The course aims to provide the students with the following skills and expertise: D1 - Knowledge and understanding. Knowing the working principles, the main characteristics and the performance of electronic circuits and semiconductor devices. D2. Applying knowledge and understanding. Using the acquired semiconductor knowledge to understand how the semiconductor structures operate and behave. D3. Making judgements. Being able to use a certain measurement to extrapolate the device characteristics. D4. Communication skills. Being able to present and discuss characteristics and behaviour of electronic circuits and semiconductor devices. D5. Learning skills. Being able to use the knowledge acquired in this class to interpret the experimental results.

General knowledge of electromagnetism

The mail goal of the course is to analyze the physical properties of electronics devices, in particular for applications to physics instrumentation. The course recalls the foundations of electronic circuits and introduces circuit analysis and signal processing tools; introduces linear circuits and amplifiers; describes the physics of semiconductor materials and the working principle of semiconductor devices, the structure and characteristics of diodes and transistors; introduces some applications of these devices in physics. The course will devote about half of the lessons to the theoretical explanation of the topics, and the remaining half to their the practical laboratory experimentation. The course completes and extends the knowledge acquired in the electromagnetism courses and prepares the students to understanding and using the electronic instrumentation to the different physics fields. Detailed syllabus: Electronic circuits: fundamental quantities, signals, RC circuits, filters, diodes, operational amplifiers. Semiconductor materials: energy-band theory, doping, free-carriers, charge drift and diffusion. pn junction: working principle at the equilibrium, forward and reverse bias mode, carrier currents, breakdown, characteristic I-V and C-V curves of diodes. Bipolar Junction transistor: working principle; current equations; current gain; current-voltage characteristics; Early effect. Junction field effect transistor (JFET): working principle and structure, characteristic quantities, operational conditions. Metal-Semiconductor (MS) contact and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) structure: working principle and operating modes, characteristic quantities, ideal and realistic MOS diode behaviors. MOSFET transistor: physical structure; conduction channel formation and current flow; current-voltage characteristics; output resistance.

P. Horowitz, W. Hill: “The art of electronics”, 3a Ediz., Cambridge University Press, 2015

R.S. Muller, T.I. Kamins: "Dispositivi elettronici nei circuiti integrati",
2a Ediz., Bollati Boringhieri, 1993
Edizione originale: “Device electronics for integrated circuits”,
2nd ed., Wiley, 1986,
3rd ed., Wiley, 2002 (with M. Chan)
Robert F. Pierret: “Advanced Semiconductor Fundamentals” (Modular
Series on Solid State Devices)
2nd ed., Prentice-Hall, 2002
D. A. Neamen: “Semiconductor Physics and Devices”, 4a Ediz, McGraw Hill, 2011

The mail goal of the course is to analyze the physical properties of electronics devices, in particular for applications to physics instrumentation. The course recalls the foundations of electronic circuits and introduces circuit analysis and signal processing tools; introduces linear circuits and amplifiers; describes the physics of semiconductor materials and the working principle of semiconductor devices, the structure and characteristics of diodes and transistors; introduces some applications of these devices in physics. The course completes and extends the knowledge acquired in the electromagnetism courses and prepares the students to understanding and using electronic instrumentations to the different physics fields. Detailed syllabus: Electronic circuits: fundamental quantities, signals, RC circuits, filters, diodes, operational amplifiers. Semiconductor materials: energy-band theory, doping, free-carriers, charge drift and diffusion. pn junction: working principle at the equilibrium, forward and reverse bias mode, carrier currents, breakdown, characteristic I-V and C-V curves of diodes. Bipolar Junction transistor: working principle; current equations; current gain; current-voltage characteristics; Early effect. Junction field effect transistor (JFET): working principle and structure, characteristic quantities, operational conditions. Metal-Semiconductor (MS) contact and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) structure: working principle and operating modes, characteristic quantities, ideal and realistic MOS diode behaviors. MOSFET transistor: physical structure; channel formation and current flow; current-voltage characteristics; output resistance.

Lectures at the blackboard, supported by slides and notes. Laboratory demonstrations and hands-on measurements of the devices discussed in class.

Any changes to the procedures above described, necessary to ensure the application of possible emergency safety protocols, will be communicated on the Department, degree Program, and course websites.

The final exam is an oral interview, and it will be graded in 30ths. In the exam, the students will have to demonstrate to have learnt the basic knowledge of the physics of circuits and semiconductor devices and to be able to solve problems involving the related characteristic quantities. The measurements treated during the course can be items for discussion during the exams. The verification methods will be also explained in detail by the professor at the course presentation during the first lesson. The exam may be conducted in either Italian or English, at the student's choice.

This course explores topics closely related to one or more goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs)