Alessandra Benedict S.

Robillos BSECE 2-1

Module 4 Assessment

1. Enumerate the different types of special purpose diodes and give their functions.

a) Zener diodes: These diodes are used for voltage regulation and voltage stabilization.
b) Schottky diodes: These diodes have a lower forward voltage drop than regular diodes, making
them useful in high frequency switching applications.
c) Tunnel diodes: These diodes have a very small forward voltage drop and are used in high-
frequency applications such as microwave circuits.
d) LED (Light Emitting Diode): These diodes emit light when a current is applied and are used
in a wide range of applications including displays, indicators, and lighting.
e) Photodiodes: These diodes convert light energy into electrical energy and are used in a wide
range of applications including light detection, optical communication, and solar cells.
f) PIN diodes: These diodes are used for RF switching and modulation.
g) Varactor Diodes: These diodes are used for frequency modulation and tuning.
h) Gunn Diodes: These diodes are used for microwave generation and amplification.
i) IMPATT Diodes: These diodes are used for microwave generation and amplification.
j) Step recovery diodes: These diodes are used in pulse generation, and as a switch in frequency
multipliers.

2. Discuss in your own words the constructions of the special purpose diodes.
a) Zener diodes: These diodes are constructed using a heavily doped p-n junction, which allows
them to operate in the reverse breakdown region. They are typically encapsulated in a small
glass or plastic package to protect the junction.
b) Schottky diodes: These diodes are constructed using a metal-semiconductor junction, rather
than a p-n junction. This allows for a lower forward voltage drop and faster switching speeds.
c) Tunnel diodes: These diodes are constructed using a heavily doped p-n junction, which allows
for tunneling of electrons through the depletion region. They are typically encapsulated in a
small glass or plastic package to protect the junction.
d) LED (Light Emitting Diode): These diodes are constructed using a p-n junction made of
semiconductor material such as gallium arsenide or gallium phosphide, which emits light when
 a current is applied. They are typically encapsulated in a small plastic or glass package with a
lens to direct the light.
e) Photodiodes: These diodes are constructed using a p-n junction made of semiconductor
material such as silicon or germanium, which converts light energy into electrical energy. They
are typically encapsulated in a small plastic or glass package with a lens to focus the light onto
the junction.
f) PIN diodes: These diodes are constructed using a p-i-n junction, where the i-layer is an
intrinsic semiconductor layer. They are typically encapsulated in a small plastic or glass
package.
g) Varactor Diodes: These diodes are constructed using a p-n junction diode with a lightly doped
p-region and heavily doped n-region. The depletion region of the diode is made to vary with
applied voltage.
h) Gunn Diodes: These diodes are constructed using a heavily doped n-region, and a lightly
doped p-region. They are typically encapsulated in a small package and have a metal contact
on the n-side and a metal-semiconductor contact on the p-side.
i) IMPATT Diodes: These diodes are constructed using a p-n-p-n structure, which allows for the
generation of microwave power through the interaction of majority and minority carriers. They
are typically encapsulated in a small package and have metal contacts on the p-side and n-side.
j) Step recovery diodes: These diodes are constructed using a p-n-p-n structure, similar to
IMPATT diodes, with a heavily doped n-layer. They are typically encapsulated in a small
package and have metal contacts on the p-side and n-side.

3. Give a circuit application of the special purpose diodes.

Zener diode
 Schottky Diode Laser Diode

LED PIN Diode

4. Analyze how tunnel diode operates, give emphasis on tunneling effect.

Tunnel diodes operate by utilizing a phenomenon known as quantum mechanical tunneling. They are
constructed using a heavily doped p-n junction, which allows for the formation of a narrow depletion region.
When a forward bias is applied to the diode, electrons are able to tunnel through the depletion region and
into the opposite side of the diode. This results in a very small forward voltage drop and a high current
flow.

As the forward bias voltage is increased, the depletion region widens, and the tunneling current
decreases. At a certain point, known as the "peak point," the current reaches a maximum, and as the voltage
is increased further, the current begins to decrease rapidly. This behavior is known as the "negative
differential resistance" region.

The negative differential resistance region of the tunnel diode makes it useful for high-frequency
applications, such as microwave oscillators, amplifiers, and mixers. They are also used in some high-
frequency switching applications, due to its fast switching speed.
 Tunnel diodes are also used in some specialized applications such as frequency multipliers, and as
detectors in some types of spectroscopy.

The tunneling effect is a key aspect of how tunnel diodes operate. It is a quantum mechanical
phenomenon that allows electrons to pass through a potential barrier, even if the barrier is higher than the
energy of the electrons. In a tunnel diode, the potential barrier is the depletion region of the heavily doped
p-n junction.

When a forward bias is applied to the diode, electrons are able to tunnel through the depletion region
and into the opposite side of the diode, resulting in a very small forward voltage drop and a high current
flow. This tunneling effect is made possible by the narrow width of the depletion region in the tunnel diode,
which is much narrower than in a regular p-n junction diode.

As the forward bias voltage is increased, the depletion region widens, and the tunneling current
decreases. At a certain point, known as the "peak point," the current reaches a maximum, and as the voltage
is increased further, the current begins to decrease rapidly. This decrease in current with increasing voltage
is known as the negative differential resistance effect, and is a direct result of the tunneling effect.

Tunnel diodes can be operated in the negative differential resistance region, which allows them to
generate microwave power and to act as fast switches. The high-frequency characteristics of the tunnel
diodes are due to the tunneling effect.