42059 Electronic Components and Fabrication
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Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 49227 Wireless Sensor Networks
Anti-requisite(s): 41034 IoT Components and Fabrication
Description
This subject covers hardware technologies in Internet of Things (IoT) nodes at the component level, with particular focus on the possibilities offered by miniaturisation and nanotechnology.
Being able to open the 'component boxes' and become familiar with current miniaturised technologies and their capabilities and limitations is a crucial requirement for meaningful design of an IoT system and for anticipating the next technological advances to unlock radical innovation.
Students learn about the diverse electronic and photonic components required in a miniaturised system. They achieve a basic command of semiconductor physics and technologies, the working principles of miniaturised logic, communication and sensing devices, their performance windows/specifications and how they are fabricated and packaged. Students are also able to discern the concepts of performance, quality and reliability, and overall, they are able to select a class of components and electronic/photonic approaches to build a miniaturised system for a solving a given real life problem.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Describe doping, junctions, diodes and transistors, and their fabrication in semiconductor technologies. (D.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Investigate the broad principles of sensing, transduction, and how sensors are realised and are fabricated in electronics and photonics. (D.1) |
| 3. | Deconstruct and critically analyse a microcomponent: fabrication, packaging and testing, to perform failure analysis in electronics products. (D.1) |
| 4. | Model a component and a small system, and identify the model limitations in the context of electronics performance. (C.1) |
| 5. | Research and apply approaches, types and specifications of components needed to design a specific IoT system, understanding packaging, reliability, supply chain and costs. (B.1) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, and influence stakeholders, and apply expert judgment establishing and managing constraints, conflicts and uncertainties within a hazards and risk framework to define system requirements and interactivity. (B.1)
- Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design thinking and decision-making methodologies in new contexts or to novel problems, to explore, test, analyse and synthesise complex ideas, theories or concepts. (C.1)
- Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply theoretical, conceptual, software and physical tools and advanced discipline knowledge to research, evaluate and predict future performance of systems characterised by complexity. (D.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies
Students enrolled in the Master of Professional Engineering should note that this subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 competencies:
- 1.1. Comprehensive, theory based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline.
- 1.3. In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
- 1.4. Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline.
- 1.5. Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.
- 2.2. Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
- 2.3. Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.
- 3.4. Professional use and management of information.
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject offers students knowledge upon which they can reflect and gradually make their own through the tutorials and assignment tasks. Attendance of all scheduled lectures is encouraged for all students.
Lectures cover a variety of components and building blocks for electronics and photonics systems, while the tutorial sessions provide in parallel the modelling capabilities for single components (electronics, optoelectronics, MEMS) and a complete system with the combination of logic and MEMS or other components in a circuit.
A series of academic and industrial guest lectures complements the subject. The industrial lectures provide examples of cutting-edge electronics and photonics systems being developed by industry to solve real-world problems, and how the choice of components influence their product capabilities.
The assessments encourage students to delve into a particular system (usually a sensor), understand the state-of-the-art, understand current limitations, compare technological solutions and also potentially add their own technological suggestions. Each student will be assigned an individual topic in the beginning, which will constitute their own thread for all assignments for this subject. An early written assignment before census date will offer a formative learning opportunity, followed by a mid-session presentation. Peer feedback will be encouraged during the presentation, which will be treated as a lecture. The final assignment will be due at the end of the session.
Content (topics)
Topic 1: Basic principles of semiconductor technologies: semiconductor junctions, doping and logic devices, their fabrication on a silicon wafer
Topic 2: Basic principles of MEMS: transduction, sensing, accuracy and sensitivity, and how those principles are applied, i.e. to chemical or physical sensing through electronics, optoelectronics and photonics technologies.
Topic 3: Basic principles of Photonics components : Optical fibres, waveguides and lasers
Topic 4: Basic principles of Packaging and Component Quality and Reliability
Topic 5: How components can be modelled, individually or combined into an integrated circuit
Topic 6: Industry Talks: examples in real life of how single components are used and integrated into complex commercial systems. We will aim at one example each for electronics and photonics.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Mid-session presentation
| Intent: | Students demonstrate their capability for analysis, and clear oral communication |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 2 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | 3-4 slides, 3 minutes, 1 poster |
Assessment task 2: Final report
| Intent: | Students demonstrate clear written communication, understanding of topic and context, problem-solving skills. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Case study |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 65% |
| Length: | 3500 words plus references and at least 3-4 diagrams of choice, both from literature and made by the student. |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Recommended texts
- Fundamentals of Microfabrication: The Science of Miniaturization, Second Edition
By Marc J Madou, Taylor and Francis, https://doi.org/10.1201/9781482274004 - Physics of Semiconductor Devices, 3rd Edition
By Simon M Sze, Kowk K. Ng, Wiley, ISBN: 978-0-471-14323-9
Other resources
This subject will run through the Canvas platform. All of the assignment details and due dates plus any related updates are found on Canvas, so the students are warmly recommended to access Canvas as soon as it is made available.