Lecture

Diodes and Transistors: Principles and Characteristics

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In course

MICRO-312: Physics of semiconductors devices

Les étudiants savent expliquer la physique des composants semiconducteurs, tels que diodes, transistors et composants MOS. Ils les utilisent dans des circuits électroniques fondamentaux tels qu'inverseurs et ampli. ...

Description

This lecture covers the principles and characteristics of diodes and transistors, focusing on the N+/P- diode and Schottky diode configurations. The instructor explains the energy levels and conduction mechanisms in these devices, detailing how to achieve desired conductivity by applying specific voltages. The discussion includes the depletion region's behavior in N+ and P- materials, as well as the impact of the Early effect on transistor operation. The lecture also addresses the construction and functionality of bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and G-FETs, emphasizing the importance of biasing and the relationship between collector and base currents. The instructor illustrates the differences in current flow and voltage characteristics between various diode types, including the Schottky diode, and explains the significance of the saturation point in G-FETs. Overall, the lecture provides a comprehensive overview of semiconductor devices, their operational principles, and their applications in electronic circuits.

Instructor

Pierre-André Besse

Teaching & PhD Past EPFL PhD Students Klaus Ehrmann Courses La science quantique : une vision singulière MICRO-444 Students understand the characteristics of quantum science. They master the formalism and use it in basic quantum systems: quantum wells, wires, dots or qubits. Physics of semiconductors devices MICRO-312 The students are able to explain the physics of semiconductor devices like diodes, transistors, and MOS devices. They use such devices in fundamental electroni

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Condensed matter physics: Solid-state physics

Related concepts (32)

Field-effect transistor

The field-effect transistor (FET) is a type of transistor that uses an electric field to control the flow of current in a semiconductor. FETs (JFETs or MOSFETs) are devices with three terminals: source, gate, and drain. FETs control the flow of current by the application of a voltage to the gate, which in turn alters the conductivity between the drain and source. FETs are also known as unipolar transistors since they involve single-carrier-type operation.

Transistor

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electrical signals and power. It is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semiconductor material, usually with at least three terminals for connection to an electronic circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals controls the current through another pair of terminals. Because the controlled (output) power can be higher than the controlling (input) power, a transistor can amplify a signal.

Bipolar junction transistor

A bipolar junction transistor (BJT) is a type of transistor that uses both electrons and electron holes as charge carriers. In contrast, a unipolar transistor, such as a field-effect transistor (FET), uses only one kind of charge carrier. A bipolar transistor allows a small current injected at one of its terminals to control a much larger current flowing between the terminals, making the device capable of amplification or switching. BJTs use two p–n junctions between two semiconductor types, n-type and p-type, which are regions in a single crystal of material.

History of the transistor

A transistor is a semiconductor device with at least three terminals for connection to an electric circuit. In the common case, the third terminal controls the flow of current between the other two terminals. This can be used for amplification, as in the case of a radio receiver, or for rapid switching, as in the case of digital circuits. The transistor replaced the vacuum-tube triode, also called a (thermionic) valve, which was much larger in size and used significantly more power to operate.

Point-contact transistor

The point-contact transistor was the first type of transistor to be successfully demonstrated. It was developed by research scientists John Bardeen and Walter Brattain at Bell Laboratories in December 1947. They worked in a group led by physicist William Shockley. The group had been working together on experiments and theories of electric field effects in solid state materials, with the aim of replacing vacuum tubes with a smaller device that consumed less power.

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Breakdown Voltage in NPN Transistors: Analysis and Examples

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