Semiconductor electronics

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The semiconductor electronics is the part of the electronics , which is generally in the development, manufacture and use of electronic devices based on semiconductors employed. It is the successor to tube electronics .

In semiconductor devices, is utilized, among other things, that the charge carrier distribution of electrons and holes can be influenced (holes) in response to electrical currents and voltages. By combining differently and differently doped areas in a semiconductor and a corresponding control, electrical currents can be switched in a targeted manner without moving mechanical parts (see relay ).

Since its beginnings in the first half of the 20th century, the main task of semiconductor electronics has therefore been the development and application of semiconductor components such as semiconductor diodes , transistors and thyristors . This initially took place in the form of individual (discrete) components which were then joined together using printed circuit boards to form electronic circuits . Later, from the beginning of the 1970s, many of these individual components were manufactured simultaneously on a single crystal semiconductor ; these first integrated circuits (ICs) were the starting shot for microelectronics , which is currently the largest sub-area of ​​semiconductor electronics. In addition to microelectronics, photovoltaics is another important application area for semiconductors and semiconductor components.

Semiconductor electronics are closely related to acoustoelectronics , magnetoelectronics and, above all, optoelectronics .

literature

  • Rudolf Müller, Doris Schmitt-Landsiedel: Semiconductor electronics: Fundamentals and components . Springer, 2002, ISBN 3-540-63878-4 .