FOR STUDENTS:


 

Engineers are problem solvers...

  # A good engineer must have a sound understanding of fundamental principles of nature and Mathematics in order to solve challenging problems...

  # A good engineer must have an excellent time-management skill...

  # A good engineer must think logically and be creative...

  # A good engineer must have an excellent communication skill and be a team player...

  # A good engineering must be a life-long learner...

 


MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY IN A NUTSHELL:


 
"The mediocre teacher tells...
The good teacher explains...
The superior teacher demonstrates...
The Great Teacher Inspires!"
                                 -William Arthur Ward
 

# Stimulate critical thinking so that the students can value and nurture their own intellectual curiosity, which will subsequently act as the foundation for their problem solving attitudes and skills.

# Promote an active learning environment

# Emphasize conceptual and issue-based learning

# Follow a bottom-up approach that brings a new perspective to engineering education in materials, devices, and systems to complement traditional understanding. Students are expected to utilize   their   conceptual understanding of the nanoscale processes in the design, modeling, and optimization of devices and systems.

# Include webinars (as supplementary materials or homework assignment) to broaden students’ perspectives and provide an opportunity to get acquainted with on-going research activities in major institutions and interact with the community.

# Class projects recognize the current magnitude of commercial science and engineering, and, rather than being hypothesis-driven, focus on end-results/products. Completion of the entire project and documentation is emphasized.

# Motivate the students to work effectively in groups, emphasize ethical values and professional attitudes, and develop awareness for  the need for lifelong learning.

 


COURSES TAUGHT AT SIU:


FA2019 ECE 447/547 (Semiconductor Devices),  ECE 345 (Electronics)ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2019 – ECE 548 (Quantum Phenomena and Devices), ECE 345 (Electronics), ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2018 ECE 447/547 (Semiconductor Devices),  ECE 345 (Electronics)ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2018 ECE 449/560 (VLSI Characterization)ECE 345 (Electronics) ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2017 ECE 550 (Nanoscale VLSI Devices),  ECE 345 (Electronics)ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2017 ECE 447/547 (Electronic Devices)ECE 345 (Electronics) ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2016 ECE 449/560 (Semiconductor Characterization),  ECE 345 (Electronics)ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2016 ECE 447/547 (Electronic Devices),  ECE 557 (Computational Electronics I),  ECE 345 (Electronics) ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2015 ECE 449/560 (Technology of ICs),   ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices)ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2015 I am on SABBATICAL through May 15, 2015

 

FA2014 ECE 449/560 (Technology of ICs),   ECE 545 (Advanced Semiconductor devices),  ECE 492(Special Investigation/Independent Study),   ECE 599 

(Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2014ECE 447 (Electronic Devices),   ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2013 ECE 493/593 (Technology of Integrated Circuits),  ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),  ECE 592 (Special Investigation/Indep Study),  ECE 599

(Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2013 ECE 447 (Electronic Devices),   ECE 557 (Computational Electronics I),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2012 ECE 446 (Electronic circuit design),  ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2012ECE 447 (Electronic Devices),   ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),   ECE590 (Seminar),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2011ECE 446 (Electronic circuit design),  ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

(Please note that you must be enrolled to have access to SIUC's https://mycourses.siu.edu (Blackboard) repository for the course materials)

SP2011ECE 447 (Electronic Devices),   ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

 

FA2010ECE 446 (Electronic circuit design),  ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2010 ECE 447 (Electronic Devices),  ECE 593 (Theoretical and Computational Nanoelectronics)

 

FA2009ECE 446 (Electronic circuit design),  ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices),  ECE 599 (Thesis),  ECE 600 (Doctoral dissertation)

SP2009ECE 345 (Microelectronics), ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices), ECE 592 (special investigation), ECE 599 (Thesis)

 

FA2008 – ECE 345 (Microelectronics), ECE 550 (Nanoelectronic devices), ECE 592 (special investigation)

SP2008 – ECE 593 (advanced topics in ECE), ECE 592 (special investigation)

 

FA2007 – ECE 593 (advanced topics in ECE), ECE 592 (special investigation)

   

 


SUGGESTED COURSE WORK FOR MY STUDENTS (or for VLSI Concentration):


 

 

A. Basic Theory, Numerics, Computing Tools

ECE 557 Computational Electronics

ECE 593M/559 (TBD)  Computational Electronics II  [multiscale modeling and simulations: ab initio, MD, empirical, transport (SE-liuoville-wigner-BTE-HD-DD-compact), response (magnetic, optical, thermal coupling)]

       (Link to lectures on Computational Physics at Oregon State)

ECE592  Atomistic Computer Modeling of Materials  and a nanoHUB course is here

ECE 592 Supriyo Datta's Quantum Transport course on nanoHUB)

ECE 592 Introduction to Nanoelectronics (Supriyo Datta's course on nanoHUB)

ECE 547 Solid-State Theory of Electronic Materials  

 

MATH 475-6 (3, 3) Numerical Analysis 

(ECE 592 MIT courses: Linear Algebra  Computational Science and Engineering I  Mathematical Methods for Engineers II  Finite Element Analysis)

CS 520 Introduction to Parallel Programming  (a similar MIT Course is here)

PHY 430-3 Quantum Mechanics I

PHY 425-3 Solid State Physics I      

 

B. Devices (building blocks of ICs and semiconductor technology)

ECE 447 Semiconductor Devices    (ECE 592 Principles of Semiconductor Devices on nanoHUB.org

ECE 550 Nanoscale VLSI Devices

ECE 545 Advanced Semiconductor Devices (Theory of transition rates; Devices: memory; energy-related: solar, LEDs/SSLs, thermoelectrics, batteries; biomedical/environment; consumer electronics: CCDs, LCDs)

ECE 548 Quantum Phenomena and Devices (quantum charge, spin, computing)

ECE 560 VLSI Material and Device Characterization (materials and IC processing; characterization techniques; device reliability)

(good resources on nanoHUB are Nanomaterials,  Fundamentals of Atomic Force Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy Skills, Device Reliability tutorials, nanoHUB course on Reliability)

       

C. Circuits/Systems

ECE 329/429/529 (Computer Architecture)

ECE 426/516 (VLSI-HDL)

ECE 524 (Synthesis and Verification using Verilog)

Digital/ASIC Circuits:  ECE 423/513, ECE 528, ECE 523 (low-power VLSI), ECE 515 (3-D IC)

Analog: ECE 446, ECE 543 (Analog VLSI), ECE 531 (Mixed-Signal VLSI Design), ECE 540 (RF ICs)

Embedded: ECE 514

ECE 425/525 (Physical Design Automation)

ECE 521/ (Fault-Tolerant IC Design)

ECE 522 (VLSI Circuit Testing)

 

D. Other

ECE 468 Digital Signal Processing or, ECE 558 Digital Image Processing I

ECE 477 Fields & Waves I  (a similar MIT Course is here)

ECE 483 Power Electronics  

 


COURSES-IN-PROGRESS:


 

(A) Quantum Phenomena and Devices

[For advanced graduate students]

Introduction: Classical mechanics, Classical phenomena, Classical devices, Why quantum devices?

Current picture: Academia and Industry.

Essential Quantum Mechanics.

Essential Statistical Mechanics.

Quantum transport formulation.

Quantization.

Tunneling.

Quantum interference.

Scattering and Broadening.

Dephasing and Shot Noise.

Coulomb blockade.

Spin.

Collective phenomena.

Magnetism and nanomagnets.

Relativistic quantum phenomena.

Quantum phase transition.

Quantum computation.

Quantum optics. 

 

(B) Introduction to Nanoelectronics

For Senior/Beginning Graduate Students

Tentative Semester to be offered: spring (alternate year)

Intended learning outcomes:

 

# Know the grand challenges in the 21st century and the promise of nanotechnology. Be familiar with some promising areas of nanotechnology – smart functional materials, electronics, optics, sensors, energy conversion, biological structures, and environment.

# Understand the basic physical processes governing the operation of nanoscale devices.

# Know the general approaches of nanoscale device fabrication, measurement and characterization.

# Know the various figures of merit widely used for efficient device and system design.

# Understand various higher order effects that impact today's and future nanoscale devices.

# Students will use remote (freely available) tools on NSF-supported Network for Computational Nanotechnology (nanoHUB.org) to study and design nanoscale devices (assignments and project).

# Know the business applications, career development opportunities, and relationship of nanotechnology to individuals in the society.

 

Total credit hours: 4 (3 for lectures and 1 for simulation experiments)

Expected class size: 30   

How does this course build upon existing courses?—This course builds mainly upon the university core courses and the required curricula for ECE, which encompass a solid foundation in general education (language, social, economic studies), mathematics, sciences and engineering. Figure 1 depicts the sequence of core courses on which this course would build for the ECE department. In addition, this course will include a unit on societal and business aspects of nanotechnology. It is acknowledged that scientists and engineers will only be able to transform the new knowledge from research to practice if strong government policies and frameworks are in place to support and nurture these emerging technologies. Lecture modules for this part will mainly build on the studies carried out by the NSF supported Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS) at Arizona State University.

 

 

How will the course fit into an existing curriculum?—Apart from being used as a technical elective course, Honors students in engineering and science programs will be specifically encouraged to take this class (institutional support letter is enclosed in the supplementary documents section).

Salient features—(1) Homework exercises are essential part in this course. When appropriate, we will include MATLAB exercises and interactive simulations provided through the nanoHUB.org. Homework problems will also be disseminated on nanoHUB for community use; (2) Promote Issue-based learning: Issues are generally case studies or problems. Students will develop a list of what they felt they needed to understand in order to answer the question posed and brainstorm potential sources of that information. Groups of students will be responsible for researching topics related to every-day problems that have potential solutions through nanotechnology; (3) Conceptual learning: Instruction process will focus more on conceptual understanding and qualitative analysis rather than detailed mathematical derivations; (4) Instructional plan also includes a bottom-up approach. Students will be expected to utilize/exploit their conceptual understanding of the nanoscale processes in the design, modeling, and optimization of devices and systems for electronic applications; (5) Webinars (available on nanoHUB.org) will be included as supplementary materials or homework assignments to broaden students’ perspectives and provide an opportunity to get acquainted with on-going research activities in major institutions and interact with the nanocommunity. How will the students be assessed on their understanding of the material presented in the webinars?—Webinars will mainly be integrated within the homework assignments. A short discussion session can be arranged following the assignment to further the understanding and address questions/queries. Also, SIUC Blackboard infrastructure supports on-line discussion where students registered for the class can share their understanding and ideas as well.

 

(3) Properties of Engineering Materials (for junior undergraduate students)

(4) Terahertz Devices and Circuits (for senior undergraduate / beginning graduate students

 


REU STUDENTS at SIU:


(1) Recently, we received an award (no. 1442021, funds received $16,000, 7/1/2014–6/30/2015) from National Science Foundation (NSF) to train two undergraduate students in the area of nanoscale thermoelectric devices. Over the next one year, the two REU students will work on two different yet coherent Thrusts: (a) Design of an accelerated GUI (graphical user interface) with advanced interactive features for the multiscale thermoelectric simulator (that we are currently developing in the original project) and upload the GUI on NSF's nanoHUB.org; and (b) Use a 3D additive printer to create a prototype of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) unit and deploy it for cooling of a heated integrated circuit (a microprocessor). The performance of the TEC unit will be characterized via mapping the Temperature vs. Bias Current characteristic.

(2) In the summer of 2014, supervised Mr. Joseph Richards as a REU student in the area of piezoelectric energy harvesting circuits and module development.

(3) In the summer of 2013, supervised Mr. Chance Baker as a REU student in the area of thermal mapping of integrated circuits using the HotSpot toolkit. (4) In the summer of 2012, an REU student, Katina Mattingly from Murray State University, worked in the Ahmed lab and developed a nanoscale solid-state lighting device simulator (nanoSSL) which is soon going to be available on nanoHUB.org.

 


K-12 OUTREACH ACTIVITIES:


(1) At SIUC, my group, in collaboration with colleagues in the C&I and CS departments, has spearheaded “Partnership for Improved Achievement in Science through Computational Science (PIASCS)”, an ISBE funded initiative to train (through summer teacher development workshops and follow up sessions) K-12 teachers in computer simulations and visualization tools to develop reasoning about abstract scientific concepts and phenomena, access cutting-edge scientific research, and engage in authentic practices of science. The project also aims at increasing middle and high school teachers’ science content and pedagogical knowledge. For the last two years, we have trained around 50 teachers and the workshops were held during July 19–30, 2010, and July 18–29, 2011. As part of their summer course for Master's degree program in math and science education, they received a tutorial demonstration on supercomputing and Shaikh Ahmed gave lectures on how large scientific computation (such as using ORNL’s Jaguar platform) play a critical role in exploiting the degrees of freedom available at nanoscale and help designing next-generation efficient electronic and optoelectronic devices.

(2) STEM: A group of 26 STEM teachers received a tutorial demonstration on supercomputing and scientific computing on June the 8th, 2012.

(3) Have participated at the SIU Research Town Hall Meeting during 2010-2013 sessions. Group came 1st in the Physical Sciences category in 2012.

(4) Supervised two Carbondale Junior High School students in building electronic circuits and high-performance computing during summer semester of 2009 and 2013.

(5) Participated in the student leadership council (SLC) via the NCN platform at Purdue University.


 

 

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