Scribd
Upload
200 views7 pages

Simulation of PN Junction Diode

Uploaded by

palakag1808
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
200 views7 pages

Simulation of PN Junction Diode

Uploaded by

palakag1808
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

‭1.

‬‭Simulation of PN Junction diode using Silvaco Atlas‬


‭Objective:‬ ‭To‬‭design‬‭the‬‭2-D‬‭structure‬‭of‬‭ohmic‬‭and‬‭Schottky‬‭contact‬‭silicon‬‭p-n‬‭junction‬‭diode‬
‭using Silvaco Atlas and observe its I-V and C-V characteristics.‬

‭Assignments:‬

‭a.‬ ‭Plot‬‭the‬‭IV‬‭characteristics‬‭of‬‭the‬‭forward‬‭biased‬‭PN‬‭Junction‬‭diode‬‭in‬‭log‬‭scale‬‭and‬
‭explain the reason behind such behavior.‬

‭The graph illustrates the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a diode, with the anode‬
‭current plotted on the y-axis against the anode voltage on the x-axis. By using a logarithmic‬
‭scale‬‭on‬‭the‬‭y-axis,‬‭a‬‭broader‬‭range‬‭of‬‭current‬‭values‬‭can‬‭be‬‭shown.‬‭As‬‭the‬‭voltage‬‭rises,‬‭in‬‭the‬
‭forward-bias‬ ‭region‬ ‭(positive‬ ‭voltage‬ ‭applied‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭anode),‬ ‭the‬ ‭diode's‬ ‭current‬ ‭increases‬
‭exponentially‬‭with‬‭voltage.‬‭This‬‭happens‬‭because,‬‭as‬‭the‬‭forward‬‭voltage‬‭increases,‬‭more‬‭charge‬
‭carriers‬‭(electrons‬‭and‬‭holes)‬‭are‬‭injected‬‭across‬‭the‬‭p-n‬‭junction,‬‭reducing‬‭the‬‭barrier‬‭for‬‭current‬
‭flow.‬

‭At a specific voltage, the graph displays a sudden surge in current, marking the breakdown‬
‭voltage of the diode. Past this threshold, the diode conducts significantly, with the current‬
‭escalating‬ ‭swiftly‬ ‭with‬ ‭minimal‬ ‭voltage‬ ‭increments.‬ ‭This‬ ‭occurs‬ ‭when‬‭the‬‭reverse-bias‬‭voltage‬
‭(for a Zener or avalanche diode) exceeds a critical level, causing a sudden surge in current.‬

‭b.‬ ‭Line‬ ‭18‬ ‭and‬ ‭19:‬‭Change‬‭doping‬‭concentration‬‭of‬‭the‬‭p-type‬‭region‬‭to‬‭10‬‭17‬ ‭cm‬‭-3‬ ‭and‬


‭n-type‬‭region‬‭to‬‭10‬‭16‬ ‭cm‬‭-3‬‭.‬‭Plot‬‭band‬‭diagram‬‭for‬‭these‬‭doping‬‭concentrations.‬‭Also,‬
‭mark‬ ‭the‬ ‭depletion‬ ‭regions‬ ‭(both‬ ‭n‬ ‭and‬ ‭p‬ ‭sides)‬ ‭and‬ ‭show‬‭built-in‬‭potential‬‭in‬‭the‬
‭band‬ ‭diagram.‬ ‭Verify‬ ‭the‬ ‭obtained‬ ‭values‬ ‭of‬ ‭depletion‬ ‭region‬ ‭widths‬ ‭and‬ ‭built‬ ‭in‬
‭potential with theoretically obtained results (ni= 1.5⨯10‬‭10‬ ‭cm‬‭-3‬‭)‬

‭Around the 3-micron point on the graph, you'll find the depletion region. In this region, the p-‬
‭type‬ ‭area‬ ‭shows‬ ‭higher‬ ‭conduction‬ ‭band‬ ‭and‬ ‭valence‬ ‭band‬ ‭energies‬ ‭compared‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭n-type‬
‭region, which has lower energies. This energy contrast creates a potential barrier that hinders‬
‭the movement of electrons and holes across the junction, resulting in their depletion through‬
‭recombination.‬
‭To find the built-in potential from the graph, draw a horizontal line from the Fermi level in the‬
‭p-type region to the Fermi level in the n-type region within the depletion area. The vertical‬
‭gap between these points indicates the built-in potential, calculated at 0.775V.‬

‭The built-in potential can also be determined theoretically using the formula:‬
‭Vbi = Vt * log((Na * Nd)/(ni)^2)‬

‭Where:‬
‭Vt = 25.9mV‬
‭Na = 10^17 cm^-3‬
‭Nd = 10^16 cm^-3‬
‭ni = 1.5*10^10 cm^-3‬
‭Substituting the given values into the formula yields Vbi = 0.728V.‬

‭You can also calculate the depletion width using the formula:‬
‭xd = ((2_e/q)ln(1/Na + 1/Nd)_Vbi )^(1/2)‬
‭Where:‬
‭e = permittivity of the medium, q = charge.‬

‭c.‬ ‭Line‬ ‭27‬ ‭and‬ ‭28:‬ ‭Plot‬ ‭the‬ ‭band‬‭diagram‬‭of‬‭the‬‭diode‬‭at‬‭-0.2‬‭V,‬‭0.4‬‭V‬‭and‬‭0.9‬‭V‬‭and‬


‭check‬ ‭whether‬ ‭any‬ ‭difference‬ ‭is‬‭observed‬‭in‬‭the‬‭structures.‬‭If‬‭yes,‬‭then‬‭explain‬‭the‬
‭reason behind that.‬
‭Here‬ ‭is‬ ‭the‬ ‭energy‬ ‭band‬ ‭diagram‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭PN-junction‬ ‭diode‬ ‭under‬ ‭an‬ ‭external‬ ‭voltage‬ ‭of‬ ‭-0.2eV.‬

‭Here is the energy band diagram of a PN-junction diode under the influence of a 0.4eV‬
‭external voltage.‬
‭This diagram illustrates the energy band of a pn-junction diode under a 0.9eV external‬
‭voltage.‬

‭The external voltage alters the band energy diagram by disturbing the charges‬
‭accumulated in the p and n junction.‬
‭In forward bias, positive voltage on the p-side and negative voltage on the n-side reduce‬
‭the potential barrier, enabling more majority carriers to move and creating current.‬
‭Conversely, in reverse bias, the potential barrier increases, shifting band edges on both‬
‭sides. This action broadens the depletion region, restricts majority carrier flow, and leads‬
‭to a minor reverse current.‬
‭d.‬ ‭Plot‬‭the‬‭electric‬‭field‬‭at‬‭the‬‭junction‬‭for‬‭the‬‭p-n‬‭junction‬‭diode‬‭of‬‭Assignment‬‭b‬‭and‬
‭explain‬ ‭why‬ ‭such‬ ‭behavior‬ ‭is‬ ‭observed.‬ ‭Also,‬ ‭calculate‬ ‭built‬ ‭in‬ ‭potential‬ ‭from‬ ‭the‬
‭electric field profile.‬

‭ his graph illustrates the electric field formed in the diode as a result of the accumulation of‬
T
‭charges at the p-type and n-type junctions.‬

I‭ n a p-n junction diode, the electric field E(x) across the depletion region follows a characteristic‬
‭behavior:‬

‭‬ T
● ‭ he electric field is zero in the neutral regions (outside the depletion region).‬
‭●‬ ‭It peaks at the junction and decreases linearly on both sides of the depletion region.‬
‭●‬ ‭The electric field is directed from the n-type to the p-type region.‬

‭ he graph's area represents the built-in potential across the junction. By calculating the integral‬
T
‭of the graph, we can determine this area, which comes out to be 0.7789 V.‬

You might also like