Solid State Electronics

Course Description

This combined lecture and laboratory course (EET2140C) provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and application of solid-state semiconductor devices. Students explore the physical principles governing semiconductor materials and apply that knowledge to the analysis, design, and troubleshooting of circuits using diodes, bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), field-effect transistors (FETs), thyristors, and operational amplifiers. Laboratory sessions reinforce lecture concepts through hands-on experimentation with real components and test equipment. This course is a foundational requirement in the Electronic Engineering Technology (EET) program pathway at Florida colleges.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the electrical properties of semiconductor materials, including N-type and P-type doping, charge carriers, and the formation of PN junctions.
• Analyze the characteristics and operation of PN junction diodes, including forward bias, reverse bias, and breakdown regions.
• Design and analyze diode application circuits including half-wave and full-wave rectifiers, filters, clippers, and clampers.
• Describe the structure, operating regions, and characteristics of Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) in common-base, common-emitter, and common-collector configurations.
• Apply BJT biasing techniques (fixed bias, voltage-divider bias, emitter bias) and calculate Q-point stability.
• Analyze BJT small-signal amplifier circuits using re and h-parameter models, including voltage gain, current gain, input impedance, and output impedance.
• Explain the structure, characteristics, and operation of Field-Effect Transistors, including JFETs and MOSFETs.
• Analyze and design FET biasing and amplifier circuits, and compare FET performance characteristics to BJT equivalents.
• Analyze operational amplifier (op-amp) circuits including inverting, non-inverting, summing, and difference amplifier configurations.
• Use standard electronic test equipment (oscilloscope, multimeter, function generator, power supply) to measure, test, and troubleshoot solid-state circuits in the laboratory.

Optional Outcomes

The following outcomes may be covered depending on program emphasis and instructional time:

• Analyze power amplifier classes (Class A, B, AB, C) and calculate efficiency and output power.
• Explain the operation of thyristors (SCR, TRIAC, DIAC) and their use in switching and power control applications.
• Perform frequency response analysis of amplifier circuits, including Bode plot construction and bandwidth determination.
• Design and analyze feedback oscillator circuits (RC phase-shift, Wien-bridge, Colpitts, Hartley).
• Analyze active filter circuits (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass) built with op-amps.
• Analyze linear voltage regulator circuits using zener diodes and IC regulators (78xx/79xx series).
• Use circuit simulation software (e.g., Multisim or LTspice) to model and verify solid-state circuit behavior.
• Identify and describe special-purpose diodes such as Zener, LED, photodiode, Schottky, and varactor diodes and their applications.

Major Topics

Required Topics

The following content areas are standard across Florida college offerings of this course:

1. Semiconductor Fundamentals — Atomic structure, energy bands, intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, N-type and P-type materials, electron and hole carriers, conductivity.
2. PN Junction Diodes — Junction formation, depletion region, forward and reverse bias, diode I-V characteristics, ideal diode equation, diode models (ideal, offset, complete).
3. Diode Application Circuits — Half-wave rectifier, full-wave rectifier (center-tap and bridge), capacitive filter, peak inverse voltage (PIV), clippers, clampers, voltage multipliers.
4. Special-Purpose Diodes — Zener diode voltage regulation, LED operation and current limiting, Schottky diode characteristics.
5. Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT) — NPN and PNP structure, active/saturation/cutoff regions, DC current gain (β/hFE), common-emitter, common-base, and common-collector configurations, characteristic curves.
6. BJT Biasing — Load line analysis, Q-point selection, fixed bias, collector-feedback bias, voltage-divider bias, emitter-stabilized bias, thermal stability and stabilization factors.
7. BJT Amplifiers — Small-signal models (re model, h-parameters), voltage gain, current gain, input/output impedance for CE, CB, and CC amplifiers; multistage amplifier analysis.
8. Field-Effect Transistors (FET) — JFET and MOSFET (enhancement and depletion mode) structure, drain characteristics, transconductance, pinch-off voltage, threshold voltage.
9. FET Biasing and Amplifiers — Self-bias, voltage-divider bias, common-source and common-drain FET amplifier circuits; comparison of FET and BJT characteristics.
10. Operational Amplifiers — Ideal op-amp characteristics, inverting and non-inverting amplifier configurations, summing amplifier, difference amplifier, comparator, and integrator/differentiator circuits.
11. Laboratory Practices — Safe use of bench power supplies, digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, and function generators; circuit construction on breadboard; measured vs. calculated values; data recording and analysis.

Optional Topics

The following topics may be included based on program depth and available contact hours:

• Power Amplifiers — Class A, B, AB amplifier analysis; push-pull configurations; efficiency calculations; heat sink selection.
• Thyristors — SCR structure and triggering, TRIAC and DIAC operation, phase-control circuits, applications in motor speed control and lighting dimmers.
• Amplifier Frequency Response — Low- and high-frequency BJT/FET amplifier response, coupling/bypass capacitor effects, Bode plots, bandwidth, gain-bandwidth product.
• Oscillator Circuits — Barkhausen criterion, RC phase-shift oscillator, Wien-bridge oscillator, LC oscillators (Colpitts, Hartley), crystal oscillators.
• Active Filters — First- and second-order low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass filter design using op-amps; Butterworth response.
• Voltage Regulators — Series and shunt regulator circuits, three-terminal IC regulators (LM78xx/79xx), line and load regulation specifications, ripple rejection.
• Circuit Simulation — Introduction to SPICE-based simulation tools (Multisim, LTspice) for DC operating point, transient, and AC frequency analysis.
• Semiconductor Fabrication Basics — Overview of wafer processing, doping methods, photolithography, and integrated circuit packaging concepts.

Resources & Tools

• Primary Textbook: Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory by Boylestad & Nashelsky (Pearson) — most widely adopted at Florida colleges for this course level.
• Alternate Textbook: Electronic Devices (Conventional Current Version) by Thomas Floyd (Pearson).
• Laboratory Equipment: Digital multimeter, dual-channel oscilloscope, function/signal generator, regulated DC power supply, breadboard prototyping kits.
• Simulation Software: NI Multisim (available through National Instruments academic license) or LTspice (free, from Analog Devices).
• Component References: Manufacturer datasheets (Texas Instruments, ON Semiconductor, Vishay) for 1N4001, 1N4148, 2N2222, 2N3904, 2N7000, LM741, LM317, etc.
• Online Resources: All About Circuits (allaboutcircuits.com), Khan Academy Electronics, Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) library databases.

Career Pathways

Successful completion of EET2140C supports entry into and advancement within the following career areas:

• Electronics Technician — Assembly, testing, and maintenance of electronic equipment across aerospace, defense, medical device, and consumer electronics industries.
• Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) — Installation and repair of hospital and clinical electronic devices (supported by related programs at South Florida State College and others).
• Computer Engineering Technician — Hardware-level support and troubleshooting of computer systems and embedded platforms.
• Telecommunications Technician — Installation and maintenance of analog and digital signal transmission equipment.
• Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Quality Technician — Inspection and quality assurance for semiconductor and circuit board manufacturing.
• Field Service Technician — On-site repair and diagnostics for industrial, commercial, or consumer electronic products.

This course is a core requirement in the Associate in Science (A.S.) in Engineering Technology — Electronics Specialization at Florida colleges including Eastern Florida State College and others in the Florida College System.

Special Information

Certification Preparation

• IPC-A-610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies): Lab work with components and soldering aligns with foundational knowledge for IPC certification programs.
• CompTIA Electronics Technician (CET) — Associate Level: Course content covering semiconductor devices, amplifiers, and power supplies maps directly to the National Electronics Technicians Association (NETA) and ETA International CET Associate examination domains.
• FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL): Knowledge of solid-state devices, amplifiers, and power supplies is testable content on the FCC Element 3 GROL examination, which is relevant to students pursuing communications electronics careers.

Program Notes

The "C" suffix in EET2140C designates this as a combined lecture and laboratory course under Florida's SCNS. Students should expect approximately two hours of lecture and two to three hours of structured laboratory per week. Laboratory reports are typically required. Students are advised to complete a DC/AC circuits course (e.g., EET1025C — DC/AC Circuits or equivalent) before enrolling, as proficiency in Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws, and basic circuit analysis is assumed.