Semiconductor Electronics

Classifications of semiconductors. Carrier transport phenomena. Carrier generation and recombination.

The pn junction diode: ideal and nonideal current-voltage relationship, small-signal model of the pn junction, junction breakdown, diode transients. Special diode types: the tunnel diode, the Schottky barrier diode, hetero-junction diode. Examples of the use of diodes.

The bipolar transistor: current-voltage relationship, the modes of operation, amplification with bipolar transistors, equivalent circuit models, frequency limitations, large-signal switching, basic single-stage amplifier configurations, basic logic inverter.

The JFET and the MOSFET, current-voltage relationship, small-signal equivalent circuit, basic configurations of single-stage amplifiers, the CMOS digital logic inverter.

Semiconductor power devices: pnpn diode, diac, thyristor, triac, IGBT.

Optical devices: optical absorption, light emitting diodes, laser diodes, photodetectors: photoconductor, photodiode, pin photodiode, avalanche photodiode, phototransistor, solar cells.

Nanoelectronics and nanotechnology: basic definitions, trends in the field of nanoelectronics, nanoconductors, transport properties of semiconductor nanostructures, nanodevices.

To comprehend structures, basic principles of operation and properties of semiconductor devices and present the main purposes of applications on examples of basic configurations. Knowledge of semiconductor devices is important for the understanding of the analog and digital electronics, power electronics, optoelectronics, photonics and emerging nanoelectronics.

The lectures provide a theoretical background on particular subjects, practical examples are presented at auditory practise. Practical work is being performed in the laboratory environment.