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ENGI4547: Advanced Electronics 4

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Type Tied
Level 4
Credits 10
Availability Available in 2025/2026
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Engineering

Prerequisites

  • ENGI3331

Corequisites

  • As specified in programme regulations.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • As specified in programme regulations.

Aims

  • This module is designed solely for students studying Department of Engineering degree programmes.
  • To provide an overview and describe the characteristics of electronic devices at nanometre scale and their principles of operation.
  • To explain the technical and economic constraints for the miniaturization and design of electronic devices and solutions.
  • To introduce and familiarise students with application based device design and analysis.
  • To provide the technical knowledge of VLSI/MEMs system to understand their functionality and applications.

Content

  • Scaling laws and fundamental limits.
  • Computation and energy consumption of electronic devices.
  • Classical and quantum models for charge transport.
  • Low dimensional materials: characteristics and applications.
  • Designs for manufacturing and testing of advanced electronic devices e.g. VLSI, MEMs.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • A knowledge of benefits and limitations of electronic technologies currently used or being developed for computation.
  • An understanding of the energy cost of computation with increasing speed and device density in electronic components.
  • An understanding of charge transport mechanism at the nanoscale to design future applications.
  • A knowledge of trends and developments in advanced electronics design and their underlying physics.
  • AHEP4 Learning Outcomes: In order to satisfy Professional Engineering Institution (PEI) accreditation requirements the following Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP4) Learning Outcomes are assessed within this module:
  • M1. Apply a comprehensive knowledge of mathematics, statistics, natural science and engineering principles to the solution of complex problems (exam assessed).
  • M3. Select and apply appropriate computational and analytical techniques to model complex problems, discussing the limitations of the techniques employed (exam assessed).

Subject-specific Skills:

  • An awareness of current technology, analysis methods and industrial practises along with the ability to apply those methods in novel situations.
  • An in-depth knowledge and understanding of specialised and advanced technical and professional skills, an ability to perform critical assessment and review and an ability to communicate the results of their own work effectively.

Key Skills:

  • Capacity for independent self-learning within the bounds of professional practice.
  • Critical assessment of technology challenges and problem solving skills of a design engineer.
  • Specialised numerical skills appropriate to an engineer.
  • Mathematics relevant to the application of advanced electronics concepts.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • The module content is delivered in lectures and is reinforced by problem sheets, equipping students with the required problem solving capability.
  • Students are encouraged to make use of staff 'Surgeries' (otherwise "Office Hours") to discuss any aspect of the module with teaching staff on a one-to-one basis. These are sign-up sessions available for up to one hour per week.
  • Written timed examinations are appropriate because of the wide range of analytical, in-depth material covered in this module and allow students to demonstrate the ability to solve advanced problems independently.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures20Weekly1 hour20 
Surgeries20As required, weekly sign-ups available throughout the yearOptional attendance as required10 
Revision Classes11 hour1 
Preparation and Reading69 
Total100 

Summative Assessment

Component: ExaminationComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
On Campus Written Examination2 hours100No

Formative Assessment

N/A

More information

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