How semiconductors work

A detailed look at semiconductor materials and diodes.
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[@ulilulable]

The amount of respect I feel right now for the guys that first came up with this idea is immense...

[@markproulx1472]

amante pensanta: Isn’t that the truth? I’ve been an engineer for over 45 years. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve encountered various technologies and asked “Who thinks of this stuff?”

[@amir3515]

@@markproulx1472 it was a logical unsurprising progression..

[@douglasyellow]

@@amir3515 lol doubting an engineer of 45 years' experience

[@youvebeensubbedto8009]

I am a fan of logical unsurprising progression. Learning about logical unsurprising progression that occurred over hundreds of years within the course of a few months in a college class does in fact appear very surprising to me. I'm glad you have a galaxy brain that already knows everything; maybe you can tell us how to solve our world's problems, if it's that uninteresting.

[@hayden.A0]

Of course, no one came up with the idea overnight, and certainly not from scratch. It's the result of continuous progress over time with many trails and errors, until we come to the current point.

[@momashi69]

Ridiculously well explained, my brain feels so much happier now!

[@MlokKarel]

You're the best in explaining even very complex things in non-complicated manner. I need to refresh my not-often-used knowledge every couple of years - and you can do this in matter of minutes. Kudos. 👌

[@gameboyv1790]

nice!

[@JohnVance]

I took a full year of electronics theory and semiconductor device fabrication a decade ago and wish this had existed then. The way Ben explains it is just so straightforward and easy to understand.

[@undercoverdudes]

Beautiful work man, such a good explanation!

[@6s6]

WHOA!! I quit combat arms 2 years ago to focus on my engineering studies and then I see you in this video! How ironic HAHAH!! How are you man??

[@undercoverdudes]

Kevin Haha not too bad man! Awesome that you are doing engineering and by the looks of it you're doing electrical :P Enjoy it!

[@6s6]

Omg you replied! Yes I am doing electrical!! Are you doing electrical engineering too?

[@undercoverdudes]

Kevin Yep! In my third year :)

[@undercoverdudes]

@Rakesh Mehta good times haha, lots has changed since then!

[@ducamvinh4462]

After many university lectures, different youtube videos, this is the first time that i actually understand PN Junction. You have such an awesome way of explaining things. If you're not a university professor, then it would be a big loss for many students

[@rfjgfude]

I wish I would have had this guy as a professor in college. He knows how to teach.

[@Sasa-rr9zf]

Brilliantly explained, Im studying civil eng. but having to do a unit on engineering materials and I've been struggling to get my head around electrical currents and the like but you video explained it in terms I can understand. Many thanks

[@VincentGroenewold]

This is so much better explained than in many text books, thank you so much! And I applaud you for correctly explaining current to flow from - to +, I'm always getting so confused when textbooks try to make things easier by simply not telling how it actually works (which is also how school works btw :) ).

[@aeleequis]

you just explained in 15 minutes what my university teacher took like 30 minutes to explain and you somehow made it sound interesting and not boring. Also, i'm spanish and the funny thing is that i understood way better this explanaition (not my native language) rather than my teacher's (my native language) Outstanding

[@taripar4967]

For anyone confused by the very end: look up the difference between drift velocity and electrical current. It took me forever to find this info. Electrons actually move very slowly when current is flowing. But the energy pushed through them flows at near the speed of light. Very complicated and weird, but useful for those who want to dig deeper. "Electric energy" so to speak, flows almost instantaneously. Electrons, however, move at mere millimeters per hour.

[@batchrocketproject4720]

I have a good analogy for that which helped me understand the difference: Suppose you have a tube a mile long that is packed with marbles side by side in a single line. If you push a marble into one end, one will pop out of the other end almost instantly. Each marble only moved the width of a marble but the effect manifested a mile away. Electrons in conductors are much like marbles in such tubes.

[@jernejhozjan1357]

@@batchrocketproject4720 Thats a really good analogy

[@spirit469]

Just had a braingasm. Years, years, years, I have tried to understand this to no avail. Thank you so much for this. Better education for free online than when I tried to learn it at university.

[@iliapopovich]

Perfectly explained .I did electronics in college and even our teacher had 2 degree, one in electrical engineering and next in electronics ,somehow he couldn't do it so well as this youtuber. From all the digital electronics tutors on the you tube, he is N1.And by the way who are those 26 ,who disliked the video? I see probably some Nobel holding physicians or just junkeez.

[@NathonDalton]

You are REALLY good at explaining this stuff! I've watched a couple of videos and am now subscribed. Your calculator tutorial immediately made sense even though every other explanation I've seen didn't.

[@seanchow1999]

clap clap clap* very well and deep explanation! now I can understand how does diode work clearly!! you sir is awesome ;) you earned a new sub

[@ccmiint]

Excellent! The only time someone has actually explained how this works! Thank you.

[@byllgrim6045]

If there was more high quality videos like this available, I wouldn't need school and lectures.

[@jamesvaughan748]

Thank you so much for supporting the gratis pursuit of knowledge

[@mike.correa]

Wow finally someone who really explained this in details, it's all so clear now! Thank you!

[@koshka02]

This is one of the best videos on Semi-conductors I've ever seen. Well done.

[@anveshjadav]

No one ever has explained with so much clarity yet ! Thank you very much friend👍🙏

[@D4rk51d332]

I'm currently in an electrical technician college course rn and this was a great refresher. Thank you for putting it out, it was very well done.

[@gloverelaxis]

You have an incredible ability for teaching. This kind of cleanly-produced, highly visual guide is really the perfect way to learn things.

[@xqqqme]

Excellent! Breakthrough stuff for me, as no one that I know of has explained -- visually and verbally -- this material so clearly. Thank you, Ben!

[@coolakin]

The first five seconds of the video scales quickly. This is a group of four transistors… now here’s a BILLION

[@MrRobDempsey]

Thanks a lot! After 40 years I've found clear and understandable explanation how it works! (I'm not working in this field, but I was a computer fan in early 80s and I love all this staff like ZX80, 6502 and so on). Your views are great!

[@NickiKhonsari]

You are so good at explaining. I could be the the next Tesla if you were my teacher 30 years ago.

[@uwugamer55]

Chemistry has always been a struggle for me but I love computer engineering as a whole. This video was so clear with its presentation, I actually have some confidence in understanding how this works. Thank you so much.

[@ulysses_grant]

Man, God bless your work and your good will. Thanks for that.

[@sourandbitter3062]

That was super interesting, thanks. The amount of work and knowledge that’s into creating today’s computers is astounding.

[@chrisbrett1857]

I have been trawling through you tube videos and web articles all week searchng for a really good elementary explanation of how the semiconductor (and specifically the diode) works, but until now without finding anything really satisfying. Always there has been some defect - some were too superficial, some too technical, some skipped over essential steps in the explanation (leaving you asking in exasperation ... "yes, but WHY???"), some contained obvious mistakes and inconsistencies. This one was perfect. Good graphics, all the steps in the explanation present, and narrated by someone who speaks clearly and at just the right speed. Many thanks.

[@zukofire6424]

Thank Mr Eater I found your explanataion to be both clear and better giving a sense of the physical phenomenon.

[@alphamega3306]

Thank you! For a while I've been looking for a video that clearly explains how a semiconductor works, and this finally did the job perfectly.

[@GroundThing]

I took like 12 credit hours worth of electronic materials science courses in college that I just barely got through, and this 16 minute video explained it better than all of them combined.

[@MixwellSidechains]

Some people explain with as if we're too dumb which further confuses me with all their abstract example in an attempt to simplify. You my friend dignified my brain, and this video has helped me understand semiconductors

[@g.davidturnblom5751]

I never feel any reason to regret the time I spend watching your videos. You are a superb teacher. Thank you for the electronics engineering lesson. I have my degree in electronics, by the way, albeit in more of a technical manner, but this was still priceless.

[@jonadabmisko7386]

This is great! Thank you for the wonderful explanation. I definitely benefited from this. I am working on a Chemistry project in engineering college, and this really gave me a head start on where to go with it. Thank you again.

[@ryanmcgill3603]

Thank-you very much for this, just starting all this business and you've put it very clearly

[@praxisdev1884]

Mr. Eater, you sir are a genius. Brilliantly explained. Thank you.

[@rpsingh8010]

Thank you..I seen all your videos. You are really really awesome!! I actually want to say you that it completely changed my notion towards electronics, networking and computers. Very very very well taught..Thank God for finding you and this channel..Looking forward to you and more.

[@lewtube6436]

The clearest exposition I have come across on this subject.

[@TruCunt]

Wow this is great work. Thank you for simplifying this. Everyone else is all over the place

[@ionglacier]

Incredible explanation! Hopefully, you will have more videos up explaining about various subjects on engineering. This video is not only clear and concise, it teaches us at more of a "human" level rather than expecting everyone to have a PhD to fully understand.

[@terrycody8743]

You are one of the best teachers in this world. Please,. just please if possible, make a series of computer science lessons, from very ground up theory to let everyone actually know what is going on. I watched a ton of CS related videos, I could say, you are at least one of the best, if not the best best best, I really doubt you are an earther, you must be alien, with such a high level knowledge of everything, what a splendid learning experience. Please, teach this world a better CS lesson, we really need a teacher like you. I know making videos is very hard and time consuming, just, if possible, this world need this! (PS: I watched your 4 bit adder video, really learned a lot, I want to learn everything from you, teacher :)

[@realdragon]

Basic consept explained in details so everyone can understand it. I love it

[@StarryGlobe089]

By far the most clear explanation on this topic!

[@HafidzJazuli]

Wow, awesome explanation @Ben. I love your videos, especially this one. About four years ago, when i was freshman Physic college, i asked a senior electrical engineering about why we used diode symbol that has reserve current flow. Very glad i have found the answer in the end of this video. Thank you.

[@kecko3294]

That was very well explained! I had an electronics course last semester but never actually understood the physics of semiconductors and transistors. Very helpful videos.

[@Okie-Tom]

Very nice graphic explanation of the n and p properties and behavior. Good job.

[@roopkang8924]

this is so helpful, was totally confused about how semiconductors work and now it seems so simple and clear. Thank you and keep making such videos !

[@dannalbob]

Just when I thought my mind was done being blown by your videos. There it goes again 💥

[@gerhardmalberg4966]

Very well explained! I see high-level pedagocial skills in you!

[@saustin98]

Stunningly well explained!! I've read about this in a few books now, and was >sort-of< getting it, but this brought it all together very, very clearly. Thank you, Ben!

[@RaniLink]

This was perfectly explained!! sincerely Thank you very much from a Tel-Aviv University Mechanical Engineering student!

[@MrUnknownuser164]

You should also look into electrical engineering. This type of knowledge would serve really well.

[@RaniLink]

@@MrUnknownuser164 thank you :) I'm planning on doing my masters in Electrical Engineering

[@MrUnknownuser164]

@@RaniLink You could also look into electro-mechanical engineering...

[@cedrict8865]

Very well done! Great job! Thank you!

[@vga1235]

Thanks friend. I am a mechanical engineer and doing a project on electric vehicle. Highly benefitted watching your video!

[@emiliofernandezlavado279]

best explanation I've found about semiconductors on youtube!

[@Gygqfip]

Well explained. I’ve been looking for this exact detailed lessons for so long! Upd: man, this is pleasant to watch on an oled screen!

[@byteaesx1373]

Many thanks for your time and effort on making this video.

[@NurtsyBWC]

Very well thought out and explained. thanks!

[@ashitshetty]

u rock man !!!!..this was one of those topics which just went over my head whenever i tried to understand it and u hav made it super simplified to understand thanks a lot...

[@Pi7on]

You are such an absolutely excellent teacher

[@findkip]

Damn dude nicely done! Thank you! That cleared up my AVT110 class tonight

[@madpuppet666]

Great video as always. I would have taken electrical engineering back at college if I had had access to videos like this 30 years ago.

[@stefan33uk]

Very good Ben. I was just plodding along in my CS50 course learning C, then Googled "C assembly comparison" out of curiosity, found your video on Comparing C to machine language, then your breadboard computer video, then I googled 8 bit computers, found your website, and finally a link to this video, which is much more fun than when I learned semiconductors during my Physics degree ten years ago, because now I have a context. I actually dropped out of that degree, but it's funny how life takes you full circle sometimes! I look forward to looking at all your work! Your videos help me learn much faster than by reading a book, so thank you. Should probably get back to my course now :))

[@yourirutten625]

It finally makes sense, thank you so much!

[@Zakru]

Never did I ever think I would be listening to someone teach me about something finding it tempting to go into a hole

[@TheBetaMale]

Well explained and thorough. Thanks for sharing.

[@filipstefanov]

Very informative and well presented

[@PanDownTiltLeft]

Great explanation! I always thought of the diode symbol as the arrow pointing at a wall to indicate that current does not flow in that direction.

[@chriskaprys]

I’ve heard this information before, several times, but this is the first time I understood it. Thanks.

[@OhadLutzky]

I took an entire university course on this and understood nothing, passed the test by pure guesswork. With this video, I finally get it.

[@rampneumo]

Couldn't have been a better explanation. Thanks from Sri Lanka

[@mathiszscheischler4371]

Oh my god his voice gets almost as calm as Bob Ross voice... for example at 13:30 I felt superinformed and kind of supercalm at the same time. Awesome

[@weiwuli74]

Beautiful job here! Thank you so much, Sir!

[@DomeDominus]

Man, thank you! I have a presentation tomorrow to explain transistors, but i didnt understand this from the teacher. I found this video when i came across the transistor video, and it helped me allot. so again thanks man :D

[@masoud4332]

Really good visualisation and explanation, thank you

[@ryanlatham88]

Great analogy, along with the npn transistor video. Very easy to follow. Cheers

[@tba3900]

Done a Lv 2 electronics course today and Ben’s explanation of diodes was far easier to follow and comprehend.

[@exosdel]

super simple to understand! great job!

[@mmx2731]

Great job explaining the fundamentals vice just giving some analogies.

[@josephiyeke8946]

Thanks so much for these videos, you're a life saver!

[@zouhairelhadri6907]

Thank you man , such a magnific work !

[@samtcmu]

great video! such a clear explanation of how a diode works.

[@shubhamkulkarni272]

I wish someone had taught me this way in college. Mad respect!

[@RyanLoebs]

Thanks for the awesome explanation! I wouldn't say that it's "incorrect" to think of the circuit flowing from + to -, it's just not considering the flow of electrons, as we'd intuitively imagine, like flowing water. Instead, as you explained, the "holes" in the P-type can be described as a positive voltage and so the circuit has a figurative positive voltage flowing from + to -.

[@realzeelink]

Watching this video as a part of our College Course , looks informative!

[@JA-zb7zj]

You explained it better than my instructors at school. Thank you!!

[@thomasalexander1563]

Great Explanationn,,, Learn many thing from this channel,,, Much more support for this channel

[@ZaharMalinovskiy]

The best explanation i have ever seen.

[@danielbrandao5411]

This explanation locked everything into place for me! My teacher didn't addressed the flow of "electrons" as opposed to the flow of "current" in the charges diagram explanation the way you did. Thank you very much!

[@arnoutmeester1728]

Some people are just better in explaining things.. You are one of them!

[@Snirpurin]

Thanks for sharing this video, and keep up the great work!

[@muxinli2864]

Very good explanation. Love the Khan Academy-like style of presentation.

[@likag.105]

Thank you, your explanation is very clear!

[@SangNguyen-jc2xg]

Thank you so much, your 15 min video worth more than a hour searching on google of mine.

[@kassomeone]

Really nice explanation sir. Its been while since studied this in school.

[@stephanromero4979]

Awesome video! Thank you for the clarification

[@gyananchan4256]

This guy is blessed with teaching skills

[@nimrodlevy]

Amazing!! You just know how to teach! And for that im grateful!!!!