03-Diode Equivalent Circuits

Diode Equivalent
Circuits
Diode
• Made from a small piece of semiconductor material usually silicon, in
which half is doped as a P-region and half is doped as an N-region
with a PN junction and depletion region in between.
• The P region is called anode

• P-Type material
• The N region is called cathode

• N-Type material
PN Junction
• A p–n junction is a boundary or interface between two types of
semiconductor materials, p-type and n-type, inside a single crystal of
semiconductor.
• The boundary between two different types of semiconductive
materials.
• A PN-junction is formed when an N-type material is fused together
with a P-type material creating a semiconductor diode
Depletion Region
• A region around the PN junction where no current carriers exist
• Also called the insulation region
Bias
• Current or voltage applied to a semiconductor component to turn it
on or off
• Zero Bias – no external voltage potential is applied to the PN

junction diode
• Forward Bias – connection wherein the P-region is connected to
positive terminal of the source
• Reverse Bias – connection wherein the N-region is connected to
positive terminal of the source
No Applied Bias
• When there is no voltage
applied across the PN junction,
the potential developed across
the junction is 0.3 volts at 25
degrees C for germanium PN
junction and 0.7 volts at 25
degrees C for silicon PN junction
Forward Biased PN Junction
Forward Biased PN Junction
• A negative voltage is applied to the N-type material and a
positive voltage is applied to the P-type material. If this
external voltage becomes greater than the value of the
potential barrier, 0.7 volts for silicon and 0.3 volts for
germanium, the potential barriers opposition will be
overcome and current will start to flow.
• The application of a forward biasing voltage on the junction
diode results in the depletion layer becoming very thin and
narrow which represents a low impedance path through the
junction thereby allowing high currents to flow. The point at
which this sudden increase in current takes place is
represented on the static I-V characteristics curve above as
the “knee” point.
Voltage-Current Characteristics
• Forward Bias condition
• When a forward-bias voltage
is applied across a diode,
there is current , called the
forward current and is
designated IF
• As the forward-bias voltage is
gradually increased, the
forward current and the
When the forward-bias voltage is increased to a value where
voltage across the diode the voltage across the diode reaches approximately 0.7 V (Si),
gradually increases 0.3 V (Ge) (barrier potential), the forward current
begins to increase rapidly,
Reverse Biased PN Junction
Reverse Biased PN Junction
• A positive voltage is applied to the N-type material and a
negative voltage is applied to the P-type material.
• The positive voltage applied to the N-type material attracts
electrons towards the positive electrode and away from the
junction, while the holes in the P-type end are also
attracted away from the junction towards the negative
electrode.
• The net result is that the depletion layer grows wider due
to a lack of electrons and holes and presents a high
impedance path, almost an insulator and a high potential
barrier is created across the junction thus preventing
current from flowing through the semiconductor material.
• Reverse Bias Condition
• When a reverse-bias voltage is
applied across a diode, there is
only an extremely small reverse
current (IR) through the pn
junction
• When the applied bias voltage
is increased to a value where
the reverse voltage across the
diode (VR) reaches the
breakdown value (VBR), the
reverse current begins to
increase rapidly.
Diode Equivalent Circuits
• Combination of elements properly chosen to best represent the
actual terminal characteristic of the diode.
• Piecewise Linear Model

• The Practical Diode Model
• Ideal diode model
Ideal diode model
• The ideal model of a diode is the least accurate approximation and
can be represented by a simple switch
• When the diode is forward-biased, it ideally acts like a closed (on)
switch
• When the diode is reverse-biased, it ideally acts like an open (off)
switch
Ideal diode model
The Practical Diode Model
• Includes the barrier potential
• When the diode is forward-biased, it is equivalent to a closed switch
in series with a small equivalent voltage source (VF) equal to the
barrier potential (0.7 V for Si, 0.3 V for Ge) with the positive side
toward the anode.
• When the diode is reverse-biased, it is equivalent to an open switch
just as in the ideal model
The Practical Diode Model
VF = 0.7V (Silicon)
VF = 0.3V (Germanium)
The Complete Diode Model
• The most accurate approximation and includes the barrier potential,
the small forward dynamic resistance(r’d) and the large internal
reverse resistance (r’R)
• When the diode is forward-biased, it acts as a closed switch in series
with the equivalent barrier potential voltage (VB) and the small
forward dynamic resistance (r’d)
• When the diode is reverse-biased, it acts as an open switch in parallel
with the large internal reverse resistance (r’R)
The Complete Diode Model
Series Diode Configurations with
DC inputs
1. Determine the status of each diode
- in general, a diode is in the “ON” state if the current established by the applied
sources is such that its direction matches that of the arrow in the diode symbol.
(VD > 0.7V for Silicon and VD > 0.3V for Germanium)
2. For each configuration, mentally replace the diodes with resistive
elements and note the resulting current direction as established by
the applied voltages
3. If the diode is in the “on” state, place a 0.7V drop across the
element, or the network can be redrawn with the VT equivalent
Series Diode Configurations with
DC inputs
VR
Equivalent Model for the “ON”
diode
Since E > VT; diode is “ON”
IR Voltage across the diode VD:

VD = VT (Turn on voltage)
ID Voltage across resistor VR:

VR = E - VT
Diode Current ID:
ID = IR = VR/R
Node Voltages
What is VA – VB ? 4V
VA
What about VB – VA ? -4V
What is the value of VB if

VA = 10 V ? 6 V
VB
Branch Current Equation
2 Branch Current Equation is

based on Ohm’s Law
B
(VA – VB) / 2 = I
Kirchhoff Current Law
Kirchhoff Voltage Law

• What will be the polarity of the voltage across the
resistor if the current direction is as follows:
I
+ VR -
Example
a. Solve for VD, VR, ID

b. Repeat with the
diode reversed
c. Repeat if E = 0.5V
• An open circuit can have any voltage across its terminals, but the
current is always 0 A
• A short circuit has a 0 V across its terminals, but the current is limited
only by the surrounding network
Example
Solve for VO and ID

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Diode Equivalent

• The P region is called anode

• The N region is called cathode

• Zero Bias – no external voltage potential is applied to the PN

• Piecewise Linear Model

IR Voltage across the diode VD:

ID Voltage across resistor VR:

What about VB – VA ? -4V

What is the value of VB if

2 Branch Current Equation is

Kirchhoff Voltage Law

a. Solve for VD, VR, ID

Solve for VO and ID

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