In this volume I attempt to present concisely the physical principles underlying the operation and performance characteristics of the class of semiconductor p-n-p-n switches known as thyristors. The semiconductor controlled rectifier (SCR), the triode AC switch (Triac) the gate turn-off switch (GTO), and the reverse conducting thyristor (RCT) are some of the most important devices belonging to this device family. This book is aimed both at semiconductor-device physicists, designers, and students and at those electronic circuit designers who wish to apply thyristors creatively without the limitation of con sidering them as "black boxes," described only by insufficiently understood electrical ratings. The book endeavors to present an up-to-date account of the progress made in understanding the operation, potentialities, and limitations of thyristors as switching circuit elements. It assumes some basic knowledge of transistor physics and stresses the phe nomenological aspects of thyristor theory with the use of mathe matics not going beyond calculus and differential equations. The first two chapters discuss basic thyristor operation theory. The sub sequent chapters are devoted to the study of the static and dynamic properties of the SCR, the RCT, the GTO, and the triac; they in clude discussions of forward voltage drops, maximum voltage blocking capabilities, turn-on and turn-off transients, current and voltage rise rates, and desirable and undesirable triggering effects.

Fundamentals of Power Semiconductor Devices provides an in-depth treatment of the physics of operation of power semiconductor devices that are commonly used by the power electronics industry. Analytical models for explaining the operation of all power semiconductor devices are shown. The treatment here focuses on silicon devices but includes the unique attributes and design requirements for emerging silicon carbide devices. The book will appeal to practicing engineers in the power semiconductor device community.

Handbook of Physics is a veritable toolbox for rapid access to a wealth of physics information for everyday use in problem solving, homework, and examinations. This complete reference includes not only the fundamental formulas of physics but also experimental methods used in practice.

The new edition of the most detailed and comprehensive single-volume reference on major semiconductor devices The Fourth Edition of Physics of Semiconductor Devices remains the standard reference work on the fundamental physics and operational characteristics of all major bipolar, unipolar, special microwave, and optoelectronic devices. This fully updated and expanded edition includes approximately 1,000 references to original research papers and review articles, more than 650 high-quality technical illustrations, and over two dozen tables of material parameters. Divided into five parts, the text first provides a summary of semiconductor properties, covering energy band, carrier concentration, and transport properties. The second part surveys the basic building blocks of semiconductor devices, including p-n junctions, metal-semiconductor contacts, and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. Part III examines bipolar transistors, MOSFETs (MOS field-effect transistors), and other field-effect transistors such as JFETs (junction field-effect-transistors) and MESFETs (metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors). Part IV focuses on negative-resistance and power devices. The book concludes with coverage of photonic devices and sensors, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), solar cells, and various photodetectors and semiconductor sensors. This classic volume, the standard textbook and reference in the field of semiconductor devices: Provides the practical foundation necessary for understanding the devices currently in use and evaluating the performance and limitations of future devices Offers completely updated and revised information that reflects advances in device concepts, performance, and application Features discussions of topics of contemporary interest, such as applications of photonic devices that convert optical energy to electric energy Includes numerous problem sets, real-world examples, tables, figures, and illustrations; several useful appendices; and a detailed solutions manual for Instructor's only Explores new work on leading-edge technologies such as MODFETs, resonant-tunneling diodes, quantum-cascade lasers, single-electron transistors, real-space-transfer devices, and MOS-controlled thyristors Physics of Semiconductor Devices, Fourth Edition is an indispensable resource for design engineers, research scientists, industrial and electronics engineering managers, and graduate students in the field.

The past three decades have been a period where useful current and voltage instabilities in solids have progressed from exciting research problems to a wide variety of commercially available devices. Materials and electronics research has led to devices such as the tunnel (Esaki) diode, transferred electron (Gunn) diode, avalanche diodes, real-space transfer devices, and the like. These structures have proven to be very important in the generation, amplification, switching, and processing of microwave signals up to frequencies exceeding 100 GHz. In this treatise we focus on a detailed theoretical understanding of devices of the kind that can be made unstable against circuit oscillations, large amplitude switching events, and in some cases, internal rearrangement of the electric field or current density distribution. The book is aimed at the semiconductor device physicist, engineer, and graduate student. A knowledge of solid state physics on an elementary or introductory level is assumed. Furthermore, we have geared the book to device engineers and physicists desirous of obtaining an understanding substantially deeper than that associated with a small signal equivalent circuit approach. We focus on both analytical and numerical treatment of specific device problems, concerning ourselves with the mechanism that determines the constitutive relation governing the device, the boundary conditions (contact effects), and the effect of the local circuit environment.

For some time there has been a need for a semiconductor device book that carries diode and transistor theory beyond an introductory level and yet has space to touch on a wider range of semiconductor device principles and applica tions. Such topics are covered in specialized monographs numbering many hun dreds, but the voluminous nature of this literature limits access for students. This book is the outcome of attempts to develop a broad course on devices and integrated electronics for university students at about senior-year level. The edu cational prerequisites are an introductory course in semiconductor junction and transistor concepts, and a course on analog and digital circuits that has intro duced the concepts of rectification, amplification, oscillators, modulation and logic and SWitching circuits. The book should also be of value to professional engineers and physicists because of both, the information included and the de tailed guide to the literature given by the references. The aim has been to bring some measure of order into the subject area examined and to provide a basic structure from which teachers may develop themes that are of most interest to students and themselves. Semiconductor devices and integrated circuits are reviewed and fundamental factors that control power levels, frequency, speed, size and cost are discussed. The text also briefly mentions how devices are used and presents circuits and comments on representative applications. Thus, the book seeks a balance be tween the extremes of device physics and circuit design.