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    Semiconductor Diodes

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    sitaram raj
    This document provides an overview of semiconductor diode characteristics including: - PN junction formation where electrons diffuse across the junction, creating a depletion region. - Under thermal equilibrium, the conduction and valence bands bend through the depletion region maintaining a constant Fermi level. - Biasing a diode involves applying voltage - forward bias lowers the barrier for current to flow, while reverse bias increases the barrier blocking current. - Key characteristics of diodes include the cut-in voltage under forward bias where current increases rapidly, and reverse saturation current which remains constant with increasing reverse voltage.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Semiconductor Diodes

    Uploaded by

    sitaram raj
    98 views9 pages
    This document provides an overview of semiconductor diode characteristics including: - PN junction formation where electrons diffuse across the junction, creating a depletion region. - Under thermal equilibrium, the conduction and valence bands bend through the depletion region maintaining a constant Fermi level. - Biasing a diode involves applying voltage - forward bias lowers the barrier for current to flow, while reverse bias increases the barrier blocking current. - Key characteristics of diodes include the cut-in voltage under forward bias where current increases rapidly, and reverse saturation current which remains constant with increasing reverse voltage.

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    semiconductor diodes

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    semiconductor diodes

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    This document provides an overview of semiconductor diode characteristics including: - PN junction formation where electrons diffuse across the junction, creating a depletion region. - Under thermal equilibrium, the conduction and valence bands bend through the depletion region maintaining a constant Fermi level. - Biasing a diode involves applying voltage - forward bias lowers the barrier for current to flow, while reverse bias increases the barrier blocking current. - Key characteristics of diodes include the cut-in voltage under forward bias where current increases rapidly, and reverse saturation current which remains constant with increasing reverse voltage.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    98 views9 pages

    Semiconductor Diodes

    Uploaded by

    sitaram raj
    This document provides an overview of semiconductor diode characteristics including: - PN junction formation where electrons diffuse across the junction, creating a depletion region. - Under thermal equilibrium, the conduction and valence bands bend through the depletion region maintaining a constant Fermi level. - Biasing a diode involves applying voltage - forward bias lowers the barrier for current to flow, while reverse bias increases the barrier blocking current. - Key characteristics of diodes include the cut-in voltage under forward bias where current increases rapidly, and reverse saturation current which remains constant with increasing reverse voltage.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 9

    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.

    UNIT – III
    Semiconductor diode characteristics
    PN Junction
    A PN-junction is formed when an N-type material is fused together with a P-type material
    creating a semiconductor diode.
    At the instant of pn-junction formation, the free
    electrons near the junction in the n region begin to
    diffuse across the junction into the p region where
    they combine with holes near the junction. The
    result is that n region loses free electrons as they
    diffuse into the junction. This creates a layer of
    positive charges (pentavalent ions) near the
    junction. As the electrons move across the
    junction, the p region loses holes as the electrons
    and holes combine. The result is that there is a
    layer of negative charges (trivalent ions) near the
    junction. These two layers of positive and
    negative charges form the depletion region (or depletion layer). The term depletion is due to the
    fact that near the junction, the region is depleted (i.e. emptied) of charge carries (free electrons
    and holes) due to diffusion across the junction.
    Built-in Potential Barrier:
    The presence of impurity ions on both sides of the junction causes an electric field to be
    established across this region with the N-side at a positive voltage relative to the P-side. This
    electric field created by the diffusion process has created a “built-in potential difference” across
    the junction with an open-circuit (zero bias) potential

    When no voltage is applied across the pn junction,


    then the junction is in thermal equilibrium the
    Fermi energy level is constant throughout the
    entire system. Figure shows the energy-band
    diagram for the pn junction in thermal
    equilibrium. The conduction and valance band
    energies must bend as we go through the space
    charge region, since the relative position of the
    conduction and valence bands with respect to the Fermi energy changes between p and n regions.
    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.

    Biasing of p-n junction semiconductor diode:


    The process of applying the external voltage to a p-n junction semiconductor diode is called
    biasing. External voltage to the p-n junction diode is applied in any of the two methods: forward
    biasing or reverse biasing.
    Forward biasing:

    In forward biasing the battery positive terminal is


    connected to p-type and negative terminal is connected to
    n-type as shown in Figure. The applied forward potential
    establishes an electric field which acts against the field
    due to potential barrier. Therefore, the resultant field is
    weakened and the barrier height is reduced at the junction
    as shown in Figure. As potential barrier voltage is very
    small, therefore, a small forward voltage is sufficient to
    completely eliminate the barrier. Once the potential
    barrier is eliminated by the forward voltage, junction
    resistance becomes almost zero and a low resistance path
    is established for the entire circuit. Therefore, current
    flows in the circuit. This is called forward current. With
    forward bias to pn junction,
    (i) The potential barrier is reduced and at some forward
    voltage (0.1 to 0.3 V), it is eliminated altogether.
    (ii) The junction offers low resistance (called forward
    resistance, Rf) to current flow.
    (iii) Current flows in the circuit due to the establishment of low resistance path. The magnitude
    of current depends upon the applied forward voltage.

    Reverse biasing:

    To apply reverse bias, connect negative terminal of the


    battery to p-type and positive terminal to n-type as shown in
    Figure. It is clear that applied reverse voltage establishes an
    electric field which acts in the same direction as the field due
    to potential barrier. Therefore, the resultant field at the
    junction is strengthened and the barrier height is increased as
    shown in Figure. The increased potential barrier prevents the
    flow of charge carriers across the junction. Thus, a high
    resistance path is established for the entire circuit and hence
    the current does not flow.
    With reverse bias to pn junction,
    (i) The potential barrier is increased.
    (ii) The junction offers very high resistance (called reverse
    resistance, Rr) to current flow.
    (iii) No current flows in the circuit due to the establishment
    of high resistance path.
    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.

    Diode current equation:


    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.
    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.

    V-I characteristics of p-n junction diode:

    The V-I characteristics or voltage-current characteristics of the p-n junction diode is shown in the
    figure. The horizontal line in the below figure represents the amount of voltage applied across
    the p-n junction diode whereas the vertical line represents the amount of current flows in the p-n
    junction diode. The general expression for current in the p-n junction diode is given by

    Forward bias characteristics of p-n junction diode

    If the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the p-type semiconductor and the negative
    terminal of the battery is connected to the n-type semiconductor, the diode is said to be in
    forward bias.
    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.

    If the external voltage applied on the diode is less tha


    thann 0.7 volts for silicon and 0.3 volts for
    germanium, the diode allows only a small electric current. However, this small electric current is
    considered as negligible. When the external voltage applied on the silicon diode reaches 0.7 volts
    and 0.3 volts forr germanium, the pp-n
    n junction diode starts allowing large electric current through
    it. At this point, a small increase in voltage increases the electric current rapidly. The forward
    voltage at which the diode starts allowing large electric current is calle
    called cut-in
    in voltage.

    Reverse bias characteristics of p p-n junction diode


    If the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the pp-type
    type semiconductor and the positive
    terminal of the battery is connected to the nn-type
    type semiconductor, the diode is said to be
    b in reverse
    bias. In reverse biased p-nn junction diode
    diode. If the external reverse voltage applied on the p-n p
    junction diode is increased, the width of depletion region increases.

    The wide depletion region of reverse biased pp-n junction diode de completely blocks the majority
    charge carrier current. However, it allows the minority charge carrier current. The electric
    current, which is carried by the minority charge carriers in the pp-n n junction diode, is called
    reverse current. Hence, a small vvoltage
    oltage applied on the diode pushes all the minority carriers
    towards the junction. Thus, further increase in the external voltage does not increase the electric
    current. This electric current is called reverse saturation current. In other words, the voltage
    voltag or
    the point at which the electric current reaches its maximum level and further increase in voltage
    does not increase the electric current is called reverse saturation current.

    Breakdown: When applied voltage is high enough to break the covalent bonds of thet crystal, the
    current rises suddenly in the reverse bias called breakdown and voltage required for breakdown
    is called breakdown voltage.
    (i) Zener breakdown: When the diode is heavily doped breakdown occurs at low voltage. This
    phenomenon is called zenerr breakdown. Corresponding voltage of zener breakdown is called
    zener breakdown voltage.
    (ii) Avalanche breakdown: When the diode is lightly doped breakdown occurs at high voltage.
    This phenomenon is called avalanche breakdown, corresponding voltage of avalanche
    breakdown is called avalanche breakdown voltage.
    Effect of Temperature on I-V V characteristics:

    Temperature can have a marked effect on the


    characteristics of a semiconductor diode.

    In the forward- bias region the characteristics of silicon


    diode shift to the left at the rate of 2.5 mV per °C increase
    in temperature.

    In the reverse-bias
    bias region the reverse saturation current of
    a silicon diode doubles for every 10°C rise in temperature
    temperature.
    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.

    Zener diode
    This is a p-n junction device, in which zener breakdown mechanism dominates. Zener diode is
    always used in Reverse Bias. Its constructional features are:
    1. Doping concentration is heavy on p and n regions of the diode, compared to normal p-n
    junction diode.
    2. Due to heavy doping, depletion region width is narrow.
    3. Due to narrow depletion region width, electric field intensity E = ; will be high, near the
    junction, of the order of 106V/m. So Zener Breakdown mechanism occurs.
    When the Zener diode is reverse biased, the current
    flowing is only the reverse saturation current Io which is
    constant like in a reverse biased diode. At V = Vz due to
    high electric field , Zener breakdown occurs. Covalent
    bonds are broken and suddenly the number of free
    electrons increases. So Iz increases sharply and Vz
    remains constant, since, Iz increases through Zener
    resistance Rz decreases. So the product Vz = Rz. Iz
    almost remains constant. If the input voltage is decrease,
    the Zener diode regains its original structure. (But if Vi.
    is increased much beyond V z' electrical breakdown ofthe device will occur. The device loses its
    semiconducting properties and may become a short circuit or open circuit. This is what is meant
    by device breakdown. )
    Applications
    1. In Voltage Regulator Circuits 2. In Clipping and Clamping Circuits 3. In Wave Shaping Circuits.
    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.
    Lecture notes Dr V Seetha Rama Raju Ph.D.

    **************

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