Introduction to Semiconductors

We are going to have a quick discussion of the two classifications of semiconductors, which will help us understand the basics of semiconductors better.

Before semiconductor devices existed, vacuum tubes were the only devices available for signal amplification, switching, and other applications. Though vacuum tubes are functional, ...

If we recall some basic topics in chemistry, we’ll remember that all atoms consist of neutrons, protons, and electrons, except for a normal hydrogen atom which doesn’t have a ...

I have to admit, I’m biased. I think LEDs are awesome. But, really, the reason I’m biased and love them so much is because they’re just so cool. I’ve found that as I replaced the ...

In our previous tutorials, we’ve discussed the basics of semiconductors, band gap, current carriers, and its classification. We learned that in order for a semiconductor material ...

In our discussion with the pn junction, we mentioned that the pn junction is the basis for diodes. Diodes are one of the most widely used devices in electronics and they have the ...

We took apart two LED lightbulbs, a CREE LED bulb from 2014 and a Philips bulb from 2018, and compared their build quality, the electronics, and their overall design. It was ...

Have you ever asked yourself how this small electronic device, an LED, emits light? Compared to the much less efficient incandescent light bulb, which produces light by converting ...

The last time we discussed diodes, we learned about its basic structure and how forward biasing allows current through the pn junction. This time, we are going to discuss about ...

A transistor is an electronic device that can be used as an amplifier or as an electronic switch. Its ability to amplify a signal or to switch high power loads using a small ...

We use a lot of different components in our electronics devices but diodes are usually the first non-linear component people use in a circuit. Whether it’s because they’re turning ...

So we've learned about diodes in previous tutorials. But today we're going to be solving circuits with diodes and then we're going to be finding what the quiescent or Q-point is ...

In our previous topics relating to diodes, we’ve discussed the operation of a Zener diode as well as its important specifications. We’ve learned that a Zener diode is a ...

So we have gone over Zener diodes, how they work and some of the concepts - how they're used in voltage regulation, we've gone over it conceptually, gone over it mathematically, ...

MOSFETs are Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors. MOSFETs act like switches by varying the voltage on one terminal, the gate, changing the resistance between the ...