ABSTRACT
Electronics is defi ned as the fi eld of fabricating and studying the systems that operate via controlling the fl ow of electrons or other charge carriers (e.g., holes and ions) in devices such as diodes, transistors, and electrical switches. Such current controlling can be implemented through changing the electrical voltage (i.e., bias) applied between the two electrodes or the voltage applied to the third electrode (i.e., gate) that is functional for modulating the charge carrier density and mobility in the channel. The study of modern electronics is often a combination of physics (particularly semiconductor physics) and engineering. The former focuses on principle exploration and materials design; while the latter focuses on device construction and improvement. The fi eld of optoelectronics is the fi eld of studying the interaction and relationship between photon and electronic devices or materials. An optoelectronics device can be based on photo-modulation (e.g., effect of illumination) of the electron fl ow within a device, or based on production of photons via recombination of charge carrier pairs (electrons and holes) that are created in the device. Typical optoelectronic devices include optical switch, photodiode, solar cell, and light-emitting diode (LED).
