From the course: Electronics Foundations: Semiconductor Devices

Understanding semiconductor devices

From the course: Electronics Foundations: Semiconductor Devices

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Understanding semiconductor devices

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- Circuits built with basic electronic components, like resistors, capacitors, and inductors, can do a lot of things, but they can't do it all. What if you need to amplify a small signal to make it larger, or want to use a low-powered device, like a microcontroller, to control a high-powered motor? To do those things, you'll need to use a special type of component called a semiconductor. In this course, I'll show you how to build circuits using three of the most common types of semiconductor components: diodes, transistors, and operational amplifiers. I'll show you how to use diodes to control the direction that current flows through a circuit so you can convert alternating current into direct current and protect your circuits from being damaged by unwanted current that's too big or flowing in the wrong direction. You'll see how transistors can be used to control the amount of current flowing through a circuit, to create electrically controlled switches and amplify signals. And I'll look at the differences between two of the most common types of transistors: BJTs and MOSFETs, so you'll know when it's best to use each one. Finally, I'll show you how to use an operational amplifier, or op-amp, which is a handy little component for a wide range of tasks. I'll use op-amps to compare signals, buffer signals, amplify signals, filter signals, and combine signals. I'm Barron Stone, and I'm an electrical engineer who likes to keep things as simple as possible. If you're ready to start, grab a handful of transistors, and let's control some current.

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