MITx 3.

15x
Electrical, Optical, and Magnetic Properties
of Materials and Devices
Spring 2015

Introduction
Welcome to 3.15x, Electrical, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials and Devices. We are
glad that you have decided to join us. We are excited to get started, but first we would like to get
some logistics out of the way. Please take some time to review the material in this Syllabus.

Overview
In 3.15x, we will explore the basis of the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials
including semiconductors, metals, organics and insulators, and will show how devices are built to
take advantage of those properties. These properties are illustrated with a wide range of devices,
placing a strong emphasis on new and emerging technologies. Applications presented include
diodes, transistors, photodetectors, solar cells (photovoltaics), displays, light emitting diodes,
lasers, optical fibers and optical communications, photonic devices, magnetic data storage,
motors, transformers and spintronics.

Prerequisites
This course is based on an upper-level undergraduate course taught in the Department of
Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. The course assumes that you have knowledge of
physics, calculus, and chemistry at the first-year university level. Familiarity with materials
structure and bonding will also be helpful in completing this course.

Outline
The course will be spread over 13 weeks. Ten of those weeks will contain new lecture material
and homework sets, and three weeks will be devoted to a Midterm and a Final Examination. A
short breakdown of course topics is shown below:

Week 1: Course Introduction, Carrier Fundamentals

Week 2: The Drift and Diffusion of Carriers, Carrier Recombination and Generation
Week 3: The p-n Junction at Equilibrium, The p-n Junction under Bias, the Ideal Diode
Equation
Week 4: The Bipolar Junction Transistor, Field Effect Transistors
Week 5: Photodetectors, Photovoltaics, and Solar Cells
Midterm Examination: The Midterm will cover material from the first five weeks of class.
Week 6: LEDs, Lasers, and Heterostructures
Week 7: Organic Electronics, Liquid Crystal Displays and Optical Fibers
Week 8: Photonics and Magnetic Fundamentals
Week 9: Anisotropy, Hard & Soft Magnets, and Part 1 of Data Storage
Week 10: Data Storage, Part 2, and Optical & Magnetooptical Storage
Final Examination: A comprehensive final examination, that will emphasize the secondhalf of the course material.

Grading
Your grade for 3.15x will be based on your performance on 10 homework assignments, a
Midterm Examination, and a Final Examination. Your best 8 homework assignments will count
towards your grade. 25% of your Final Examination grade will be based on your responses to
Peer Evaluated questions.
40% Homework
20% Midterm
40% Final Examination

Discussion Forum
The Discussion Forums will give you an opportunity to communicate and discuss ideas both with
the course staff and with your fellow students. We highly encourage you to participate in the
Discussion Forums. Please read the Discussion Forum Guidelines before posting on the forums.

Certificates
In order to pass 3.15x, you will require a minimum grade of 60%. You can track your progress
throughout the course with the Progress tab in the navigation bar on top of the course page.
Any student who achieves a passing grade in 3.15x will receive an Honor Code certificate. This
certificate will not include your final grade, but it will indicate that you have passed the course.
Certificates will be issued through edX under the name MITx. These honor code certificates are
currently free for all students who pass the course. You can also elect to upgrade to a Verified
certificate for a fee.