Semiconductor Physics | Insulators Conductors and Semiconductors
Channel: Gate Forum
Date: 2018-04-08

Networks, Signals and Systems

Network solution methods: nodal and mesh analysis; Network theorems: superposition,
Thevenin and Norton’s, maximum power transfer; Wye‐Delta transformation; Steady state
sinusoidal analysis using phasors; Time domain analysis of simple linear circuits; Solution of
network equations using Laplace transform; Frequency domain analysis of RLC circuits;
Linear 2‐port network parameters: driving point and transfer functions; State equations for
networks.
Continuous-time signals: Fourier series and Fourier transform representations, sampling
theorem and applications; Discrete-time signals: discrete-time Fourier transform (DTFT),
DFT, FFT, Z-transform, interpolation of discrete-time signals; LTI systems: definition and
properties, causality, stability, impulse response, convolution, poles and zeros, parallel and
cascade structure, frequency response, group delay, phase delay, digital filter design
techniques.

Electronic Devices

Energy bands in intrinsic and extrinsic silicon; Carrier transport: diffusion current, drift
current, mobility and resistivity; Generation and recombination of carriers; Poisson and
continuity equations; P-N junction, Zener diode, BJT, MOS capacitor, MOSFET, LED, photo
diode and solar cell; Integrated circuit fabrication process: oxidation, diffusion, ion
implantation, photolithography and twin-tub CMOS process.


Analog Circuits

Small signal equivalent circuits of diodes, BJTs and MOSFETs; Simple diode circuits:
clipping, clamping and rectifiers; Single-stage BJT and MOSFET amplifiers: biasing, bias
stability, mid-frequency small signal analysis and frequency response; BJT and MOSFET
amplifiers: multi-stage, differential, feedback, power and operational; Simple op-amp
circuits; Active filters; Sinusoidal oscillators: criterion for oscillation, single-transistor and opamp
configurations; Function generators, wave-shaping circuits and 555 timers; Voltage
reference circuits; Power supplies: ripple removal and regulation.

Digital Circuits

Number systems; Combinatorial circuits: Boolean algebra, minimization of functions using
Boolean identities and Karnaugh map, logic gates and their static CMOS
implementations, arithmetic circuits, code converters, multiplexers, decoders and PLAs;
Sequential circuits: latches and flip‐flops, counters, shift‐registers and finite state machines;
Data converters: sample and hold circuits, ADCs and DACs; Semiconductor memories:
ROM, SRAM, DRAM; 8-bit microprocessor (8085): architecture, programming, memory and
I/O interfacing.

Control Systems

Basic control system components; Feedback principle; Transfer function; Block diagram
representation; Signal flow graph; Transient and steady-state analysis of LTI systems;
Frequency response; Routh-Hurwitz and Nyquist stability criteria; Bode and root-locus plots;
Lag, lead and lag-lead compensation; State variable model and solution of state
equation of LTI systems.

Communications

Random processes: autocorrelation and power spectral density, properties of white noise,
filtering of random signals through LTI systems; Analog communications: amplitude
modulation and demodulation, angle modulation and demodulation, spectra of AM and
FM, superheterodyne receivers, circuits for analog communications; Information theory:
entropy, mutual information and channel capacity theorem; Digital communications:
PCM, DPCM, digital modulation schemes, amplitude, phase and frequency shift keying
(ASK, PSK, FSK), QAM, MAP and ML decoding, matched filter receiver, calculation of
bandwidth, SNR and BER for digital modulation; Fundamentals of error correction,
Hamming codes; Timing and frequency synchronization, inter-symbol interference and its
mitigation; Basics of TDMA, FDMA and CDMA.

Electromagnetics

Electrostatics; Maxwell’s equations: differential and integral forms and their interpretation,
boundary conditions, wave equation, Poynting vector; Plane waves and properties:
reflection and refraction, polarization, phase and group velocity, propagation through
various media, skin depth; Transmission lines: equations, characteristic impedance,
impedance matching, impedance transformation, S-parameters, Smith chart;
Waveguides: modes, boundary conditions, cut-off frequencies, dispersion relations;
Antennas: antenna types, radiation pattern, gain and directivity, return loss, antenna
arrays; Basics of radar; Light propagation in optical fibers.