Solid-State Electronic Devices

This book provides a modern and concise treatment of the solid state electronic devices that are fundamental to electronic systems and information technology. Solid state electronic devices are those circuits or devices built completely from solid materials and in which the electrons, or other charge carriers, are kept entirely within the solid material. The term is often used to contrast with the earlier technologies of vacuum and gas-discharge tube devices, and it is also conventional to exclude electro-mechanical devices from the term solid state. While solid-state can include crystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous solids and refer to electrical conductors, insulators and semiconductors, the building material is most often a crystalline semiconductor. The main devices that comprise semiconductor integrated circuits are covered in a clear manner accessible to the wide range of scientific engineering disciplines that are impacted by this technology. This book can expect to derive a solid foundation for understanding modern electronic devices and also be prepared for future developments and advancements in this far-reaching area of science and technology. It presents basic and state-of-the-art topics on materials physics, device physics, and basic circuit building blocks which will be useful to researchers as well as practicing engineers.