From the course: The Challenge of Scale: Semiconductor Innovation and Manufacturing
Join today to access over 25,300 courses taught by industry experts.
Common types of semiconductors
From the course: The Challenge of Scale: Semiconductor Innovation and Manufacturing
Common types of semiconductors
(gentle music) - [Instructor] The simplest and most common semiconductor device is a diode which allows current to flow in one direction, but not in the other. The charges redistribute themselves due to the abrupt difference in concentration of electrons and holes at the interface of the N and P type materials. This creates a region at the PN interface with an electric field from positive to negative charged regions, which creates this one directional flow for any free carriers that enter the depleted zone. PN diodes like this are used in many types of circuits, which connect different electrical building blocks together to perform some function. A notable example is in solar cells where light shining on the diode kicks up extra free charges, which quickly get ushered out of the diode with this one directional flow, creating current from light. Another great example is the light emitting diode or LED, where specially chosen semiconductor materials create light from current flowing…
Practice while you learn with exercise files
Download the files the instructor uses to teach the course. Follow along and learn by watching, listening and practicing.
Download courses and learn on the go
Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.