The Tao of Microelectronics (IOP Concise Physics)

Microelectronics is a challenging course to many undergraduate students and is often described as very messy. Before taking this course all the students have learned circuit analysis where basically all the problems can be solved by applying Kirchhoffs laws. In addition most engineering students have also learned engineering mechanics: statics and dynamics where Newtons laws and related principles can be applied in solving all the problems. However microelectronics is not as clean as these courses. There are hundreds of equations for different circuits and it is impossible to remember which equation should be applied to which circuit. One of the common pitfalls in learning this course is over-focusing at the equation level and ignoring the ideas (Tao) behind it. Unfortunately these ideas are not summarized and emphasized in most microelectronics textbooks though they cover various electronic circuits comprehensively. Therefore most undergraduate students feel at a loss when they start to learn this topic. . This book tries to illustrate the major ideas and the basic analysis techniques so that students can derive the right equations easily when facing an electronic circuit.