Course detail

Electronic Devices

FEKT-BPC-ESOAcad. year: 2025/2026

Semiconductors physics. PN-junction. Semiconductor Diode. Bipolar junction transistors. Field effect transistors. Power electronic devices - thyristor, TRIAC, DIAC, IGBT transistor. Optoelectronic devices. Passive components.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

4

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

prof. Ing. Jaroslav Boušek, CSc.

Department

Department of Microelectronics (UMEL)

Entry knowledge

The subject knowledge on the secondary school level is required.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Numerical exercises, TEST 1 - 15 points; minimum 8 points.
Numerical exercises, TEST 2 - 15 points; point limit not set
Final exam - 70 points; minimum 35 points.


Laboratory practicum. Numerical practicum.

Aims

The knowledge about electronic devices acquirement.
Based on the verification of the student's knowledge and skills in seminars, laboratory work and in the written exam, after completing the course the student is able to:

Describe in detail the mechanisms that affect the PN junction at steady state and in forward and reverse polarization.
Define the barrier and diffusion capacitance of the PN junction.
Define the meaning of Shockley ideal diode equation and discuss current-voltage-characteristics of diodes including the influence of technological parameters.
Explain the operation of PN junction in following circuits: Rectifier, voltage stabilizer, capacitance diode, photo-diode, light emitting diode (LED) and current controlled differential resistance.
Define and explain breakdown mechanisms of PN junction: Tunnel-breakdown, avalanche-breakdown, thermal- breakdown and surface- breakdown.
Describe the structure of the bipolar transistor and explain its operation.
Design and analyze class-A-amplifier and switch with bipolar transistor.
Explain the principles and application of linear and nonlinear models of bipolar transistor.
Apply simplified linear and non-linear transistor models for the design and analysis of class-A-amplifiers and bipolar transistor switches.
Describe the structure of unipolar transistors JFET and IGFET and explain their operation.
Design and analyze class-A-amplifier and switch with unipolar transistors JFET and IGFET.
Describe the structure of a thyristor and its equivalent circuit and explain its operation.
Describe the structure of the triac and explain its operation.
Explain the mechanism of switch-on-process of triac by means of positive and negative gate-current control.
Define the principle of phase-angel control of power switching devices.
Design and explain typical wiring-diagrams of thyristor and triac.
Describe the mechanisms of interaction of light with matter.
Define the differences between photometric and radiometric quantities.
Explain the mechanisms of photoluminescence and electroluminescence.
Describe the principles of different types of lasers and explain the benefits of their use.
Describe the design of the laser diode and define the conditions for its operation.
Explain the differences between the phototransistor and photodiode and describe their use.
Define parasitic properties of commonly used resistors and explain the impact of used materials and design to formation or suppression of these parasitic properties.
Define parasitic properties of commonly used capacitors and explain the impact of used materials and design to formation or suppression of these parasitic properties.
Define parasitic properties of commonly used inductors and explain the impact of used materials and design to formation or suppression of these parasitic properties.

Study aids

Electronic textbooks (script), PDF-presentation of lectures, video-recording of lectures, working files in e-learning, recommended literature.  

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Boušek J., Kosina P.: Elektronické součástky BESO, laboratorní cvičení, FEKT VUT V BRNĚ, elektronické skriptum
Boušek J., Kosina P., Mojrova B.: Elektronické součástky, FEKT VUT V BRNĚ, elektronické skriptum
Boušek J., Kosina P., Mojrova B.: Elektronické součástky sbírka příkladů, FEKT VUT V BRNĚ, elektronické skriptum
Boylestad R., Nashelsky L. :Electronic devices and Circuit Theory ,Prentice Hall (EN)
Siu Ch.: Electronic Devices, Circuits, and Applications, Springer 2023, ISBN978-3-030-80540-1 (CS)
Záhlava V., Vobecký J.: Elektronika - Součástky a obvody, principy a příklady (3.vydání), GRADA 2005/dotisk 2021 (CS)

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPC-NCP Bachelor's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory
  • Programme BPC-MET Bachelor's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

prof. Ing. Jaroslav Boušek, CSc.

Syllabus

Semiconductors physics. Band diagrams of semiconductors. Intrinsic, p-type, n-type semiconductors, donors, acceptors, electrons and holes. Concentration of carriers in semiconductors. Electrical conductivity of semiconductors, drift current, diffusion current, Generation and recombination of carriers in semiconductors.
Junctions. PN-junction. PN-junction in steady state, depletion layer, built-in voltage. Barrier and diffusion capacitance of PN junction. Band diagram without external voltage and for forward and reverse biased junction . Current-voltage characteristics. Breakdown of PN junction.
Semiconductor Diode. Current-voltage characteristics. Diode as rectifier, reference voltage source, Differential resistance of forward biased diode, diode as voltage controlled resistance and switcher.
Semiconductor Diode. Special types of diode: varicap, varactor, tunnel diode, Schottky diode. Fotodiode. Structure PIN, PIN-diode.
Semiconductor Diode. Technology of semiconductor diode. Typical cuircuits using semiconductor diode. Typical parameters of semiconuctor diodes.
Bipolar junction transistors (BJT). Structure and principle of operation (transistor effect). Current-voltage characteristics of common emitter configuration. Operation modes (active normal, active inverse, saturation, closed).
Bipolar junction transistors (BJT):Linearized small-signal models of bipolar transistors, h-parameters, y-parameters. The first and the second breakdown of the transistor, breakdown characteristics. The limits of transitor operation (safe operating area).
Bipolar junction transistors (BJT):Simple circuits with transistors. DC properties (operating point). Transistor as an amplifier in CE, CB configuration, emitter follower, current transfer, voltage transfer, input and output impedance. Transistor as a switch.
Field effect transistors JFET. MOSFET. Types of transistors: n-channel, p-channel, enhancement type, depletion type. Structure, principle of operation. Linear regime and saturation. Current-voltage characteristics. Transistor as a current source, voltage amplifier, switch and controlled resistance.
Field effect transistors. Linearized small signal low-frequency model. Structure CCD. Field effect transistor as memory bit. MESFET, structure, principle of operation. Power MOSFET: special structures, DMOS, VMOS, HEXFET (parallel integration). IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transitor), structure, equivalent circuit, principle of operation.
Power electronic devices. Silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR, thyristor): structure, equivalent circuit, principle of operation (the thyristor effect), current-voltage characteristics (forward blocking region, forward conduction region, reverse blocking region, reverse avalanche region, forward blocking voltage, holding current). Related devices: Silicon-controlled switch (SCS), Shockley diode): structure, characteristics. DIAC, TRIAC: structure, characteristics.
Optoelectronic devices Materials for light detectors, absorption of light, penetration depth. Photoresistor, photoconductivity. Phototransistor. Light emitting diode. Semiconductor laser.
Vacuum devices. Thermionic emission, vacuum tubes, diode, triode, pentode. Microwave devices - clystron,magnetron. Cathode ray tubes.

Fundamentals seminar

13 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

prof. Ing. Jaroslav Boušek, CSc.

Syllabus

PN-diode: piecewise-linearized characteristics and corresponding equivalent circuit. Simple circuits with diodes in series or parallel configuration.
Differential resistance of forward biased diode, diode as voltage controlled resistance (applied as a switch). Diode as rectifier. Diode with large signal (the waveform of the input and output signal).
Zener diode: characteristics and important parameters, the principle of voltage stabilization, design and calculation of voltage stabilizer (regulator).
Simple circuits with bipolar transistors: DC properties (operating point) - graphical and numerical solution. Simple circuits with JFET and MOSFET: DC properties (operating point) - graphical and numerical solution.
Bipolar transistor as an amplifier, linearized low-frequency small signal equivalent circuit of an amplifier, input and output resistance, voltage and current gain.
Field effect transistor as an amplifier, linearized low frequency small signal equivalent circuit of an amplifier, input and output resistance, voltage gain.
BJT, FET and thyristor as a switch: basic circuits, graphs - driving current or voltage pulses, the output current or voltage as a function of time.