Semiconductor & IC Fabrication Course | Process, Patterning, Integration
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 756 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Categories | Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering |
| Credit Points | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 19 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Basic Overview of Semiconductor Device Processing and IC Fabrication
Semiconductors form the bedrock of modern electronics, powering everything from smartphones to satellites. Understanding how these intricate components are built is crucial for engineers and technologists. This article provides a comprehensive overview of a structured 12-week course designed by Prof. S. Sundar Kumar Iyer of IIT Kanpur, which demystifies the complex world of Integrated Circuit (IC) fabrication.
About the Course and Instructor
This course is meticulously crafted to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical semiconductor manufacturing. It demonstrates how individual unit processes, when executed in a precise sequence, combine to create complex circuits on a single silicon die.
The instructor, Prof. S. Sundar Kumar Iyer, brings a wealth of academic and industry experience. After earning his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, he contributed to cutting-edge technology at IBM Microelectronics, working on electrical fuses for embedded DRAM. Since joining IIT Kanpur in 2004, his research has focused on innovative areas like organic solar cell fabrication. This unique blend of fundamental processing knowledge and applied research makes him an ideal guide for this subject.
Who Should Take This Course?
The course is tailored for a specific audience with clear prerequisites and strong industry relevance.
- Intended Audience: Senior Undergraduate and Postgraduate students in Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering.
- Prerequisites: A background in electrical/electronics engineering with exposure to solid-state device physics. Familiarity with basic semiconductor concepts, mathematics, and physics is sufficient.
- Industry Support: With semiconductor manufacturing gaining significant momentum in India, this course aligns perfectly with industry needs. It is relevant for roles at leading companies like Tata Electronics, Micron, BEL, Samsung, TSMC, GlobalFoundries, Texas Instruments, and Motorola.
Detailed 12-Week Course Layout
The course is divided into a logical progression, starting from the big picture and drilling down into each critical fabrication step.
Weeks 1-3: Foundations and Integration
The first module sets the stage and introduces core integration concepts.
- Week 1: General Overview - History of semiconductors, integration trends, and the driving force of scaling in VLSI.
- Week 2: IC Device Process Integration - Introduction to patterning and using the p-n junction diode as a primary example device.
- Week 3: IC Device Process Integration - Focusing on the CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) process flow, the backbone of modern digital ICs.
Weeks 4-5: Support Systems and Base Materials
This module covers the essential infrastructure and starting materials.
- Week 4: Support Technologies - The critical role of cleanrooms, vacuum systems, plasma generation for processing, and basic material/electrical characterization techniques.
- Week 5: Substrates - Manufacturing of silicon wafers, Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology, and exploration of alternate substrate materials.
Weeks 6-10: Core Unit Processes
The heart of the course, detailing each step in modifying the silicon wafer.
| Week | Process Type | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Additive | Oxidation and Nitridation of Silicon (growing insulating layers) |
| 7 | Additive | Diffusion and Ion-Implantation (doping to modify conductivity) |
| 8 | Additive | Deposition Techniques: Thermal Evaporation, Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), Sputtering |
| 9 | Patterning | Photo-lithography: The process of defining circuit patterns using light |
| 10 | Subtractive | Etching (Wet & Dry/Reactive Ion Etching) and Planarization (Chemical-Mechanical Polishing/CMP) |
Weeks 11-12: Control and Future Trends
The final module ensures quality and looks ahead.
- Week 11: Process Control - Implementing Statistical Quality Control (SQC) and Design of Experiment (DoE) for high yield.
- Week 12: New Trends - Exploring 3-D integration, advanced packaging, printed electronics, and flexible device processing.
Recommended Textbooks for In-Depth Study
To supplement the course material, the following authoritative texts are highly recommended:
- Stanley Wolf and Richard N. Tauber, “Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era, Volume 1” - The definitive guide to VLSI processing.
- S.M. Sze, “Semiconductor Devices: Physics and Technology” - A classic text linking device physics with fabrication.
- Sorab K. Ghandhi, “VLSI Fabrication Principles” - Covers both silicon and gallium arsenide processes.
- Richard C. Jaeger, “Introduction to Microelectronic Fabrication” - An excellent modular introduction to fabrication techniques.
This course offers a vital foundation for anyone aspiring to contribute to the dynamic and strategically important field of semiconductor manufacturing, providing the knowledge to understand, innovate, and excel in this high-tech industry.
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