Course on Semiconductor Physics as part of my EE degree

[quixote]

Hey, need a bit of a help.
me, an electrical engg. student is confused at this point that my university offers a course(half semester) on "Electronic Devices(ED)" as they call it; as you can infer from the attachment.
As I watch the lectures it turns out to be an intermediate course on the semiconductor physics of 'why a PNJ or BJT or MOS works the way it does? '.
I should say it is a somewhat rigorous treatment that sees to the atomic levels of a semiconductor.
but the other courses offered this sem include diff eqns., complex analysis, network theory, signals and systems etc.
Should I invest considerable time on this ED course? will it be useful in future years through EE?
(also I'm not big on Quantum Mechanics.)

 

[BvU]

Should I invest considerable time on this ED course?

Yes

will it be useful in future years through EE?

Undoubtedly

I'm not big on Quantum Mechanics

Extra reason to take this

 

[quixote]

I appreciate that you responded.
it needs some doing then, my attitude towards the course.

 

[berkeman]

As I watch the lectures it turns out to be an intermediate course on the semiconductor physics of 'why a PNJ or BJT or MOS works the way it does? '.

I agree with @BvU -- this course is fundamental to being an EE, IMO. It certainly was required in my undergrad EE work, and I've used the concepts often over the years (despite my not working in semiconductor physics directly).

 

[Jody]

It was required in my undergraduate coursework and the topic appears early into my graduate level classes (I'm about 3 weeks in).

Ever solved for the area of a square? Base x Height. Done... then you made it to your calculus class and they showed you how to do an integral. My point here is that you could get the area without using (directly) fundamentals. It's true that this class is fundamental, but depending on what you want to do, then you might not need this class. I consider this a "nice to have" good to know things and would recommend the class, but if you ask physicist and professors they are almost always going to say that you need to learn more especially fundamentals, which is the right thing for them to say.

What's your GPA like is it okay or borderline? Do you think this will strain your GPA? What do you want to do when you are done with your degree?

 

[berkeman]

Should I invest considerable time on this ED course? will it be useful in future years through EE?

Some typical examples of where I have used this class in my work, framed as questions to you after you have completed this course:

• Does a MOSFET or a BJT conduct more current as it gets hotter? Why? What are the practical implications of this?
• Which color of LED has a higher Vf, and Why? How does that affect your circuit designs?
• What voltage Zener diode has the minimum tempco, and Why? What does that mean for your circuit designs?

And so on. Learn as much as you can in school, because sure as heck you will use it later.

 

[quixote]

but if you ask physicist and professors they are almost always going to say that you need to learn more especially fundamentals, which is the right thing for them to say.

What's your GPA like is it okay or borderline? Do you think this will strain your GPA? What do you want to do when you are done with your degree?

Where I'm from, we actually have the value in 10.0 but say, in a US system it would be around 3.46(GPA)(considered fine here) . "how it's going to be put to use later on" was my query.
as of now, topics like control system, power electronics, signal processing are not yet introduced, but will be once the degree progresses, so I'm sticking around to see what piques my interest. A masters in the field of interest will most likely be my choice once I'm done with the bachelors.
Thank you for the reply once again and all the best for your graduate course, if you don't mind me asking, what field are you specializing in?.

 

[quixote]

Some typical examples of where I have used this class in my work, framed as questions to you after you have completed this course:

• Does a MOSFET or a BJT conduct more current as it gets hotter? Why? What are the practical implications of this?
• Which color of LED has a higher Vf, and Why? How does that affect your circuit designs?
• What voltage Zener diode has the minimum tempco, and Why? What does that mean for your circuit designs?

And so on. Learn as much as you can in school, because sure as heck you will use it later.

okay, I've seen ques. like these as part of few post-undergrad exams tho.
thanks berkerman, will see what it's all up to.

 

[Jody]

Another good idea is to look at the graduate school you are interested in because they might have the class as a core class. My graduate school requires it even though I've already taken it several times.