Contents

1. Introduction

2.Diode theory

3.Zero biased junction diode

4.Reverse biased PN junction diode

5.Forward biased PN junction diode

6.Breakdown region

7. Useful diode parameters

8.Junction diode ideal and real

characteristic

9.Bibliography

10. Websites

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 INTRODUCTION
A DIODE IS A SPECIALISED ELECTRONIC COMPONENT WITH
TWO ELECTRODES CALLED THE ANODE AND THE CATHODE.

MOST DIODES ARE MADE WITH SEMICONDUCTORS MATERIALS

SUCH AS SILICON, GERMANIUM, OR SELENIUM. IF WE WERE TO
MAKE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION AT THE ENDS OF BOTH THE N-
TYPE AND THE P-TPYE MATERIALS AND THEN CONNECT THEM
TO A BATTERY SOURCE, AN ADDITIONAL ENERGY SOURCE NOW
EXISTS TO OVERCOME THE POTENTIAL BARRIRER

THE EFFECT OF ADDING THIS ADDITIONAL ENERGY SOURCE

RESULTS IN THE FREE ELECTRONS BEING ABLE TO CROSS THE
DEPLETION REGION FROM ONE SIDE TO THE POTENTIAL
BARRIER’S WIDTH PRODUCES AN ASYMMETRICAL CONDUCTING
TWO TERMINAL DEVICE, BETTER KNOWN AS THE PN JUNCTION
DIODE

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 DIODE

 THEORY
 PN JUNCTION
 BIASING
 CHARACTERISTIC
 CURVES

THEORY
A PN JUNCTION DIODE IS ONE OF THE SIMPLEST SEMICONDUCTOR
DEVICES ROUND AND WHICH HAS THE CHARATERISTIC OF PASSING
CURRENT IN ONLY ONE DIRECTION ONLY. HOWEVER, UNLIKE A
RESISTOR , A DIODE DOES NOT BEHAVE LINEARLY WITH RESPECT TO
THE APPLIED VOLTAGE AS THE DIODE HAS AN EXPONENTIAL
CURRENT-VOLTAGE(I-V)RELATIONSHIP AND THERFORE WE CANNOT
DESCRIBED ITS OPERATION BY SIMPLY USING AN EQUATION SUCH AS
OHM’S LAW

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THECHARACTERISTIC CURVE OF A JUNCTION DIODE IS ALSO CALLED
AN I-V CURE .IT IS TYPICALLY A GRAPH SHOWING THE CURRENT
FLOW AT DIFFERENT VOLTAGE .THE CURRENT IS TYPICALLY ON THE
Y-AXIS,AND THE VOLTAGE ON THE X-AIXS, THIS TYPE OF GRAPH
PROVIDES ENGINEERS WITH A VISUAL RECORD OF THE OPERATING
CHARATERISTIC OF THE COMPONENT. THIS INFORMATION ENABLES
THEM TO USE THE COMPONENT MORE APPROPRIATEL WITHIN A
CIRCUIT. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIODES, AND THEY
ALL HAVE DIFFERENT CHARATHERISTIC CURVES AND APPLICATION.
HERE ARE SOME DIODES YOU MIGHT COME ACROSS: ZENER,
GERMANIUM, GUNN, TUNNEL AND SCHOTTKY.THE CURRENT THAT
FLOWS THROUGH IT IS NOT PROPORTIONAL TO THE APPLIED
VOLTAGE

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IF A SUITABLE POSITIVE VOLTAGE (FORWARD BIAS) IS APPLIED
BETEEWN THE TWO ENDS OF THE PN JUNCTION, IT CAN SUPPLY FREE
ELECTRON AND HOLES WITH THE EXTRA ENERY THEY REQUIRE TO
CROSS THE JUNCTION AS THE WIDTH OF THE DEPLETION LAYER
AROUND THE PN JUCTION IS DECREASED

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BY APPLYING A NEGATIVE VOLTAGE (REVERSE BIAS) RESULT IN THE
FREE CHARGES BEGING PULLED AWAY FROM THE JUNCTION
RESULTING IN THE DEPLITION LAYER WIDTH BEING INCREASED. THIS
HAS THE EFFECT OF INCREASING OR DECREASING THE EFFECTIVE
RESISTANCE OF THE JUNCTION ITSELF ALLOWING OR BOLCKING
CURRENT FOLW THROUGH THE DIODE

THEN THE DEPLETION LAYER WIDENS WITH AN INCREASE IN THE

APLLICATION OF A FORWARD VOLTAGE.THIS IS DUE TO THE
DIFFERENCES IN THE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES ON THE TWO SIDES OF
THE PN JUNCTION RESULTING IN PHYSICAL CHANGES TAKING PLACE.
ONE THE RESULTS PRODUCES RECTIFICATION AS SEEN IN THE PN
JUNCTION DIODE STATIC I-V (CURRENT-VOLTAGE) CHARATERISTIC
.RECTIFICATION IS SHOWN BY AN ASYMMETRICAL CURRENT FLOW
WHEN THE POLARITY OF BIAS VOLTAGE IS ALTERED AS SHOWN
BELOW

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JUNCTION DIODE SYMBOL AND STATIC I-
V CHARATERISTIC

BUT BEFORE WE CAN USE THE PN JUCTION AS A PRACTICAL DEVICE

OR AS A RECTIFYING DEVICE WE NEED TO FIRSTLY BIAS THE
JUNCTION, I.E CONNECT A VOLTAGE POTENTIAL ACROSS IT .ON THE
VOLTAGE AXIX ABOVE, “REVERSE BIAS”, AND REFERS TO AN EXTERNAL
VOTAGE POTENTIAL WHICH INCREASE THE POTENTIAL BARRIER. AN
EXTERNAL VOLTAGE WHICH DECREASES THE POTENTIAL BARRIER IS
SAID TO ACT IN THE FORWARD BIAS DIRECTION.

THERE ARE TWO OPERATING REGION AND THREE POSSIBLE BIASING

CONDITONS FOR THE STANDRAD JUNCTION DIODE AND THESE ARE:

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 ZERO BIAS – NO EXTERNAL VOLTAGE POTENTIAL I APPLIED TO
PN JUNCTION DIODE

 REVERSE BIAS – THE VOLTAGE POTENTIAL IS CONNECTD

NEGATIVE, (-VE) TO THE P-TPYE MATERIAL AND POSITIVE, (+VE)
TO THE N-TYPE MATERIAL ACROSS THE DIODE WHICH HAS THE
EFFECT OF INCREASING THE PN JUNCTION DIODE’S WIDTH.

 FORWARD BIAS-THE VOLTAGE POTENTIAL IS CONNECTED

POSTIVE,(+VE) TO THE P-TYPE MATERIAL AND NEGATIVE,(-VE)

TO THE N-TYPE MATERIAL ACROSS TH DIODE WHICH HAS THE

EFFECT OF DECREASING THE PN JUNCTION DIODES WIDTH

ZERO BIASED JUNCTION DIODE

WHEN A DIODE IS CONNECTED IN A ZERO BIAS CONDITION,NO
EXTERNAL POTENTIAL ENERGY IS APPLIED TO THE PN
JUCTION.HOWEVER IF THE DIODES TERMINAL ARE SHORTED
TOGETHER, A FEW HOLES(MAJORITY CARRIERS)IN THE P-TYPE
MATERIAL WITH ENOUGH ENERGY TO OVERCOME HE POTENTIAL
BARRIER WILL MOVE ACROSS THE JUNCTION AGAINST THIS
BARRIER POTENTIAL. THIS IS KNOWN AS THE FORWARD CURRENT
AND IS REFERENCED AS IF

LIKEWISE, WHOLE GENERATED IN THE N-TYPE MATERIAL

(MINORITY CARRIERS) FIND THIS SITUATION FAVOURABLE AND
MOVE ACROSS THE JUNCTION IN THE OPPOSTIE DIRECTION.THIS
IS KNOWN AS THE REVERSE CURRENT AND IS REFERENCED AS IR.

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 THIS TRANFER OF ELECTRON AND HOLES BACK AND FORTH
ACROSS THE PN JUNCTION IS KNOWN AS DIFFUSION, AS SHOWN
BELOW

ZERO BIASED PN JUNCTION DTOBE

THEE PONTENTIAL BARRIER THAT NOW EXISTS DISCOURAGE THE

DIFFUSION OF ANY MORE MAJORITY CARRIERS ACROSS THE
JUNCTION.HOWEVER, THE POTENTIAL BARRIER HEPLS MINORITY
CARRIERS (FEW FREE ELECTRONS IN THE P-REGION AND FEW HOLES
IN THE N-REGION) TO DRIFT ACROSS THE JUNCTION

THEN AN EQUILIBRIUM OR BALANCE WILL BE ESTABLISHED WHEN

THE MAJORITY CARRIERS ARE EQUAL AND BOTH MOVING IN
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, SO THAT THE NET RESULT IS ZERO CURRENT

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FLOWING IN THE CIRCUIT. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE JUNCTION IS SAID
TO BE IN STATE OF DYNAMIC EQULIBRIUM

THE MINORITY CARRIERS ARE CONSTANTLY GENERATED DUE TO

THERMAL ENERGY SO THIS STATE OF EQULIBRIUM CAN BE BROKEN
BY RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PN JUNCTION CAUSING AN
INCREASE IN THE GENRATION OF MINORITY CARRIERS,THEREBY
RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN LEAKAGE CURRENT BUT AN ELECTRIC
CURRENT CANNOT FLOW SINCE NO CIRCUIT HAS BEEN CONNECTED
TO THE PN JUCTION

RETIME BIASEFA PN JUNCTION BIOTIE

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WHEN A DIODE I CONNECTED IN A REVERSE BIAS CONDITION, A
POSITIVE VOLTAGE IS APPLIED TO THE N-TYPE MATERIAL AND A
NEGATIVE 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 FROM THE JUNCTION TOWARDS THE
NEGATIVE ELECTRODE

THE NET RESULT IS THAT THE DEPLECTION LAYER GROWS WIDER DUE
TO A LACK OF ELECTRON AND HOLES AND PRESENT A HIGH
IMPEDANCE PATH, ALMOST AN INSULATOR. THE RESULT IS THAT

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HIGH POTENTIAL BARRIER IS CREATED THUS PREVENTING CURRENT
FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE SEMCONDUCTOR MATERIAL

INCREASE IN THE DEPLITION LAYER DUE

TO REVERSE BIAS

THIS CONDITION REPRESENT A HIGH RESISTANCE VALUE TO THE PN

JUNCTION AND PRACTICALLY ZERO CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE
JUNCTION DIODE WITH AN INCREASE IN BIAS VOLTAGE. HOWEVER,
A VERY SMALL LEAKAGE CURRENT DOES FOLW THROUGH THE
JUNCTION WHICH CAN BE MEASURED IN MICRO-AMPERES

ONE FINAL PONIT, IF THE REVERSE BIAS VOLTAGE Very APPLIED TO

THE DIODE IS INCREASED TO SUFFICINTLY HIGH ENOUGH VALUE, IT
WILL CAUSE THE DIODE’S PN JUNCTION TO OVERHEAT AND FAIL DUE
TO THE AVALANCHE EFFECT AROUND THE JUNCTION. THIS MAY

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CAUSE THE DIODE TO BECOME SHORTED AND WILL RESULT IN THE
FLOW OF MAXIMUM CIRCUIT CURRENT, AND THIS SHOWN AS A STEP
DOWNWARD SLOPE IN THE REVERSE STATIC CHARACTERISTICS
CURVE BELOW

REVERSE CHARACTERISTIC CURVE FOR A JUNCTION DIODE

SOMETIMES THIS AVALANCHE EFFECT HAS PRACTICAL APPLICATION

IN VOLTAGE STABILIZING CIRCUITS WHERE A SERIES LIMITING
RESISTOR IS USED WITH THE DIODE TO LIMIT THIS RVERSE
BREAKDOWN CURRENT TO A PRESET MAXIMUM VALUE THEREBY
PRODUCING A FIXED VOLTAGE OUTPUT ACROSS THE DIODE.THESE
TYPES OF DIODES ARE COMMONLY KNOWN AS ZENER DIODES AND
ARE DISCUSSED IN A LATER TUTORIAL

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FORWARD BIASED PN JUNCTION DIODE

WHEN A DIODE IS CONNECTED IN A FORWARD BIAS CONDITON, 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

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FOR GERMANIUM, THE POTENTIAL BARRIERS OPPOSITION WILL BE
OVERCOME AND CURRENT WILL START TO FLOW

THIS IS BECAUSE THE NEGATIVE VOLTAGE PUSHES OR REPELS

ELECTRON TOWARDS THE JUNCTION GIVING THEM THE ENERGY TO
CROSS OVER AND COMBINE WITH THE HOLES BEING PUSHED IN THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTION TOWARDS THE JUNCTION BY THE POSITIVE
VOLTAGE.THIS RESULT IN A CHARACTERISTIC CURVE OF ZERO

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CURRENT FLOWING UP TO THIS VOLTAGE POINT, CALLED THE KNEE
ON THE STATIC AND THEN HIGH CURRENT FLOW THROUGH THE
DIODE WITH LITTLE INCREASE IN THE EXTERNAL VOLTAGE AS SHOWN
BELOW

FORWARD CHARATERISTIC CURDE FOR A

JUNCTION DIODE
THE APPLICATION OF FORWARD BIASING VOLTAGE ON THE
JUNCTION DIODE RESULT IN THE DEPLETION LAYER BECOING VERY
THIN AND NARROW WHICH REPRESENT A LOW IMPEDENCE PATH
THROUGH THE JUNCTION THERBY ALLOWING HIGH CURRENT TO

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FOLW . THE POINT AT THE WHICH THIS SUDDEN INCREASE IN
CURRENT TAKES PLACE IS REPRESENTED ON

BREAKBOTON REGION

THEN SOMETHING INERESTING HAPPENS AT THE KNEE PART OF THE

CURVE.THIS POINT IS CALLED THE BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE
.SUDDENLY THERE IS AN INCREASED FLOW IN REVERSE CURRENT. NO

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MATTER HOW MUCH REVERSE VOLTAGE IS APPLIED, THE VOLTAGE
ACROSS THE DIODE DOES NOT CHANGE

IN SEPCIFICATION SHEETS SOME MANUFACTURES REFERS TO THE

REVERSE CURRENT, OR LEAKAGE CURRENT, AS THE POINT NEAR THE
KNEE, JUST BEFORE BREAKDOWN

JUNCTION DIODE IDEAL AND REAL

CHARACTERSTIC

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BILIOGRPHY
 PHYSICS NCERT TEXTBOOK

 FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS –PRADEEP KSHETRAPAL

 CONCEPT OF PHYSICS – H C VERMA

WEBSITES
 WWW.GOOGLE.COM

 WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET

 WWW.SEMINARS.NET

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