Electronics Introduction

Introduction to Electronics

• Electronics is the branch of science that deals with the study of flow and control of electrons (electricity) and their behavior and effects in vacuums, gases, and semiconductors.
• It involves the development and application of devices and systems involving the flow of electrons or other carriers of electric charge.

Evolution of Electronics

• Electronics has evolved from gas-state to solid-state.

Semiconductor Devices

• Semiconductor devices can have 2-layers, 3-layers, 4-layers, and Integrated Circuits (ICs).

Atomic Theory

• 1 proton is equal to 1836 electrons.
• The atomic mass (mA) is equal to the sum of the mass of electrons (me), protons (mp), and neutrons (mn).
• The atomic number is equal to the number of protons.

Bohr's Model

• Atoms have a planetary type of structure that consists of a central nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons.
• Example: Copper (29) has a planetary type of structure.

Valence Electron and Crystalline Structure

• Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom.
• Crystalline structure is formed by covalent bonding, which is the sharing of electrons.

Categories of Materials

• Materials can be classified based on their energy gap (Eg), which can be approximately 0 eV, 5 eV, or 1 eV.

Ionization and Recombination

• At absolute zero temperature, there are no free electrons.
• Ionization is the process of losing (or gaining) a valence electron.
• Recombination occurs when a conduction band electron loses energy and falls back into a hole in the valence band.

Semiconductor Materials

• GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) is 5 times faster than Si (Silicon) and 2 times faster than Ge (Germanium).

Doping

• Doping is the intentional introduction of impurities into an intrinsic semiconductor to modulate its electrical, optical, and structural properties.
• The doped material is referred to as an extrinsic semiconductor.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Materials

• Intrinsic materials are pure semiconductors without impurities.
• Extrinsic materials are semiconductors with impurities introduced intentionally.

PN Device (Diode)

• A PN device, also known as a diode, is a type of semiconductor device.
• It can be operated at instant and at room temperature.

Assessment

• Multiple choice questions to assess understanding of semiconductor behavior, resistance, charge carriers, and doping.