NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

SEMESTER 2

EE 1003 Introduction to Materials for Electronics

TUTORIAL 1

Use the data in the periodic table in the notes whenever necessary.

Question 1a
A spoon is made of copper and silver with composition of 92.5 weight % silver and 7.5 weight
% copper. The spoon has a mass of 100 g. Copper is added to silver to make the metal stronger.
Calculate the number of copper and silver atoms in the spoon.
[7.101022, 5.161023]
Question 1b
Calculate the number of copper and silver atoms in the spoon, if the composition in question
1a above is in atomic % instead of the weight %.
[4.321022, 5.331023]
Question 2
There are two naturally occurring isotopes for boron (B). Boron with mass number 10 and
atomic mass 10.0129 amu has 19.91 % abundance, and boron with mass number 11 and atomic
mass 11.0093 amu has 80.09 % abundance. Calculate
(a) the atomic weight,
(b) the mass of one B atom in g
(c) the number of atoms in 2g of B
[10.8109 amu, 1.8010-23 g, 1.111023 atoms]

Question 3
Silicon nanocrystals is uniformly embedded inside a SiO2 film. Assume that all of the silicon
nanocrystals are spherical and have a diameter of 3 nm. The ratio of the number of the silicon
atoms in the nanocrystals to the number of SiO2 molecules is 5 to 100. The mass densities of
silicon and SiO2 are 2.328 g/cm3 and 2.2 g/cm3 respectively.
i) Calculate the number of the silicon nanocrystals in a unit volume (cm3) of the
SiO2 film
ii) Calculate the weight ratio of the silicon atoms in the nanocrystals to the SiO2
molecules in a unit volume (cm3) of the SiO2 film.
[1.6×1018, 0.023]

1
Question 4
A mass spectrometer is used to measure positively charged ions X, and only ions X are present
in this spectrometer. The schematic diagram of the mass spectrometer is shown below. A
magnetic field B1 and an electric field  are applied in the velocity selector section with
magnitudes 8mT and 25 V/m respectively. The directions of the velocity of the ions X and the
electric field  are shown in the figure below. The magnetic field B2 in the detection section is
of the same magnitude and direction as the magnetic field B1.

i) In the velocity selector, the positively charged ions X travel in a straight line, un-
deflected. Give the direction of the magnetic field B1 and show that the velocity v of
the ions X is given by

v
B1

ii) Show that the mass m of the ions X in the detection section is given by
qB B r
m 1 2

where q is the charge of the ions X, r is the radius of the semicircular path of the ions
X.

iii) In the detection section, it is observed that there are three semicircular paths of the
ions X with radius r1 = 5.67 cm, r2 = 2.835 cm and r3 = 6.08 cm. Calculate the mass
(es) of the ions X (in amu) and comment on your answers.
[13.98 amu, 2e, isotope]
Direction of the velocity
of ions X

+ + + + + + + + +

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Electric filed ξ
The velocity selector

The detection section

2
 NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

SEMESTER 2

EE 1003 Introduction to Materials for Electronics

TUTORIAL 2

Use the data in the periodic table in the notes whenever necessary.

Question 1
List down all quantum states for the principal quantum number n = 3 and hence determine
The maximum number of electrons for n = 3. By constructing the quantum states for various n
(e.g. n =1 and n =2), verify that the maximum number of electrons for in the principal quantum
number n in 2n2.

Question 2
Consider a cation He+ and regard this system as a hydrogen like atom. Calculate the energy for the
principal quantum number n = 1 to n = 3 for this system.
[-54.4 eV, -13.6 eV, -6.04 eV]
Question 3
(a) A hydrogen atom is in excited state n = 2. Determine all the possible states with their
corresponding energy, orbital angular momentum, component of the orbital angular
momentum in z-direction, the spin and the component of the spin in in z-direction.
(b) The atom then makes a transition to n =1. Indicate the allowed transitions.
[-3.4 eV, 0 ℏ, √2 ℏ, 0 ℏ, -1 ℏ, 1 ℏ,1/2√3 ℏ, +1/2 ℏ, -1/2 ℏ]

Question 4
Rank the following atoms in (a) increasing atomic size and (b) increasing first ionization energy
and give the reason to your answer.
(i) K, Rb and Na
(ii) C, B and N

Question 5
Write down the electron configuration of following ions: K+, Cl−, Mg2+, Al3+, O2−.

3
 NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

SEMESTER 2

EE 1003 Introduction to Materials for Electronics

TUTORIAL 3

Use the data in the periodic table in the notes whenever necessary.

Question 1
Discuss the primary bonds and the driving force for the formation of such bonds (in other words
why do atoms want to bond at all?)

Question 2
Use the electron configuration notation and Lewis electron dot representation to explain the
formation of Na+ and O2- ions and corresponding compounds.

Question 3
Calculate the attractive force and the attractive potential energy between a pair of Ba2+ and
S2- ions that just touch each other given that the radii of Ba2+ and S2- ions are 0.143 nm and
0.174 nm respectively.
[9.1610-9 N, 18.15 eV]

Question 4
The net potential energy EN between two ions, X+ ion and Y− ion, as a function of the
interatomic distance r can be written as:

B
EN  E A (r ) 
rm

where EA(r) is the attractive potential energy as a function of the interatomic distance r, B and
m are constants. The equilibrium interatomic distance between the two ions is 0.3 nm and the
bonding energy is −4.27 eV.
i) Calculate the attractive potential energy (in eV) as a function of the interatomic
distance r (in nm).
ii) Calculate the constants m (give the value of m to the nearest integer) and B (in
terms of eV and nm).

1.44
[ eV , 9, 1.05 105 eVnm9 ]
r

4
 NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

SEMESTER 2

EE 1003 Introduction to Materials for Electronics

TUTORIAL 4

Use the data in the periodic table in the notes whenever necessary.

Question 1

Draw (1 1̅ 1), (1 2̅ 1̅) and (3 2̅ 1) crystal planes and [1̅01], [1̅10] and [011̅] directions in a simple
cubic unit cell.

Question 2

(a) Determine the indices for the directions shown in the following simple cubic unit cell.

(b) Determine the Miller indices of planes 1 and 2 in the following unit cell

−1

1/2
1/2

5
Question 3
Gold has a FCC crystals structure with a lattice constant of 0.408 nm. There is one atom at each
lattice point and the atoms touch each other with their nearest neighbor. Calculate (i) the atomic
radius of a gold atom in nm, (ii) the mass density in g/cm3 (iii) the atomic packing factor and
(iv) the planar atomic density on (100) plane.

[0.144 nm, 19.27 g/cm3, 73.66%, 1.201015 atoms/cm2]

Questions 4
Tantalum (Ta) has a body-centered cubic crystal structure. There is one atom at each lattice
point and the atoms touch each other with their nearest neighbor. The lattice constant at 20 C
is 0.33 nm.
i) Calculate the atomic packing factor.
ii)  
Draw a 111 plane in the unit cell showing an appropriate origin and the x, y

and z axes. Hence, calculate the planar atomic density (in cm−2) on the 111  
plane at 20 C.

iii) Calculate the mass density (in g/cm3) at 20 C

[0.68, 5.3 1014 atoms/cm2 , 16.73 g/cm3 ]

6
 NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

SEMESTER 2

EE 1003 Introduction to Materials for Electronics

TUTORIAL 5

Use the data in the periodic table in the notes whenever necessary.

Question 1
Consider a silicon (Si) crystal with the lattice constant of 0.543 nm. Calculate,
(i) the shortest distance between the centers of two Si atoms and hence the atomic radius
assuming that the atoms just touch each other with their nearest neighbor,
(ii) the mass density in g/cm3,
(iii) atomic packing density and
(iv) planar atomic density on (010) plane.

[0.235 nm, 0.1175 nm, 2.33 g/cm3, 34%, 6.781014 atoms/cm2)

Question 2
Starting from the electron configuration of Si, explain the formation of the energy bands (i.e. the
conduction band, the forbidden gap or band gap and the valence band) and the hence the energy band
diagram (the electron energy versus distance x on the sample) of Si crystals. Discuss the change of the
electrical conductivities if the temperature of Si crystals is increased.

Question 3
A constant electric field  is applied between two ends of a piece of metal. Show that the electric field
1 dE
 is given by 
e dx

where E is the electron energy and x is the distance on the sample. Hence, draw the energy band
diagram of the metal with and without the electric field .

Question 4
An electric field exists in a semiconductor sample from x = 0 to x = 0.5 µm and is given by
2 ×1013 x V/m, where x is the distance in m.

(i) Calculate the electron energy (in eV) at the bottom of the conduction band at x
= 0.5 µm relative to that at x = 0.

(ii) Sketch the energy band diagram of the sample indicating the conduction and
valence bands, the band gap and the direction of the electric field.
[2.5 eV]
7
Question 5
(a) A Light Emitting Diode (LED) emitting at a maximum wavelength of 670 nm is to be
made from a direct bandgap semiconductor. Calculate the bandgap of the
semiconductor.

(b) A silicon is to be used for a photodetector. It has a bandgap of 1.12 eV. Calculate the
maximum wavelength that the photodetector can detect. (You will learn about direct
and indirect band gap semiconductors, the principle of LED and photodetector in 2nd
year course, EE2003).

[1.85 eV, 1107 nm]

8
 NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019

SEMESTER 2

EE 1003 Introduction to Materials for Electronics

TUTORIAL 6

Use the data in the periodic table in the notes whenever necessary.

Question 1

Briefly explain thermal expansion using the potential energy-versus-interatomic spacing

curve.

Question 2
To what temperature must a cylindrical rod of tungsten 10.000 mm in diameter and a plate of
stainless steel having a circular hole 9.988 mm in diameter have to be heated for the rod to just
fit into the hole? Assume that the initial temperature is 25 °C. The linear thermal expansion for
stainless steel and tungsten are 16.0 × 10−6 °C−1 and 4.5 × 10−6 °C−1, respectively.
[129.5 °C]

Question 3
Compute the mass density for nickel at 500°C, given that the density at 20 °C is 8.902 g/cm3.
Assume that the material is isotropic and l = 13.3 × 10−6 °C−1
[8.735 g/cm3]

Question 4
Calculate the heat flux through a sheet of steel 10 mm thick if the temperatures at the two faces
are 300 and 100°C. Assume steady-state heat flow. What is the heat loss per hour if the area of
the sheet is 0.25 m2? The thermal conductivity of the steel is 51.9 W/m K.

[1.04 × 106 W/m2, 9.36 × 108 J/h]

Question 5

For an isotropic material show that αv = 3 αl