Semiconductors for Beginners from edX

The primary goal of the course is to enable learners to understand what semiconductors are and exactly why they are useful to the electronics industry.

We will learn why some materials are insulators and others are conductors, why some materials are transparent and others opaque, and we will learn how electrons move inside materials. The course explores situations where the conductivity of an insulator can be drastically changed, such as the situation inside a bolt of lightning or inside a semiconductor.

Semiconductor physics textbooks are typically highly mathematical, and often rely on a foundation of solid state physics. This course, however, focuses less on mathematics and more on understanding at an intuitive level why materials have the properties that they do. For instance, silicon is a very important material in the modern electronics industry, and by the end of this short course, the reason why silicon is special will be clear.

This course is suitable for a first year university undergraduate student, or an older learner who did not study electrical engineering or materials science. High school-level physics is the assumed background. By the end of the course, learners will understand all of the fundamental terminology used in the semiconductor industry, and will be able to perform basic calculations.

What you'll learn

Students who take this class will be able to explain the following concepts and perform relevant basic calculations:

What causes static electricity? How can insulators be “electrified”?
What is ionization and how can an insulator sometimes become a conductor?
What really happens inside a bolt of lightning?
Why are some materials good conductors of electricity and others poor conductors?
What causes light emission in some materials?
How do gas discharge lamps work?
How can electrons to be emitted from solids?
What factors affect conductivity in a material and how can we calculate it?
What is the bandgap of a semiconductor?
What is doping and how does it affect conductivity?
Why are semiconductors, particularly silicon, so important?
How does a solar cell work?

What's inside

Learning objectives

What causes static electricity? how can insulators be “electrified”?
What is ionization and how can an insulator sometimes become a conductor?
What really happens inside a bolt of lightning?
Why are some materials good conductors of electricity and others poor conductors?
What causes light emission in some materials?
How do gas discharge lamps work?

How can electrons to be emitted from solids?
What factors affect conductivity in a material and how can we calculate it?
What is the bandgap of a semiconductor?
What is doping and how does it affect conductivity?
Why are semiconductors, particularly silicon, so important?
How does a solar cell work?

What causes static electricity? how can insulators be “electrified”?
What is ionization and how can an insulator sometimes become a conductor?
What really happens inside a bolt of lightning?
Why are some materials good conductors of electricity and others poor conductors?
What causes light emission in some materials?
How do gas discharge lamps work?
How can electrons to be emitted from solids?
What factors affect conductivity in a material and how can we calculate it?
What is the bandgap of a semiconductor?
What is doping and how does it affect conductivity?
Why are semiconductors, particularly silicon, so important?
How does a solar cell work?

Syllabus

Section 1: Introduction

Introduction

Section 2: Electrons on the move

Static Electricity

Insulators and Conductors

Electrons in Orbit

Section 3: Electricity and light

Lightning and Sparks

Light

Electricity in Gases

Light from Gases

Electricity in a Vacuum

Section 4: Crystals and Semiconductors

Crystal Lattices

Bandgaps

Semiconductors

Solar Cells

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Introduces the basic concepts of semiconductors, preparing learners to understand more complex topics later

Designed for first year university undergraduate students or older learners with a high school-level physics background, making the material accessible to a broad audience

Focuses on intuitive understanding rather than heavy mathematics, making the content more approachable for learners

Covers a wide range of topics related to semiconductors, from basic concepts to applications like solar cells

Taught by experienced instructors, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the content

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Semiconductors for Beginners with these activities:

Review your notes on semiconductor physics

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Reviewing your notes can help you to refresh your knowledge of semiconductor physics before the course begins.

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Gather your notes on semiconductor physics.
Read through your notes and identify any areas where you need to refresh your knowledge.
Use online resources or textbooks to fill in any gaps in your knowledge.

Practice solving problems on semiconductor physics

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Practicing solving problems can help you to refresh your skills and to prepare for the more challenging problems you will encounter in the course.

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Find practice problems on semiconductor physics online or in textbooks.
Solve the problems and check your answers.
Identify any areas where you need to improve your skills.
Use online resources or textbooks to fill in any gaps in your skills.

Read a book on semiconductor physics

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Reading a book on semiconductor physics can help you to gain a deeper understanding of the subject.

View Semiconductor Physics And Devices: Basic... on Amazon

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Find a book on semiconductor physics that is appropriate for your level.
Read the book and take notes.
Discuss the book with your classmates or the instructor.

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Watch videos on semiconductor physics

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Videos can help you visualize and understand the concepts of semiconductor physics.

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Find videos on semiconductor physics on YouTube or other video platforms.
Watch the videos and take notes.
Discuss the concepts with your classmates or the instructor.

Solve practice problems on semiconductor physics

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Practice problems can help you to apply the concepts of semiconductor physics and to develop your problem-solving skills.

Browse courses on Semiconductor Physics

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Find practice problems on semiconductor physics online or in textbooks.
Solve the problems and check your answers.
Discuss the problems with your classmates or the instructor.

Write a blog post or article on a topic in semiconductor physics

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Writing a blog post or article can help you to deepen your understanding of semiconductor physics and to communicate your knowledge to others.

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Choose a topic in semiconductor physics that you are interested in.
Research the topic and gather information.
Write your blog post or article.
Publish your blog post or article online.
Promote your blog post or article on social media.

Participate in a semiconductor physics competition

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Participating in a semiconductor physics competition can help you to test your knowledge and skills, and to gain experience in presenting your work to others.

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Find a semiconductor physics competition to participate in.
Prepare for the competition by studying and practicing.
Participate in the competition and present your work.
Evaluate your performance and identify areas for improvement.

Contribute to an open-source project on semiconductor physics

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Contributing to an open-source project can help you to gain experience in semiconductor physics, software development, and collaboration.

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Find an open-source project on semiconductor physics that you are interested in.
Join the project and introduce yourself.
Find a task that you can work on and start contributing.
Collaborate with other contributors and learn from their experience.
Share your own knowledge and experience with the community.

Career center

Learners who complete Semiconductors for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Semiconductor Engineer

Semiconductor Engineers research, design, and test semiconductors. You will learn the physics of semiconductors, which will help you understand how semiconductors work. This knowledge will allow you to design and test semiconductors in a variety of applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Semiconductor Engineer

Materials Scientist

Materials Scientists research and develop new materials for a variety of applications. This course will introduce you to the properties of materials, which will help you to develop new materials for semiconductors and other applications. Understanding bandgaps and other semiconductor properties is essential for Materials Scientists who develop new electronics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Materials Scientist

Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of electrical systems. This course will introduce you to the concepts of electricity, which will help you understand the electrical systems that you will be designing. Topics such as static electricity and sparks are especially important for Electrical Engineers who work in power generation and distribution.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electrical Engineer

Optical Physicist

Optical Physicists research and develop new optical devices. This course will introduce you to the principles of optics, which will help you to develop new optical devices for a variety of applications. Topics such as light emission and crystal lattices are essential for Optical Physicists.

See salaries and explore the career path for Optical Physicist

Laser Physicist

Laser Physicists research and develop new lasers. This course will introduce you to the principles of lasers, which will help you to develop new lasers for a variety of applications. Understanding how light interacts with materials is a foundation of Laser Physics and is covered in this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Laser Physicist

Solar Cell Engineer

Solar Cell Engineers design, develop, and test solar cells. This course will introduce you to the principles of solar cells, which will help you to design and test solar cells for a variety of applications. Understanding how solar cells work will give you a foundation as a Solar Cell Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Solar Cell Engineer

Physicist

Physicists research and develop new theories and technologies in physics. This course will introduce you to the principles of physics, which will help you to develop new theories and technologies in a variety of fields. This course would be especially helpful for Physicists who are interested in condensed matter physics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Physicist

Electronics Engineer

Electronics Engineers design, develop, and test electronic devices. This course may be useful to Electronics Engineers who work on semiconductor devices. Understanding the physics of semiconductors will allow you to design and test electronic devices that use semiconductors more effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronics Engineer

Nanotechnologist

Nanotechnologists research and develop new materials and technologies at the nanoscale. This course may be useful to Nanotechnologists who work on semiconductor nanomaterials. Understanding the physics of semiconductors will allow you to develop new semiconductor nanomaterials for a variety of applications.

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Electrical Technician

Electrical Technicians install, maintain, and repair electrical systems. This course may be useful to Electrical Technicians who work on electrical systems in buildings or other structures. Understanding how electricity works can help you find and fix electrical problems.

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Chemical Engineer

Chemical Engineers design, develop, and operate chemical plants. This course may be useful to Chemical Engineers who work in the semiconductor industry. Topics such as ionization and static electricity can be useful for understanding the safety concerns in chemical plants that handle volatile substances.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chemical Engineer

Nuclear Engineer

Nuclear Engineers design, develop, and operate nuclear power plants. This course may be useful to Nuclear Engineers who work on nuclear reactors. Understanding the physics of semiconductors will allow you to design and operate nuclear reactors more effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Nuclear Engineer

Robotics Engineer

Robotics Engineers design, develop, and test robots. This course may be useful to Robotics Engineers who work on robots that use semiconductors. Understanding the physics of semiconductors will allow you to design and test robots that use semiconductors more effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

Mechatronics Engineer

Mechatronics Engineers design, develop, and test mechatronic systems. This course may be useful to Mechatronics Engineers who work on systems that use semiconductors. Understanding the physics of semiconductors will allow you to design and test mechatronic systems that use semiconductors more effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mechatronics Engineer

Computer Engineer

Computer Engineers design, develop, and test computer systems. This course may be useful to Computer Engineers who work on low-level systems, such as operating systems and embedded systems. Having a deeper understanding of electricity and the physics of semiconductors will give you an edge in developing these kinds of systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Engineer