1
2020_21 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2020
Owner: BTEC Assessment
DCL1 Public (Unclassified)
Version 1.0
BTEC Assignment Brief
Qualification
BTEC Higher Nationals in Engineering
Unit or Component number
and title
Unit 19: Electrical and Electronic Principles
M/615/1493
Level 4
Learning aim(s) (For NQF/RQF
only)
LO3 Describe the basis of semiconductor action, and its
application to simple electronic devices
Assignment title
LO3 Describe the basis of semiconductor action, and its
application to simple electronic devices
Assessor
Stephen Hillyard
Hand out date
Hand in deadline
Vocational Scenario or
Context
You are employed as an Electrical/Electronic specialist at a
Northampton Electrical Engineering consultancy firm.
The company ca
y out design and build of prototype electronic
circuits and as part of your role you are also required to educate your
peers on certain topics as defined by your manager to any new
employees that come into post. You have been asked to provide a
paper that can be distributed to a group of new starters and you are
equired to describe the basis of semiconductor action, and its
application to simple electronic devices. Your manager has set out
how he wants you to put he paper together.
Task 1
Introduction:
Semiconductor material is widely used in electronics circuit and
devices due to its special property; the combination of different type
of semiconductors material could make device which control electric
cu
ent passing through them. Semiconductors are used to fa
icate
chips for every electronic device including computers, cell phones,
iPods, Blackbe
ies, and GPSs. Through studying different type of
semiconductor devices, you are asked to answer the following
questions:
Task 1
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2020_21 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2020
Owner: BTEC Assessment
DCL1 Public (Unclassified)
Version 1.0
a) Describe in detail of how a p-n junction diode operates in terms of
free moving electrons (you should include relevant sketches to assist
your explanation).
Hint-
What is a semiconductor material? – electrons, protons, valence
shell, impurity, free electrons, ca
iers, holes, n-type, p-type,
valency electrons, covalent bonds.
Conduction in a semiconductor,
The p-n junction – majority ca
iers, contact potential, depletion
layer, minority ca
iers, diffusion,
Forward and reverse biased,
eakdown voltage.
Characteristic curves.
) Demonstrate the action of the following semiconductor devices;
i. Diode
Hint: general description of a diode - anode and cathode, general
characteristics e.g. IN4148 - max repetitive reverse voltage, max
forward cu
ent, max reverse cu
ent, Application
ii. Zener diode
Hint: General description, action of the Zener, avalanche
eakdown, doping, circuit symbol, characteristic curve, use as a
voltage regulator.
iii. Transistor as a switch
Hint: General description of a Bi-polar Junction Transistor,
diagrams, symbols, Transistor action - n-p-n, p-n-p, transistor as a
switch - which region of the characteristic does it operate, cut-off
egion, saturation region, circuit diagram, n-p-n common emitter
a
angement.
c) Explain the operation of an:
Op-Amp,
an Opto-isolator
and a JUGFET transistor
in terms of simple semiconductor theory, suggesting appropriate
applications.
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2020_21 BTEC Assignment Brief Template
Issue Date: June 2020
Owner: BTEC Assessment
DCL1 Public (Unclassified)
Version 1.0
d) Critically evaluate the performance of ‘enhancement type’ and
‘depletion type’ of MOSFET in terms of simple semiconductor theory
and suggesting appropriate applications for each.
Checklist of evidence
equired
Criteria covered by this task:
Unit/Criteria reference To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
LO3
Describe the basis of semiconductor action, and its application to
simple electronic devices.
P3 Describe the
ehaviour of a p-n
junction in terms of
semiconductor behaviour
P4 Demonstrate the
action of a range of
semiconductor devices
M3 Explain the operation of
a range of discrete
semiconductor devices in
terms of simple
semiconductor theory
D3 Critically evaluate the
performance of a range of discrete
semiconductor devices in terms of
simple semiconductor theory,
suggesting appropriate
applications for each.
Sources of information to
support you with this
Assignment
Please refer to notes and lesson recordings to support your
completion of this assignment.
Other assessment
materials attached to this
Assignment Brief
None