We propose to develop four laboratory projects in microelectronics and thin film optics which will be incorporated into the advanced and sophomore level physics laboratories at McAlester College. Currently, our students have difficulty making the connection between the theoretical physics encountered in textbooks and the exciting technological fields of microelectronics and materials science. The labs we seek to develop will provide a context for research based exploration of electrostatics, modern physics and solid-state physics, and provide an introduction to the principles of semiconductor device fabrication. Students will fabricate working semiconductor devices, such as Schottky diodes and Field Effect transistors and investigate the basic physics which describes them. Students will also explore the optical properties of thin dielectric and metal films. The total cost of this project is $50,250. We are requesting $25,125 from the National Science Foundation.
