IITM BS Semiconductor Devices and VLSI Technology (EE3106): Syllabus and Tips

Semiconductor Devices and VLSI Technology (EE3106) is a 4 credit department elective at the degree level of the IITM BS Electronic Systems programme. The first part teaches semiconductor physics and how diodes, MOSFETs and BJTs work. The second part explains how chips are made in a factory. The handbook lists no prerequisite, and the course is one of the three in the Minor in VLSI Design and Testing.

The Sep 2025 syllabus gives the credit pattern 4-0-0-4. The handbook elective table prints no credit value next to this course, but it says the 5 department electives add up to 20 credits, which is 4 each. Code and level match. The syllabus does not name an instructor.

What you learn in Semiconductor Devices and VLSI Technology

The syllabus has only 4 modules, and the first one is long. There is no week plan, so the groups below split the first module in two.

1. Module 1, first half: materials and energy bands. Why semiconductor devices matter, crystals and electronic-grade materials, how energy bands form, holes, density of states and the Fermi level. Then intrinsic and doped semiconductors and how many carriers they hold at rest.
2. Module 1, second half: carriers on the move. Direct and indirect semiconductors, how carriers are created and lost, drift and diffusion currents, and the continuity and Poisson equations that tie it all together.
3. Modules 2 and 3: devices. The PN junction with its band diagram, behaviour and models, plus LEDs, solar cells and metal to semiconductor contacts. Then the MOS capacitor, the MOSFET, the CMOS inverter and scaled-down MOSFETs, and finally the physics of the BJT.
4. Module 4: making chips. An overview of chip manufacturing and silicon wafer production. The unit steps: oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, lithography, deposition and etching. Then the full process flow for building a PN diode and a MOSFET.

The syllabus lists four textbooks: Neamen's "Semiconductor Physics and Devices", Pierret's "Semiconductor Device Fundamentals", Plummer and Griffin's "Integrated Circuit Fabrication", and Hong Xiao's "Introduction to Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology". It also points to two free NPTEL video courses: "Solid State Devices" by S. Karmalkar and "VLSI Technology" by Nandita DasGupta.

How the course is assessed

The syllabus does not describe grading. The handbook's general pattern for ES courses is weekly online assignments, two in-person quizzes and an in-person end term exam, with details in each course's grading document.

Where it counts

• Department elective. It is on the list of 8 department electives. ES students take 5 of them, worth 20 credits. See ES degree level courses.
• VLSI minor. With Digital IC Design and Electronic Testing and Measurement, it forms the Minor in VLSI Design and Testing. The ES handbook says minor credits count within the 142 credits of the degree.

Who finds it hard and how to prepare

This is a physics course more than a circuits course. Students who liked building circuits can find band diagrams and the Fermi level abstract at first. Module 1 carries most of the theory, so falling behind early hurts the rest.

• Revise the semiconductor chapter from Class 12 physics before the term. It covers the basic ideas of doping and junctions.
• Watch the NPTEL "Solid State Devices" lectures listed in the syllabus alongside Module 1. A second explanation often clears up band diagrams.
• Draw band diagrams by hand for every device, for zero bias, forward bias and reverse bias.
• Keep a formula sheet with units. Carrier concentration questions often go wrong on units, not on ideas.
• For Module 4, make a flow chart of each fabrication step with what goes in and what comes out.

What to take before and after

No course is a formal prerequisite. Knowing the MOSFET from Analog Circuits (EE3107) helps with Module 3, and the reverse is true too. For the VLSI minor, pair this with Digital IC Design (EE5102), which uses the same transistors to build logic gates, and Electronic Testing and Measurement, which covers how finished ICs are tested.

Common questions

Is there any lab or clean-room work in this course?

No lab is listed. Module 4 explains fabrication steps and process flows, but the syllabus does not mention any practical work.

Which should I take first, this or Digital IC Design?

Neither is a prerequisite for the other. If device physics is new to you, taking this course first makes the MOSFET parts of Digital IC Design easier.

Are the NPTEL lectures part of the course?

The syllabus lists them as reference material, not as required course content. They are free to watch and cover the same subjects.