Semiconductor Electronics

An Introduction

Jurusan Teknik Industri

2017
Conductor, Insulator, Semiconductor
 Conductor (electrical): materials that have a low value of
resistivity allowing them to easily pass an electrical current
due to there being plenty of free electrons floating about
within their basic atom structure

 Insulator (electrical): the exact opposite of conductors

 Semiconductor: materials that have electrical properties

between those of a "Conductor" and an "Insulator".
However by some specific conditions, they have properties
of a conductor, and by some other specific conditions, they
have properties of an insulator.
Electric Circuit vs. Electronic Circuit
 Electric circuits are connections of
conductive wires and other devices
whereby the uniform flow of electrons
occurs.
 Electronic circuits add a new dimension
to electric circuits in that some means of
control is exerted over the flow of
electrons by another electrical signal,
either a voltage or a current.

<www.allaboutcircuits.com>
Passive vs. Active Devices
 Active device: any type of circuit component with
the ability to electrically control electron flow
(electricity controlling electricity).
 Passive devices: component incapable of
controlling current by means of another electrical
signal.
 Examples of passive devices: resistors,
capacitors, inductors, transformers, and diodes.
 Examples of active devices: vacuum tubes,
transistors, thyristors.
 In order for a circuit to be properly called
electronic, it must contain at least one active
device.
Vacuum tubes
 Vacuum tubes were widely used as active components before
semiconductor era.

Tubes inside an old (1950s) computer

Tubes inside a modern guitar amplifier

Diode
Diode V vs. I Characteristic Curve
Diode and Check Valve Analogy

Diode: Electron flow (from [-] to [+])

Check valve: Fluid flow
Forward vs. Reversed Biased
Forward vs. Reversed Biased

R
R

Forward Biased: Reversed Biased:

I = 5.3 V / R I=0
Half-Wave Rectifier
Half-Wave Rectifier with Smoothing
Capacitor
Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier

AC Input DC Output

Positive Half Cycle Negative Half Cycle

Full-Wave Rectifier with Smoothing
Capacitor
Inductive Kickback

a. When switch (push button) is open, no current flow

b. When switch is pushed and closed, current flows (electrons flow
from [-] to [+])
c. When switch is opened after closed, the inductor will create very
high voltage suddenly (remember, in inductor: V(t) = L di/dt).
This may cause electric arc in the switch or may damage the
battery or other components.
Flyback of Freewheeling Diode

Diode is used as a flyback diode or freewheeling diode to

protect other components in the circuit from inductive
kickback.
Other diode
Light Emitting Diode (LED):
functions as a light source with a very
small current (power)

Photodiode: in reverse biased, it blocks

current when dark, but as light is present
it will permit current to flow  functions
as a light sensor

Zener diode: a type of diode that allows

current to flow in reverse biased when
the reverse voltage is more than specific
value  functions as a voltage regulator
Transistor:
Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

PNP Type NPN Type

B= Base, C = Collector, E = Emitter

Functions of transistor:
1. Current amplifier: controlling large current by
small current.
2. Electronic switch: creating on/off of an electric
circuit
BJT as An Amplifier

b and a is the amplifying

characteristics of a transistor.
They are in the specification of
a transistor.
BJT as A Switch
Sometimes we need to switch a circuit without using a
mechanical switch. The mechanism of switching, usually, is not
manual, but in an automated system, for example: A light (dark)
sensor is used to switch-on a lamp. In this case the sensor is
solar cell which generate low voltage and low current. But the
lamp requires higher voltage and higher current.

Source: <www.allaboutcircuits.com>
BJT Common Emitter Circuit

 If VBE < 0.6 V then IB = 0 and IC = 0. This is cutoff condition.

 As VBE is about 0.6 V the transistor begins to conduct. IC begin to flow and
proportional to IB (IC = bIB). This is active condition, and used for current
amplification purpose.
 As IB is further increased, VBE slowly increases to 0.7 V, but IC rises
exponentially, and VCE decreases toward its minimum value near zero (about
0.2 V). In this condition, IC is only determined by RC and not proportional to
IB. This is saturation condition

When designing a transistor switch, we need to guarantee that the transistor

is in cutoff condition when switching-off, and in saturation condition
when switching-on.
BJT as A Switch Example
 Problem:
A transistor (type number 2N3904) is
used to switching. The specification is:
 b = 100

 VCE in saturation = 0.2 V

Consider the following figure.

Determine the Vin necessary to
guarantee that the transistor is in
saturation when switching-on!

 Answer:
When the transistor is in saturation: IC = (10 V – 0.2 V)/1 kW = 9.8 mA
b = 100  IB must be at least IC/100 = 0.098 mA.
VBE = 0.7 V  IB = 0.098 mA = (Vin – 0.7 V) / 10 kW
Then Vin = 0.098 mA x 10 kW + 0.7 V = 1.68 V
This is the minimum value of Vin. In practice we should use a larger
voltage than this, e.g. 3 V or 5 V.
BJT as A Switch Example
 Output from a pin of printer-port has either 0 V or 5 V. Maximum
output current is 5 mA. It will be used to switch-on and off a LED
(see following figure). The LED requires 20 – 40 mA to provide a
bright display and has a 2V voltage drop when forward biased.
Design the transistor switch (use the transistor type 2N3904 like
the former example)!
The pin output (0 V
 ANSWER: or 5 V) is enough to
Design of the circuit: set the transistor to
cutoff or saturation
(see former example)
We need to
determine RL so that
the current is within
LED operation range,
and RP so that the
current is not
exceeding the
maximum pin current
BJT as A Switch Example
(Continued…..)

When the transistor switches-on (VCE = 0.2 V,

VLED = 2 V, VBE = 0.7 V),
current in LED (IC) should be:
20 mA < IC < 40 mA
current in ouput pin (IB) should be: IB< 5 mA

Hence RL min = (9 V – 0.2 V – 2 V) / 40 mA = 170 W

and RL max = (9 V – 0.2 V – 2 V) / 20 mA = 340 W
Therefore, RL value of, for example, 250 W is sufficient.

RP must limit current so that when output is 5 V the IB < 5 mA.

Hence RP > (5 V – 0.7 V) / 5 mA = 860 W. Therefore, RP value of, for example,
1 kW or 2 kW is sufficient. Notice, that RP value should not be too much high,
so that the transistor failed to switch-on.
BJT as A Switch Example
 Remember to apply flyback (freewheeling) diode
if the load to switch-on and off has inductive
(coil) elements. Otherwise, the inductive kickback
may destroy the transistor.
Field-Effect Transistor (FET)
 FET is alternative to BJT. While BJT controls output current by
input current, FET controls output current by input voltage.
 Type varieties of FET:
 Junction FET (JFET)
 Metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET)
 Depletion-mode MOSFET
 Enhancement-mode MOSFET

G = Gate
D = Drain
S = Source
Other type of transistor
 Darlington-pair transistor:
similar as regular transistor but
with higher output current, as
multiple transistor is used

 Phototransistor: used as a
light sensor

 Pair of a phototransistor and a

LED can be used for an
Optoisolator or Optocoupler
Thyristor
 Thyristor is semiconductor devices used for
advanced switching circuit.
 Example of thyristors are silicon-controlled
rectifier (SCR) and TRIAC.

Symbol of SCR Symbol of TRIAC