A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Examples include silicon and germanium
Electrons and holes are the two types of charge carriers in semiconductors.
Doping is the process of intentionally adding impurities to a semiconductor to alter its electrical properties. It introduces either more electrons (n-type doping) or holes (p-type doping).
An intrinsic semiconductor is pure and has no impurities, while an extrinsic semiconductor has impurities intentionally added through doping.
The symbol of a diode is a triangle with a line across one vertex. It represents the direction of current flow, from the anode (positive) to the cathode (negative).
Forward bias occurs when the voltage across a diode allows current to flow easily, while reverse bias occurs when the voltage inhibits current flow.
A transistor is a semiconductor device used for amplification and switching electronic signals. The two main types are bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field-effect transistors (FETs).
A BJT transistor consists of three layers of semiconductor material. By applying a small current to the base (middle layer), a larger current flows between the collector and emitter (outer layers), allowing the transistor to amplify or switch signals.
The symbol of a capacitor consists of two parallel lines representing the plates, with a gap between them indicating the dielectric material.
Ceramic capacitors use a ceramic material as the dielectric, while electrolytic capacitors use an electrolyte solution. Electrolytic capacitors typically have higher capacitance values but are polarized and have lower voltage ratings compared to ceramic capacitors.