Aims & Learning Objectives:
To introduce students to the electrical properties of semiconductor materials, based on atomic and crystal structure. To develop the behaviour of electronic components formed from the semiconductor materials and to provide the design techniques for incorporating these devices into electronic circuits. At the end of this unit students should be able to understand and explain the basis of electrical conduction in materials and devices and use this to explain the circuit behaviour of semiconductor devices; to be able to design simple practical circuits based on these devices, such as BJT and FET amplifiers.
Content:
Atomic theory: atoms, crystals, energy band structure and diagrams, electrical conduction in solids. Semiconductors: intrinsic, p & n type doping, extrinsic semiconductors, conduction processes (drift and diffusion). Devices: p-n junctions, metal-semiconductor junctions, bipolar junction transistors, field effect transistors, p-n-p-n devices. Circuits: CE and CS amplifiers; biasing, load line and the Q-point and its stability; other amplifiers configurations. General principles of amplification: small signal equivalent circuits and frequency response. Operational amplifier characteristics, bandwidth, slew rate and compensation.
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