Lec4-5 - PN Junction and Diode

1.
Drift current
2. Diffusion Current
3. Carrier Transport and Formation of PN-Junction
4. Space PN-Junction
Charge Region and Diode
& Built-in Potential
5. Reverse and Forward Bias on PN-Junction
6. Diode I-V Relationship & Characteristics
7. Reverse Bias Breakdown
N-Type and P-Type Semiconductor
• The silicon doped with Group-V elements that
produce extra electrons is called an “N type”
semiconductor.
– “N” is for negative, which is the charge of an
electron.
• Silicon doped with Group-III elements that produce
holes (missing electrons) is called “P type”
semiconductor.
– “P” is for positive, which is the charge of a hole.
Carrier (Electrons and Holes)
Concentrations in Doped Silicon
Silicon atoms: 5x1022 per cm3
Free electrons at 300K: 1010 per cm3
Holes at 300K: 1010 per cm3
Impurity atom concentrations: 1012 – 1019 per cm3

Impurity (G-V) atom concentrations (N-type Silicon)
= Doner atom concentrations
= Additional electron concentrations
Impurity (G-III) atom concentrations (P-type Silicon)
= Acceptor atom concentrations
= Additional hole concentrations
Current Flow in N-type Semiconductors
• The DC voltage source has a positive terminal that attracts the
free electrons in the semiconductor and pulls them away from
their atoms leaving the atoms charged positively.
• Electrons from the negative terminal of the supply enter the
semiconductor material and are attracted by the positive charge
of the atoms missing one of their electrons.
• Current (electrons) flows from the positive terminal to the
negative terminal.
Current Flow in P-type Semiconductors
• Electrons from the negative supply terminal are attracted to the
positive holes and fill them.
• The positive terminal of the supply pulls the electrons from the
holes leaving the holes to attract more electrons.
• Current (electrons) flows from the negative terminal to the
positive terminal.
• Inside the semiconductor current flow is actually by the
movement of the holes from positive to negative.
Drift and Diffusion Currents
● Current
Generated by the movement of charged particles
(negatively charged electrons and positively charged
holes).
● Carriers
The charged electrons and holes are referred to as
carriers
● The two basic processes which cause electrons and

holes move in a semiconductor:
Ø Drift - the movement caused by electric field.

Ø Diffusion - the flow caused by variations in the
concentration.
Diffusion Current
● The basic diffusion process
● Flow of particles from a region of high-

concentration to a region of low-concentration.
● The movement of the particles will then generate
the diffusion current
pn Junction
● Adjucent n-type and p-type semiconductors (Silicon or
Germanium) form a p-n junction.
● Electron diffusion from n-type to p-type and hole
diffusion from p-type to n-type creates a charge
separation that sets up electric field, E.
● The Electric field creates a force that stops the
diffusion of carriers and reaches thermal equilibrium
condition
● Charge separated region is called space charge region
or depleted region.
W
Electron diffusion
Hole diffusion
-- ++
p - - E ++ n
- - ++
Known as space charge

region/depletion region.
Potential difference across the depletion region is called the
built-in potential barrier, or built-in voltage:
VT = kT/e
k = Boltzmann’s constant
T = absolute temperature
e = the magnitude of the electronic charge = 1 eV
Na = the net acceptor concentration in the p-region
Nd = the net donor concentration in the n-region
VT = thermal voltage, [VT = kT/ e] it is approximately 0.026 V
at temp, T = 300 K
Example 1
Calculate the built-in potential barrier of a pn junction.
Consider a silicon pn junction at T = 300 K, doped
Na = 1016 cm-3 in the p-region, Nd = 1017 cm-3 in the
n-region and ni = 1.5 x 1010 cm-3.
Solution
Reverse-Biased pn Junction
Ø +ve terminal is applied to the n-region of the pn junction and
vice versa.
Ø Applied voltage VR will induce an applied electric field EA.
Ø Direction of the EA is the same as that of the E-field in the
space-charge region.
Ø Magnitude of the electric field in the space-charge region
increases above the thermal equilibrium value.
Total ET = E + EA
Ø Increased electric field holds back the holes in the p-region
and the electrons in the n-region.
• Hence, no current across the pn junction.
• This applied voltage polarity is called reverse bias.
• Since there is an increase of the electric field in the depletion
region, the number of charges increases too since the width
of the depletion increases.
• However there exists very small current through the junction
because of the flow of minority carriers.
W
-- ++
p -- ++ n Equilibrium
-- ++
--- +++
p --- +++ n Reverse Biased
--- +++
WR
Junction Capacitance
There is a space charge region at a p-n junction. The space charges increase with increase
of reverse-bias voltage. so a capacitor is associated with the pn junction when a reverse-
bias voltage is applied. The junction capacitance or depletion layer capacitance of a pn
junction is:
Vbi
EXAMPLE 2.4 Calculate the junction capacitance of a silicon pn junction diode.

Consider that the diode is at room temperature (T = 300°K), with doping
concentrations of cm-3 , cm-3 and let .
Calculate the junction capacitance at reverse bias 3.5 V.
Forward-Biased pn Junction
Ø +ve terminal is applied to the p-region of the pn junction and vice
versa.
Ø Direction of the applied electric field EA is the opposite as that of the
E-field in the space-charge region.
Ø The net result is that the electric field in the space-charge region
lower than the thermal equilibrium value causing diffusion of charges
to begin again.
Ø The diffusion process continues as long as VD is applied creating
current in the pn junction, iD.
W
-- ++
p -- ++ n Equilibrium
-- ++
- +
p - + n Forward Biased
- +
WF
Width reduces, causing diffusion of carriersà current flows
Diode
A semiconductor device with two terminals
allowing the flow of current in one direction only.
Example: PN Junction Diode
Physical Structure Symbol

PN Junction Diode: I-V Relationship
Ø When a voltage is applied across a diode, the current ID

is expressed by:
VD
ηVT
ID = Is (e -1)
IS = the reverse-bias saturation current (for silicon 10-15
to 10-13 A)
VT = the thermal voltage (0.026 V at room temperature)
n = the emission coefficient (1 ≤ n ≤ 2)
Example-1
Consider a pn junction at T = 300 K in which IS = 10-14
A and n = 1. Find the diode current for vD = +0.70 V
and vD = -0.70 V.
Very small
current
• Example 2
– A silicon pn junction diode at T=300K has a
reverse biased current of Is = 10-14 A. Determine
the forward biased current for
i. VD = 0.5V
ii. VD = 0.6V
iii. VD = 0.7V
I-V Characteristics
The diode i–v

Characteristics
with some
scales
expanded and
others
compressed in
order to reveal
details
Junction Breakdown or Reverse
Breakdown
• An applied reverse bias (voltage) will result in a small
current to flow through the device.
• At a particular high voltage value, which is called as
breakdown voltage VB, large currents start to flow. If
there is no current limiting resistor which is
connected in series to the diode, the diode will be
destroyed. There are two physical effects which cause
this breakdown.
1) Zener breakdown is observed in highly doped p-n junctions

and occurs at relatively low voltages.
2) Avalanche breakdown is observed in less highly doped p-n
junctions and occurs atr high voltages.
Zener breakdown
• Zener breakdown occurs at highly doped p-n
junctions with a tunneling mechanism.
• In a highly doped p-n junction the conduction

and valance bands on opposite side of the
junction become so close during the reverse-bias
that the electrons on the p-side can tunnel from
directly valance band into the conduction band
on the n-side.
Avalanche Breakdown
• Avalanche breakdown mechanism occurs when

electrons and holes moving through the diode region
and acquire sufficient energy from the electric field
to break a bond i.e. create electron-hole pairs by
colliding with atomic electrons within the depletion
region.
• The newly created electrons and holes move in
opposite directions due to the electric field and
thereby add to the existing reverse bias current. This
is the most important breakdown mechanism in p-n
junction.
Half-wave rectifier
Fig. (a) Rectifier circuit. (b) Input waveform (c) Output

waveform.
Full-wave rectifier
Full-wave bridge rectifier
Zener Regulator Voltage and Current

Lec4-5 - PN Junction and Diode

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1.

Impurity atom concentrations: 1012 – 1019 per cm3

● The two basic processes which cause electrons and

Ø Drift - the movement caused by electric field.

● The basic diffusion process

● Flow of particles from a region of high-

Known as space charge

EXAMPLE 2.4 Calculate the junction capacitance of a silicon pn junction diode.

Physical Structure Symbol

Ø When a voltage is applied across a diode, the current ID

The diode i–v

1) Zener breakdown is observed in highly doped p-n junctions

• In a highly doped p-n junction the conduction

• Avalanche breakdown mechanism occurs when

Fig. (a) Rectifier circuit. (b) Input waveform (c) Output

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