The Zener Diode
A Semiconductor Diode blocks current in the reverse direction, but will suffer from
premature breakdown or damage if the reverse voltage applied across becomes too
high However, the Zener Diode or “Breakdown Diode”, as they are sometimes
referred too, are basically the same as the standard PN junction diode exept that they
are specially designed to have a low and specified Reverse Breakdown
Voltage which takes advantage of any reverse voltage applied to it.
In the forward-biased direction, that is Anode is more positive with respect to
its Cathode, a zener diode behaves like a normal junction diode when the
forward voltage VF across the diode exceeds 0.7 volts (silicon) causing the
zener diode to conduct. The forward current flowing through the conducting
diode is at its maximum determined only by the connected load. Thus in the
forward-bias direction, the zener behaves like a regular diode within its
specified current and/or power limits and as such, the forward characteristics
of a zener diode is generally of no interest.
However, unlike a conventional diode that blocks any flow of current through
itself when reverse biased, that is the Cathode becomes more positive than
the Anode, as soon as the reverse voltage reaches a pre-determined value,
the zener diode begins to conduct in the reverse direction.
Since a zener diode is designed to work in the reverse breakdown region of its
characteristic curve, they have a fixed breakdown voltage, VZ value which is
determined during manufacture. As the reverse voltage across the zener
diode increases from 0 volts to its zener breakdown voltage, a small reverse
or leakage current will flow through the diode which remains fairly constant as
the reverse voltage increases.
Once the reverse voltage applied across the zener diode exceeds the rated
voltage of the device, a process called Zener Breakdown occurs in the
semiconductor depletion layer and a current starts to flow through the diode to
limit this increase in voltage.
The current now flowing through the zener diode increases dramatically to its
maximum circuit value (which is usually limited by a series resistor). Once
zener breakdown occurs, the voltage drop across the diode remains fairly
constant even though the zener current, IZ through it can vary considerably.
The voltage point at which the voltage across the zener diode becomes stable
is called the “zener voltage”, (VZ). For zener diodes this breakdown voltage
value can range from a few volts upto a few hundred volts.
The point at which the zener voltage triggers the current to flow through the
diode can be very accurately controlled (to less than 1% tolerance) in the
doping stage of the diodes semiconductor construction giving the diode a
specific zener breakdown voltage, ( VZ ) for example, 4.3V or 7.5V. This zener
breakdown voltage on the I-V curve is almost a vertical straight line.
Zener Diode I-V Characteristics
The Zener
Diode is used in its “reverse bias” or reverse breakdown mode, i.e. the diodes
anode connects to the negative supply. From the I-V characteristics curve
above, we can see that the zener diode has a region in its reverse bias
characteristics of almost a constant negative voltage regardless of the value
of the current flowing through the diode.
This voltage remains almost constant even with large changes in current
providing the zener diodes current remains between the breakdown
current IZ(min) and its maximum current rating IZ(max).
This ability of the zener diode to control itself can be used to great effect to
regulate or stabilise a voltage source against supply or load variations. The
fact that the voltage across the diode in the breakdown region is almost
constant turns out to be an important characteristic of the zener diode as it
can be used in the simplest types of voltage regulator applications.
The function of a voltage regulator is to provide a constant output voltage to a
load connected in parallel with it in spite of the ripples in the supply voltage or
variations in the load current. A zener diode will continue to regulate its
voltage until the diodes holding current falls below the minimum IZ(min) value in
the reverse breakdown region.
The Zener Diode Regulator
Zener Diodes can be used to produce a stabilised voltage output with low
ripple under varying load current conditions. By passing a small current
through the diode from a voltage source, via a suitable current limiting resistor
(RS), the zener diode will conduct sufficient current to maintain a voltage drop
of Vout.
We remember from the previous tutorials that the DC output voltage from the
half or full-wave rectifiers contains ripple superimposed onto the DC voltage
and that as the load value changes so to does the average output voltage. By
connecting a simple zener stabiliser circuit as shown below across the output
of the rectifier, a more stable output voltage can be produced.
Zener Diode Regulator
Resistor, RS is connected in series with the zener diode to limit the current flow
through the diode with the voltage source, VS being connected across the
combination. The stabilised output voltage Vout is taken from across the zener
diode. The zener diode is connected with its cathode terminal connected to
the positive rail of the DC supply so it is reverse biased and will be operating
in its breakdown condition. Resistor RS is selected so to limit the maximum
current flowing in the circuit.
With no load connected to the circuit, the load current will be zero, ( IL = 0 ),
and all the circuit current passes through the zener diode which in turn
dissipates its maximum power.
Also a small value of the series resistor RS will result in a greater diode current
when the load resistance RL is connected and large as this will increase the
power dissipation requirement of the diode so care must be taken when
selecting the appropriate value of series resistance so that the zener’s
maximum power rating is not exceeded under this no-load or high-impedance
condition.
The load is connected in parallel with the zener diode, so the voltage
across RL is always the same as the zener voltage, ( VR = VZ ).
