ECE 331Electronic Devices
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Review of band theory and doped semiconductors in thermal equilibrium, charge neutrality, mass action law, recombination and transport mechanisms, Boltzmann relations. Device theory and modelling of p-n junction diode and derivation of dc and ac characteristics, charge storage effects. Principles, device theory, and modelling of metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), and the derivation of threshold voltage, dc current characteristics, small signal ac models. Principles of bipolar transistor and derivation of dc and ac terminal characteristics, equivalent circuits.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- ECE109 - Materials Chemistry for Engineers (0.25)
- Students must be in level 3B or higher
- Enrolled in H-Computer Engineering, or H-Electrical Engineering
- Must have completed the following:
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 5095 | 69 / 78 | MF 11:30–12:50 Sep 10 16:00–17:20 Oct 1 16:00–17:20 Oct 29 16:00–17:20 Nov 19 16:00–17:20 |
| LAB 201 | 5097 | 26 / 26 | M 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 202 | 5098 | 20 / 26 | W 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 203 | 5151 | 23 / 26 | F 08:30–11:20 |
| TUT 101 | 5096 | 69 / 78 | M 20:00–20:50 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
47% liked it48% easy53% useful
From 34 ratings and 6 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Lowkey a cool course. Make sure that you understand every concept thoroughly though.
Oct 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Pre-midterm the course is mostly a review of ECE231 with some extra content. Post midterm the course goes into the fabrication side involving topics such as photolithography, dosing and etching and is quite interesting. You are learning the full details of what you are seeing the lab. The inlab is pretty much the full process of going from a silicon wafer to having made Mosfets and Diodes however the in lab is mostly just watching what happens and has little actual hands-on parts. This may change in the future but that is how it was when I took it Fall 2023
Feb 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
I like Wong, he's an engaging prof. The lab instructor Bahareh is ok
Jul 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
unbearably uninteresting
Aug 2017 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Almost half the course was a repeat/build-up of material covered in ECE 209. I found the rest of it quite boring
Aug 2016 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
25 posts and comments in 23 threads mention ECE 331, November 2015 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Spring 2023
ECE 3B TEs 9 points, 8 comments
u/NFLYoungGuy: “… There are also other things in the 3rd TE list: “One of ECE 313, ECE 320, ECE 331, ECE 351, ECE 356, ECE 358, ECE 360, ECE 373” The dilemma rn is between: databases -> easier content wise (for me at least) vs architechure -> more challenging but no paul ward. …”
Spring 2021
ECE 231 advice 1 point, 3 comments
“There isn't anything on uwflow.com or on this sub. Thinking of taking it as an elective but don't want my ass wrecked. Any advice?”
u/Plane_Razzmatazz_143: “So I am from the old curriculum where we had ECE 209 and ECE 331 as the two foundational semiconductors course. Based on the description for 231, it seems like a blend of 209 and 331. I had Prof Wong for 209 and he was meh at best. …”
Spring 2020
ECE331 overlaps with other semiconductor courses? 3 points, 5 comments
u/prospectiveNTU: “I'm planning which EE courses to take in 3rd and 4th year and it seems like ECE331 overlaps across many of the courses I'm planning to take. …”
u/Frozen-Penis: “… and not physics courses for the most part) so I wouldn't really say they would make ECE 331 redundant, but also at the same part you don't really need ECE 331 for them”
lets compile a list of ez pz bird courses for this term 12 points, 16 comments
u/Frozen-Penis: “ECE 331”
Spring 2019
Final grades for GENE 123 3 points, 6 comments
“Selva section. There is still nothing on Quest??”
[deleted]: “Lmao im having Selva for ECE331, still waiting on grades too. Regardless, Selva is the ECE Santa we all need and bless that man”
Unpopular Opinion: ECE 4A is 10x harder than ECE 2A ever was. 24 points, 11 comments
“fuck my life”
u/Oldshantster: “What courses did you take?”
u/Frozen-Penis: “I found it easy because I was in control of the courses I took. Other than maybe one course, I was pretty interested in what I took in 4th year so it was easy to be engaged. The courses I found the hardest in ECE are the ones I had 0 interest in (examples: ECE 331 and ECE 390).”
What’s the first class you did bad in or failed? Why? What should you have done differently? 26 points, 60 comments
u/Frozen-Penis: “ECE 331, not super difficult as far as ECE courses go, but the content was too dry to study and the prof was pretty bad too”
Winter 2019
How do you even study for ECE 331 lmao? 5 points, 2 comments
u/guywhoknowsnoguys: “Title, ty Edit: Meant for the final”
ECE 3A, What to watch out for? 6 points, 6 comments
u/CheckOutMyCat: “… Amir H Majedi ECE 331 (Electronic Devices) - Prof. Chettypalayam R Selvakumar TIA!! …”
Anyone taken ECE 3A have tips and suggestions for survival? 3 points, 7 comments
u/guywhoknowsnoguys: “Pretty much the title - looking at course specific suggestions. ECE 375 \- Electromagnetic Fields and Waves ECE 316 \- Probability Theory and Statistics ECE 380 \- Analog Control Systems ECE 331 \- Electronic Devices TYSM!! :) :)”
u/bromdenki: “… ECE 331 is an absolute torture to get through. Just memorize how things are made and you should be good. …”
Fall 2018
MacLeans: 'What if the Toronto-Waterloo corridor really becomes the next Silicon Valley?' 40 points, 24 comments
[deleted]: “IN a way I don't really care what happens, but I think it would be sad for any area on earth to become another silicon valley. …”
u/Frozen-Penis: “ece 331 was a gay course”
ECE 375 and 331 notes/ textbooks 0 points, 3 comments
u/Annnnnnnnnne: “For anyone who was taken ECE 375 and 331, can you send me the notes? I heard both courses are hard. I am trying to find the notes and textbooks to study ahead. (there is nothing online :() Thanks!”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them