Electronic Circuits - Part1: Semiconductors

This course covers all the fundamentals of the physical characteristics of semiconductor materials with a focus on a PN junction diode. Semiconductors are the building blocks of every complex integrated circuit and understanding properties of these materials is essential before an engineer can start a circuit design. This course is based on animation, to strengthen viewers understanding of the physical concepts. Problem solving using MATLAB is also described throughout the course.

The course starts with an introduction to electronics at the first chapter, followed by an introduction to various solid structurs such as simple cubic, base centered cubic, face centered cubic and diamond structures in the second chapter. Later on, students will get familiar with atom structure, periodic table, ions and stable atoms. In the next chapters boding in solids, and the concept of generation and recombination is discussed.

In chapter 5, different types of semiconductors (intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors), and the concept of energy levels are discussed.

And finally, in chapters 6 and 7, the conduction process in semiconductors (drift and diffusion currents), the PN junction, and the physical characteristics of the PN junction is discussed.

At the end of this course, you will be able to understand different types of semiconductors, such as intrinsic and extrinsic (P-Type and N-Type), electrical conduction mechanism, and also the current-voltage characteristics of semiconductor materials.