yu
Hongbin Yu
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Nanostructure and nano device fabrication and characterization; flexible, transparent and wearable electronics; wide bandgap semiconductor electronic and optoelectronics; quantum size effect in metallic and semiconducting nanostructures; integrated microwave and power devices
Photovoltaics
Mariana Bertoni
Mariana Bertoni
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Defect engineering of solar cell materials, transparent conducting oxides, defects in semiconductors, synthesis, growth and deposition of semiconductors, electrical and optical characterization, X-ray microscopy and spectroscopys
Stephen Goodnick
Stephen Goodnick
Professor
Research Interests
Solid state device physics, transport in nanostructures, nanoelectronic devices and circuits, computational electronics, RF and microwave devices, optoelectronic, energy conversion devices
Christiana Honsberg
Christiana Honsberg
Professor
Research Interests
Ultra-high efficiency solar cells, silicon solar cells
Zachary Holman
Zachary Holman
Trustee Professor
Research Interests
Amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells, light management in solar cells, transparent conductive oxides, semiconductor nanoparticles, optical and electronic properties of nanoscale materials, plasma synthesis of powders, deposition of powders and thin films
Richard R. King
Richard R. King
Professor
Research Interests
High-efficiency silicon and III-V photovoltaics, solid-state device physics, recombination at semiconductor defects and interfaces, multijunction solar cells, thin-film compound semiconductor growth and characterization.
Meng Tao
Meng Tao
Professor
Research Interests
Semiconductor surfaces, interfaces and thin films; terawatt-scale solar photovoltaics; chemical vapor deposition; electrochemistry in solar photovoltaics; solar photovoltaic systems and applications; and two-dimensional transition metal chalcogenides.
Dragica Vasileska
Dragica Vasileska
Professor
Research Interests
Semiconductor device physics, semiconductor transport, 1-D to 3-D device modeling, quantum field theory and its application to real nanoscale device structures, heating effects in nano-scale devices, current collapse in GaN HEMTs, optoelectronics including modeling of solar cells and photodetectors
Yong-Hang Zhang
Yong-Hang Zhang
Professor
Research Interests
Optoelectronic materials and devices such as solar cells, laser diodes and photodetectors
Semiconductor device modeling
Hugh Barnaby
Hugh Barnaby
Professor
Research Interests
Semiconductors for hostile environments, device physics and modeling, microelectronic device and sensor design and manufacturing, analog/RF/mixed signal circuit design and test
Yu Cao
Yu Cao
Professor
Research Interests
Physical modeling of nanoscale technologies, design solutions for variability and reliability, and neural-inspired hardware and algorithms for learning
David Ferry
David Ferry
Regents’ Professor Emeritus
Research Interests
Quantum effects in submicron semiconductor devices and nanostructures, general development of quantum transport in open systems
Stephen Goodnick
Stephen Goodnick
Professor
Research Interests
Solid state device physics, transport in nanostructures, nanoelectronic devices and circuits, computational electronics, RF and microwave devices, optoelectronic, energy conversion devices
Meng Tao
Meng Tao
Professor
Research Interests
Semiconductor surfaces, interfaces and thin films; terawatt-scale solar photovoltaics; chemical vapor deposition; electrochemistry in solar photovoltaics; solar photovoltaic systems and applications; and two-dimensional transition metal chalcogenides.
Dragica Vasileska
Dragica Vasileska
Professor
Research Interests
Semiconductor device physics, semiconductor transport, 1-D to 3-D device modeling, quantum field theory and its application to real nanoscale device structures, heating effects in nano-scale devices, current collapse in GaN HEMTs, optoelectronics including modeling of solar cells and photodetectors
Semiconductor materials science
Mariana Bertoni
Mariana Bertoni
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Defect engineering of solar cell materials, transparent conducting oxides, defects in semiconductors, synthesis, growth and deposition of semiconductors, electrical and optical characterization, X-ray microscopy and spectroscopys
Christiana Honsberg
Christiana Honsberg
Professor
Research Interests
Ultra-high efficiency solar cells, silicon solar cells
Zachary Holman
Zachary Holman
Trustee Professor
Research Interests
Amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells, light management in solar cells, transparent conductive oxides, semiconductor nanoparticles, optical and electronic properties of nanoscale materials, plasma synthesis of powders, deposition of powders and thin films
Richard Kiehl
Richard Kiehl
Professor
Research Interests
Nanoelectronics: self-assembled nanostructures, novel nanodevice concepts, locally connected circuit architectures and non-Boolean computing paradigms.
Richard R. King
Richard R. King
Professor
Research Interests
High-efficiency silicon and III-V photovoltaics, solid-state device physics, recombination at semiconductor defects and interfaces, multijunction solar cells, thin-film compound semiconductor growth and characterization.
Michael Kozicki
Michael Kozicki
Professor
Research Interests
Nanoionics, dendritic/fractal structures, low-energy resistive memory (CBRAM, RRAM)
Brian Skromme
Brian Skromme
Professor, Assistant Dean
Research Interests
Compound semiconductor materials and devices, especially wide bandgap materials for optoelectronic, high frequency, high-power and high-temperature applications; optical characterization of semiconductor materials; development of GaN and SiC-based materials and devices; development of educational software for engineering courses, engineering education
Hongbin Yu
Hongbin Yu
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Nanostructure and nano device fabrication and characterization; flexible, transparent and wearable electronics; wide bandgap semiconductor electronic and optoelectronics; quantum size effect in metallic and semiconducting nanostructures; integrated microwave and power devices
Yong-Hang Zhang
Yong-Hang Zhang
Professor
Research Interests
Optoelectronic materials and devices such as solar cells, laser diodes and photodetectors
Yuji Zhao
Yuji Zhao
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Electronics and photonics; MOCVD growth and device applications of GaN wide bandgap semiconductors, including LEDs, lasers, solar cells, and power transistors; nanofabrication and nanoscale characterizations; new physics, materials, devices for future solid-state electronics
Sensors
David Allee
David Allee
Professor, Associate Director
Research Interests
Flexible electronics, large area sensing arrays, VLF electric and magnetic fields, fundamental and external electrical noise, nuclear amplifiers, nanometer scale device and nanofabrication
Hugh Barnaby
Hugh Barnaby
Professor
Research Interests
Semiconductors for hostile environments, device physics and modeling, microelectronic device and sensor design and manufacturing, analog/RF/mixed signal circuit design and test
Jennifer Blain Christen
Jennifer Blain Christen
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Bio-compatible integration techniques for CMOS electronics/sensors, microfluidics and soft lithography, bio-MEMS, low power analog and mixed-mode circuits for bio-medical/analytical instrumentation, systems engineering focusing on multi-physics/multi-modal and feedback including neural, electrochemical and optical/fluorescence systems
Michael Goryll
Michael Goryll
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Surface and interface physics, new materials in CMOS processing, fabrication of nanoscale semiconductor devices, transport phenomena in nanopores, integration of biomineralized structures with silicon MEMS, electrophysiological properties of cell membrane ion channels, low-noise analog amplifier design, electronic instrumentation for biophysical measurements
Stephen Phillips
Stephen Phillips
Professor, Director, School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Research Interests
Applications and integration of microsystems including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microelectronics, microactuators, neural recording and neural stimulation; applications of systems and control including adaptive control, control of microsystems, prosthetics, feedback control over nondeterministic networks
Chao Wang
Chao Wang
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
Nanostructures, nanoimprint lithography, nanooptics, biomolecular sensing, nanofluidics, DNA hydrodynamics, ferroelectrics.
Transistors, integrated circuits
Hugh Barnaby
Hugh Barnaby
Professor
Research Interests
Semiconductors for hostile environments, device physics and modeling, microelectronic device and sensor design and manufacturing, analog/RF/mixed signal circuit design and test
Jennifer Blain Christen
Jennifer Blain Christen
Associate Professor
Research Interests
Bio-compatible integration techniques for CMOS electronics/sensors, microfluidics and soft lithography, bio-MEMS, low power analog and mixed-mode circuits for bio-medical/analytical instrumentation, systems engineering focusing on multi-physics/multi-modal and feedback including neural, electrochemical and optical/fluorescence systems
David Ferry
David Ferry
Regents’ Professor Emeritus
Research Interests
Quantum effects in submicron semiconductor devices and nanostructures, general development of quantum transport in open systems
Marco Saraniti
Marco Saraniti
Professor, Vice Dean of Faculty Administration
Research Interests
Computational electronics, biophysics
Trevor Thornton
Trevor Thornton
Professor
Research Interests
Silicon-on-insulator MESFETs, molecular electronics and sensors, microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS)
Research Interests
Silicon-on-insulator MESFETs, molecular electronics and sensors, microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS)