This book is meant for the students pursuing a beginners' course in electronics. Current syllabi of basic electronics included in physics (Honours/Major) curricula of different universities and those offered in various engineering and technical institutions have been consulted in preparing the material contained herein. In 23 chapters, the book deals with the formation of energy bands in solids; electron emission from solid surfaces; properties of semiconductors; metal-semiconductor contacts; pn junction diodes; rectifiers; voltage multipliers; clipping and clamping circuits; bipolar junction transistors; basic voltage and power amplifiers; feedback in amplifiers; regulated power supplies; sinusoidal oscillators; multivibrators; modulation and demodulation; field-effect transistors; ICs; OP AMPs; active filters; special semiconductor devices such as phototransistor, SCR, triac, diac, UJT, impatt diode, gunn diode, PIN diode, IGBT, etc.; digital circuits and systems; VLSI technology and circuits; CRO; communication systems; television; radar; lasers; fibre optics and holography. Software packages for circuit simulation, namely, spice and Pspice; miscellaneous problems; the re and the hybrid models for BJT; and expressions for the potential barrier, electric field, and depletion - region width of a step-graded p-n junction have been included in Appendices.
Fundamental principles and applications are discussed herein with explanatory diagrams in a clear and concise way. Physical aspects are emphasized; and mathematical details are given wherever necessary. Many of the problems, review questions and objective-type questions included in the book are taken from recent examination papers.