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Introduction to Solid State Semiconductors
A.
Bhatia
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 Attained
At the conclusion of this course, the reader will:
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Understand the
fundamental concepts of semiconductors and learn application of modern physics
to solid materials.
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State, in terms of
energy bands, the differences between a conductor, an insulator, and a
semiconductor.
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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.
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Explain the electron and
the hole flow theory in semiconductors
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Understand how the
semiconductor is affected by doping.
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Define the term "diode"
and give a brief description of its construction and operation.
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Explain how the diode
can be used as a half-wave rectifier and as a switch.
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Identify the diode by
its symbology, alphanumerical designation, and color code.
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List the precautions
that must be taken when working with diodes and describe the different ways to
test them.
Course
Click on the following PDF attachment and review the document
prior to taking
a quiz for credit.
Semiconductors (400 KB)
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