Unit Overview
- Description
This unit provides students with technical knowledge and skills, together with hands-on experience, in advanced semiconductor CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) technology for fabricating modern integrated circuits (ICs), which underpin contemporary information technologies such as mobile devices, computing systems, and artificial intelligence.
Topics include cleanroom operation and maintenance, semiconductor crystal growth, wafer preparation, oxidation, doping, thin-film deposition, lithography, etching, Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI), and yield, failure, and reliability analysis.
Using the facilities of the Western Australian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF-WA), students fabricate, test, and analyse example devices to develop practical skills relevant to the integrated circuits industry.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode First year of offer Not available in 2026 UWA (Perth) On-campus - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) evaluate the operation and maintenance requirements of a cleanroom; (2) appraise the CMOS fabrication processes for modern integrated circuits; (3) create CMOS-relevant devices; and (4) critique device performance parameters through comprehensive testing regimes.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) oral presentation; (2) laboratories; and (3) examinations. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Professor Lorenzo Faraone ; Professor Wen Lei
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Enrolment in60630 Master of Semiconductor Science and Technologyand Successful completion ofELEC3014 Electronic Materials and Devices or equivalent
Approved quota: 25—students enrolled in Master of Semiconductor Science and Technology admitted first. - Contact hours
- Lecture-Tutorials: 6 hours per week
Laboratories: 12 hours per semester - Note
- N/A
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.