PN Diode

DIODE
• A p-n junction is formed by joining p-type and n-type
semiconductors together in very close contact.
• The term junction refers to the boundary interface where the two
regions of the semiconductor meet.
 Cont..
• Near the junction the free electrons of N-type semiconductor
recombines with the free holes of the P-type semiconductor, leaving the
immobile ions
• These opposite charge ions is called as space charge region or depletion
layer.
• The electric field created by the space charge region opposes the
diffusion process for both electrons and holes.
• There are two concurrent phenomena: the diffusion process that tends to
generate more space charge, and the electric field generated by the
space charge that tends to counteract the diffusion.
 Diode Biasing

Biasing means applying external voltage to diode terminals.

• A diode can be biased in the following ways:
• No biasing ( open circuit)
• Reverse Biasing
• Forward Biasing
 No Bias(V=0v)
• The minority charge carriers (holes in the N-type material ) quickly
pass into the P-type material.
• The closer the minority carriers to the junction the greater is the
attraction for the layers of negative ions and less is the opposition
offered by the positive ions in the depletion region.
• Similarly the minority electron in P-type material also flows to the n
type material.
• The minority carrier flow of each material is shown in the fig.
 Cont..
• The majority carrier electrons of N-type material must overcome the attractive
force of the layer of +ions and shield of –ve ions to migrate into P-type
material.
• The number of majority carriers is so large that only small number of majority
carriers have sufficient energy to pass through the depletion region into the
P-type material.
• Similarly very small amount of hole will cross the depletion region and move
to N-type material.
• The resulting current flow due to majority carriers for each type of material is
shown in the fig.
• The net flow of current in either direction is zero . Hence in the absence of an
applied bias the net flow of charges in any direction is zero.
 Reverse Bias(V<0)
• Reverse bias: When the +ve terminal of the external potential is connected to N-type
material and the –ve terminal is connected to the P-type material.

• The large number of free electron in the N-type material are drawn towards the applied
+ve potential and hence the number of uncovered +ve ions in the depletion region
increases.
• For similar reason the uncovered –ve ions will increase in the P-type material. Thus the
width of the depletion region will increase, which result increasing the barrier potential
and effectively reducing the majority carrier flow to zero.
 Cont..
•
 Forward Bias (V>0 v)
Forward bias: When the +ve terminal of the external potential is connected to P-type material
and the –ve terminal is connected to the N-type material.
• The application of a forward bias potential will pressure electrons in the N-type material
and holes in the P-type material to recombine with the ions near the junction and reduce
the width of the depletion region.
• The reduction in width of depletion region results a heavy flow of majority carriers across
the junction.
• As the biasing potential will increase the width of the depletion region will continue to
decrease, resulting a flood of majority charge carriers crossing the junction, which
produces in exponential rise in current as shown in the Fig.
 Current Equation of Diode
The current for the forward and reverse bias of the diode is given
by shockley equation
 Diode Characteristics

Breakdown voltage
 Cont….
• In the forward bias condition, 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, approx. 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 forward voltage at which the current through the diode starts to increase rapidly is called
Knee Voltage. In FB the current is in mA range
• In he Reverse bias condition, a positive voltage is applied to the N-type material and a
negative voltage is applied to the P-type material. Here the current is only due to the
minority charge carrier and is in μA or nA range. However in the negative region, there is a
point where the application of too negative voltage will result in a sharp change in the
characteristics, as shown in Figure. The current increases at a very rapid rate in a direction
opposite to that of the positive voltage region. The reverse-bias potential that results in this
dramatic change in characteristics is called the Break down voltage.
 Breakdown in Diode
The following two mechanism can cause breakdown in a
junction diode
1) Zener breakdown
2) Avalanche breakdown
Avalanche Breakdown
•
 Zener breakdown
• Zener breakdown phenomena occurs in a pn junction diode which is
heavily doped and having a narrow depletion region.
• Unlike avalanche breakdown, Zener breakdown does not originate
from the collision of the carriers with the crystal stable atoms.
• When we increase the reverse voltage across the pn junction diode,
the electric field across the diode junction increases. This high electric
field exerts a large force on a bonded electron to tear it out from its
covalent bond
• Thus a direct rupture of covalent bond produces a large numbers of
electrons holes pairs. Thereby increase in the reverse current occurs.
• Zener BD occurs at lower reverse bias voltage as compared to
avalanche BD.
• Zener BD voltage decreases with rise in temperature
• Zener breakdown does not result in damage of diode.
•
 Problems
Following two examples are taken from Chattopadhyay Book. Repeat the
following using and verify the answer.
 Diode Resistances
1. DC or Static resistance
2. AC or Dynamic Resistance
3. Average AC Resistance
1. DC or Static resistance
•
Example:
2. AC or Dynamic Resistance:
• If a sinusoidal input is applied, varying input will move the
instantaneous operating point up and down a region of the
characteristics and thus defines a specific change in current and
voltage as shown in Fig.
• A straight line drawn tangent to the curve through a operating-point
as shown in Fig. will define a particular change in voltage and
current that can be used to determine the ac or dynamic resistance
for this region of the diode characteristics
Example
Cont..(2. AC or Dynamic Resistance)
• The derivative of a function at a point is equal to the slope of the tangent
line drawn at that point. Taking the derivative of diode current equation:
 Average AC Resistance
• If the input signal is sufficiently large to produce a broad swing such as
indicated in Fig. the resistance associated with the device for this region is
called the average ac resistance
• The average ac resistance is, by definition, the resistance determined by a
straight line drawn between the two intersections established by the
maximum and minimum values of input voltage. In equation form
Summary
 Diode Equivalent Circuit
• An equivalent circuit is a combination of elements properly
chosen to best represent the actual terminal characteristics of a
device, system, or such in a particular operating region.
• Once the equivalent circuit is defined, the device symbol can be
removed from a schematic and the equivalent circuit inserted in
its place without severely affecting the actual behavior of the
system.
A diode can have three different type of equivalent circuit
1. Piecewise-Linear Equivalent Circuit
2. Simplified Equivalent Circuit
3. Ideal Equivalent Circuit
1. Piecewise-Linear Equivalent Circuit
•
 2. Simplified Equivalent Circuit

•
 1. Ideal Equivalent Circuit

• 0.7-V level can often be ignored in comparison to the applied voltage level.
• In this case the equivalent circuit will be reduced to that of an ideal diode
as shown in Figure.
Summary