EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE FOR DEMONSTRATING TWO-DIMENSIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE PHYSICS

RESEARCH IS DIRECTED TOWARDS DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING AN EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE PACKAGE, FOR USE BY UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL ENGINEERING STUDENTS, WHICH WOULD DEMONSTRATE AND AID IN TEACHING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE PHYSICS. THE SOFTWARE WOULD BE USED AS AN ADJUNCT TO CLASSROOM STUDIES IN A WORKSHOP FORMAT. A VARIETY OF FUNDAMENTAL DEVICE STRUCTURES INCLUDING DIODES, FETS, AND BIPOLAR DEVICES WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SOFTWARE WHICH WOULD DEMONSTRATE THE INTERNAL DEVICE PHYSICS THROUGH TWO DIMENSIONAL SIMULATION. GRAPHIC DISPLAY OF THE RESULTS WHO VIVIDLY SHOW THE STUDENT HOW THE DEVICE OPERATED INTERNALLY. THE PHASE I RESEARCH WOULD INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF PERFORMING THE REQUIRED SIMULATIONS EFFICIENTLY (RUN TIMES ON THE ORDER OF A MINUTE) AND WOULD CONSTRUCT AN INITIAL VERSION OF THE SOFTWARE FOR A FET. THIS INITIAL SOFTWARE WOULD THEN BE INTRODUCED TO STUDENTS AT A LOCAL UNIVERSITY TO SOLICIT THEIR FEEDBACK AND FURTHER DEFINE THEIR NEED FROM SUCH SOFTWARE. THIS RESEARCH WOULD BE CONTINUED UNDER PHASE II AND UNDER PHASE III IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT A COMMERCIALLY VIABLE EDUCATION TOOL, MARKETABLE TO THE UNDERGRADUATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY WOULD BE PRODUCED.