Overview
Solid state is an electrical term that refers to electronic circuitry that is built entirely out of semiconductors. A semiconductor is a solid whose electrical conductivity is somewhat between good conductors and insulators.
Why are semiconductors so special?
Almost all electronics that we have today are built around semiconductors. These are special because we can very easily control how current passes through them. We don't have that option with metal conductors since metal conducts electricity under almost any condition. Because of this, semiconductors are ideal for the construction of microprocessors, computer chips or memory chips, which consists of millions of transistors packed onto a tiny piece of silicon.
Semiconductors can be made of a single material or a combination of several different materials. In early semiconductor devices, germanium was often used. However in today's semiconductor industry, silicon is commonly used.
To understand the principles of semiconductors, it is good to first understand the basics of atoms and energy levels within atoms. So that's where we're going to start. This 5-hour course provides a basic understanding of the physical concepts needed to understand the principles of semiconductors. The course is based entirely on Naval Education and Training Materials (NAVEDTRA 14178), Electricity and Electronic Training Series; Module-7 and covers Chapter 1 titled "Semiconductor Diodes".
The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-five (25) questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Understand the fundamental concepts of semiconductors and learn application of modern physics to solid materials.
- State, in terms of energy bands, the differences between a conductor, an insulator, and a semiconductor.
- Understand the atomic structure of semiconductors and explain the concepts of energy bands, energy band gaps and the density of states in an energy band.
- Explain the electron and the hole flow theory in semiconductors
- Understand how the semiconductor is affected by doping.
- Define the term "diode" and give a brief description of its construction and operation.
- Explain how the diode can be used as a half-wave rectifier and as a switch.
- Identify the diode by its symbology, alphanumerical designation, and color code.
- List the precautions that must be taken when working with diodes and describe the different ways to test them.
Course
Click on the following link to the PDF document to review the course material before taking the quiz for credit.
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