SPECIAL DEVICES

Introduction

If you consider the sensitive nature and the various interacting properties of semiconductors, it should not be surprising to you that solid state devices can be designed for many different purposes. In fact, devices with special features are so numerous and new designs are so frequently introduced that it would be beyond the scope of this topic to describe all of the devices in use today. Therefore, this topic will include a variety of representative devices that are used extensively in equipments to give you an idea of the diversity and versatility that has been made possible. In this topic each device will be described and the basic operation of each one will be discussed.