Customer Reviews

Devices for Integrated Circuits: Silicon and III-V Compound Semiconductors

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book competes with RF Pierret "Semiconductor Device Fundamentals" and BG Streetman "Solid State Electronic Devices". Compared to Pierret there is less reader feedback in terms of review and worked problems. Problems tend to be of the same type and level.

Compared to Streetman (5th Edition) coverage is narrower, without optoelectronic, microwave and power devices. For electrical engineers, this greater focus is rewarded in Casey's book with in-depth introduction to SPICE simulations of all covered devices. For MOSFETs focus is on level 1 and level 2 PSpice, with a description of higher models up to level 6, BSIM3.

In addition to PSpice, the sales point for Casey is physics of device operation. For example, it has solid discussions of intrinsic carrier density (why doesn't simple formula agree with experiment?) and of MOSFET threshold voltage. None of the other books come close for authoritative, basic argument.

I used this book for an engineering class. I had a hard time following what's the professor was talking about so I was really dependent on the book. Generally, this is a good book that explains clearly and right to the point. The most important formulas are highlighted and summarized, which is kind of important to me because my primary concern is how to apply the right formula to solve my homework problems. The only thing I dislike it is there's no solution to the problems and thus not suitable for self-study. Also,there are not many examples on how to solve problems.

This is a so so book on device physics, I think that there are better ones out there, but it is easy to follow and the problem sets are okay.

Casey wrote a two part Academic Press book with Panish on heterostructure lasers around 1980; he has, however, resisted the temptation to talk much about optoelectronics and has produced a balanced basic book comparable to Muller/Kamins, perhaps on a slighty lower level in terms of details of the Si devices but on a higher level in terms of III-V devices and general semiconductor physics. I find it much more readable. Where the text excels is in the insight he brings to the presentation of basic semiconductor physics in areas such as radiative and Auger recombination, or even in insuring that the correct intrinsic carrier concentration for Si is used (1e10 cm-3 at 300K, which is a substantial change from the earlier "standard" 1.5e10 value used in books by Sze and Grove by generations of earlier students), or in the discussion of a model of surface recombination currents in p-n junctions, although I wish more of a detailed derivation of the model was presented in this text, as opposed to an outline. He does do a good job on reviewing SPICE models for common devices. On the down side, I thought the discussions on HEMTS was very light, noise in general is not covered, and he could have talked a little about LEDS, lasers, and microwave devices. On the other hand, the basics are well covered (except for noise).

I've used several semiconductor physics texts in undergraduate and graduate coursework, including Streetman, Sze, and Casey. If you're looking simply for breadth, you can't beat Sze; but that's more of a reference book than a textbook if you're just starting. Streetman was what I learned from first, and include many extended topics such as optoelectronics and memory devices; but sometimes I found the notation and writing awkward and the concepts not tied together. Where Casey excels is in his clarity. The scope covers semiconductor physics, diodes, BJTs, and FETs, so it's not as comprehensive as the other two. But concepts are more clearly laid out and explained, making this my favorite. Casey also includes SPICE examples, so readers can see how altering physical properties effects device performance. All in all, a fundamentally sound and excellent texbook.

If you are loooking for one book that will give you all the fundamentals of semiconductor device physics, then this book is the best choice. It clearly illustrates the concepts of mobility, BJT's, MOS, Schottky Barrier Devices, MOSFET, etc. However this book lags in the explanation of small signal behavior of these devices. Good fundamentals about spice simulation of these devices is provided.