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    Zener Diode Characteristics and Applications

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    ANIL KUMAR YARAMALA
    A zener diode is a special type of diode designed to operate in reverse breakdown, or zener, mode. It allows current to flow from both anode to cathode and cathode to anode. The zener diode has a carefully controlled breakdown voltage specified during manufacturing. It is commonly used as a voltage reference, in voltage regulators, and for overvoltage protection in electrical circuits.

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    Zener Diode Characteristics and Applications

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    ANIL KUMAR YARAMALA
    46 views3 pages
    A zener diode is a special type of diode designed to operate in reverse breakdown, or zener, mode. It allows current to flow from both anode to cathode and cathode to anode. The zener diode has a carefully controlled breakdown voltage specified during manufacturing. It is commonly used as a voltage reference, in voltage regulators, and for overvoltage protection in electrical circuits.

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    BEEE-LECTURE 3

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    A zener diode is a special type of diode designed to operate in reverse breakdown, or zener, mode. It allows current to flow from both anode to cathode and cathode to anode. The zener diode has a carefully controlled breakdown voltage specified during manufacturing. It is commonly used as a voltage reference, in voltage regulators, and for overvoltage protection in electrical circuits.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    46 views3 pages

    Zener Diode Characteristics and Applications

    Uploaded by

    ANIL KUMAR YARAMALA
    A zener diode is a special type of diode designed to operate in reverse breakdown, or zener, mode. It allows current to flow from both anode to cathode and cathode to anode. The zener diode has a carefully controlled breakdown voltage specified during manufacturing. It is commonly used as a voltage reference, in voltage regulators, and for overvoltage protection in electrical circuits.

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    Zener diode characteristics and Applications

    A normal p-n junction diode allows electric current only in forward biased condition. When forward
    biased voltage is applied to the p-n junction diode, it allows large amount of electric current and
    blocks only a small amount of electric current. Hence, a forward biased p-n junction diode offer only
    a small resistance to the electric current.

    When reverse biased voltage is applied to the p-n junction diode, it blocks large amount of electric
    current and allows only a small amount of electric current. Hence, a reverse biased p-n junction
    diode offer large resistance to the electric current.

    If reverse biased voltage applied to the p-n junction diode is highly increased, a sudden rise in
    current occurs. At this point, a small increase in voltage will rapidly increases the electric current.
    This sudden rise in electric current causes a junction breakdown called zener or avalanche
    breakdown. The voltage at which zener breakdown occurs is called zener voltage and the sudden
    increase in current is called zener current.

    A normal p-n junction diode does not operate in breakdown region because the excess current
    permanently damages the diode. Normal p-n junction diodes are not designed to operate in reverse
    breakdown region. Therefore, a normal p-n junction diode does not operate in reverse breakdown
    region.

    What is zener diode?

    A zener diode is a special type of device designed to operate in the zener breakdown region. Zener
    diodes acts like normal p-n junction diodes under forward biased condition. Zener diode is heavily
    doped than the normal p-n junction diode. Hence, it has very thin depletion region. Therefore, zener
    diodes allow more electric current than the normal p-n junction diodes.

    Zener diode allows electric current in forward direction like a normal diode but also allows electric
    current in the reverse direction if the applied reverse voltage is greater than the zener voltage. The
    breakdown voltage of a zener diode is carefully set by controlling the doping level during
    manufacture.

    Zener diode is always connected in reverse direction because it is specifically designed to work in
    reverse direction.The name zener diode was named after the American physicist Clarance Melvin
    Zener who discovered the zener effect.
    Zener diode symbol

    The symbol of zener diode is shown in below figure. Zener diode consists of two terminals: cathode
    and anode. In zener diode, electric current flows from both anode to cathode and cathode to anode.
    The symbol of zener diode is similar to the normal p-n junction diode, but with bend edges on the
    vertical bar.

    Zener diode characteristics: A graph of current through vs the voltage across the device is
    called the characteristics of Zener diode.
    The first quadrant is the forward biased region. Here the Zener diode acts like an ordinary diode.
    When a forward voltage is applied, current flows through it. But due to higher doping concentration,
    higher current flows through the Zener diode.

    In the third quadrant, the magic happens. The graph shows the current vs voltage curve when we
    apply a reverse bias to the diode. The Zener breakdown voltage is the reverse bias voltage after
    which a significant amount of current starts flowing through the Zener diode. Here in the diagram, VZ
    refers to the Zener breakdown voltage.

    Until the voltage reaches Zener breakdown level, small amount of current flows through the diode.
    Once the reverse bias voltage becomes more than the Zener breakdown voltage, a significant
    amount of current starts flowing through the diode due to Zener breakdown. The voltage remains at
    the Zener breakdown voltage value, but the current through the diode increases when the input
    voltage gets increased.

    Due to the unique property of Zener diode, the depletion region regains its original position when
    the reverse voltage gets removed. The Zener diode doesn’t get damaged despite this massive
    amount of current flowing through it. This unique functionality makes it very useful for many
    applications. Zener diodes are available with zener voltages in the range of 1.8V to 400V.

    Advantages of zener diode


    • Power dissipation capacity is very high
    • High accuracy
    • Small size
    • Low cost

    Applications of zener diode


    • It is normally used as voltage reference
    • Zener diodes are used in voltage stabilizers or shunt regulators
    • Zener diodes are used in switching operations
    • Zener diodes are used in clipping and clamping circuits.
    • Zener diodes are used in various protection circuits

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