Semiconductor characterization experiments are being introduced into the undergraduate physics curriculum at Macalester College. These experiments are part of an innovative upper division laboratory class for physics majors in thin film and semiconductor physics. They also provide opportunities for student independent study and faculty-student collaborative research. The experiments being implemented as part of this activity are four-point probe measurements, Hall effect, transient photoconductivity, and pn junction current-voltage and capacitance measurements. These experiments complement existing experiments in vacuum deposition science and technology, two-point conductivity measurements, optical absorption spectroscopy, steady-state photoconductivity, and solar cell spectral response. Together these experiments provide a comprehensive laboratory experience in experimental physics, through the vehicle of stimulating and topical experiments in materials physics.
