Electronic Devices and Circuits

(EL-1004)
LABORATORY MANUAL
FALL 2023

(LAB # 05)
Analysis and Implementation of Zener Diode
characteristics and diode as a Regulator

Student Name: ___________________________

Roll No: _____________ Section: ___________

Date performed: _____________________, 2023

Manual Submission Date: ______________, 2023

_______________________________
LAB ENGINEER SIGNATURE & DATE

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF COMPUTER AND EMERGING SCIENCES,

ISLAMABAD
Prepared by: Engr. Naveed Iqbal Version: 2.13
Last Edited by: Engr. Kashif Ullah Updated: Fall 2023
Verified by: Dr. Awais Ayub
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Lab #
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_________________________________________________________________________________

MARKS AWARDED: /10

LAB: 05 Analysis and Implementation of Zener Diode characteristics

and diode as a Regulator
Objectives:
 To understand the working of a zener diode and to plot and analyze the IV
characteristics of a zener diode.
 To analyze and implement the zener diode as a regulator.
 To analyze and implement a silicon diode as a regulator.
Equipment required:
 DC power supply (variable)
 Multi-meter (DMM)
 Resistor (1 kΩ)
 Assorted resister (mentioned in the tables)
 IN 4736 (zener diode)
 1N4007 diode
 Bread Board
Theory:
Voltage Regulation:
The very steep i–v curve that the diode exhibits in the breakdown region and the almost
constant voltage drop that this indicates, suggest that diodes operating in the breakdown
region can be used in the design of voltage regulators. “Voltage regulators are circuits that
provide a constant dc output voltage in the face of changes in their load current and in
the system power-supply voltage.” This in fact turns out to be an important application of
diodes operating in the reverse-breakdown region, and special diodes are manufactured to
operate specifically in the breakdown region. Such diodes are called breakdown diodes or,
more commonly, zener diodes.

Introduction to Zener Diode:

The symbol for a zener diode is shown in figure 4.1. A zener diode is a silicon pn junction
device that is designed for operation in the reverse breakdown region. The breakdown voltage
of a zener diode is set by carefully controlling the doping level during manufacture.

Figure 4.1: Circuit symbol for a zener diode

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Lab #
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_________________________________________________________________________________
Recall, from the discussion of the diode characteristic curve in Lab 3. That when a diode
reaches reverse breakdown, its voltage remains almost constant even though the current
changes drastically. This volt-ampere characteristic is shown again in Figure 4.2 with normal
operating regions for rectifier diodes and for zener diodes shown as shaded areas. If a zener
diode is forward-biased, it operates the same as a rectifier diode.

(a) The normal operating regions for a (b) The normal operating region for a zener
rectifier diode are shown as shaded areas diode is shaded
Figure 4.2: Normal diode versus zener diode operation

Zener Breakdown :
Zener diodes are designed to operate in reverse breakdown. Two types of reverse breakdown
in a zener diode are avalanche and zener. The avalanche breakdown occurs in both rectifier
and zener diodes at a sufficiently high reverse voltage. Zener breakdown occurs in a zener
diode at low reverse voltages. A zener diode is heavily doped to reduce the breakdown
voltage. This causes a very thin depletion region. As a result, an intense electric field exists
within the depletion region. Near the zener breakdown voltage (Vz), the field is intense
enough to pull electrons from their valence bands and create current. Zener diodes with
breakdown voltages of less than approximately 5V operate predominately in zener
breakdown. Those with breakdown voltages greater than approximately 5V operate
predominately in avalanche breakdown. Both types, however, are called zener diodes. Zeners
are commercially available with breakdown voltages of 1.8 V to 200 V with specified
tolerances from 1 % to 20%.

Zener Breakdown Charactersistes:

Figure 4.3 shows the reverse portion of a zener diode's characteristic curve. Notice that as the
reverse voltage (VR) is increased, the reverse Current (IR) remains extremely small up to the
"knee" of the curve. The reverse current is also called the zener current (IZ). At this point, the
breakdown effect begins: the internal zener resistance, also called zener impedance (ZZ),
begins to decrease as the reverse current increases rapidly. From the bottom of the knee, the
zener breakdown voltage (Vz) remains essentially constant although it increases slightly as
the zener current, IZ, increases.
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Figure 4.3: The zener diode i–v characteristic showing the breakdown region

Zener Regulation:
A major application for zener diode is as a type of voltage regulator for providing stable
reference voltages for use in power supplies, voltmeters and other instruments.
The ability to keep the reverse voltage across its terminals essentially constant is the key
feature of the zener diode. A zener diode operating in breakdown acts as a voltage regulator
because it maintains a nearly constant voltage across its terminals over a specified range of
reverse-current values. A minimum value of reverse current, IZK must be maintained in order
to keep the diode in breakdown for voltage regulation. You can see on the curve in Figure 4.3
that when the reverse current is reduced below the knee of the curve, the voltage decreases
drastically and regulation is lost. Also, there is a maximum current, IZM above which the diode
may be damaged due to excessive power dissipation. So, basically, the zener diode maintains
a nearly constant voltage across its terminals for values of reverse current ranging from IZK.

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.
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Figure 4.4: Zener diode regulator circuit

A zener diode is always operated in its reverse biased condition. A voltage regulator circuit
can be designed using a zener diode to maintain a constant DC output voltage across the load
in spite of variations in the input voltage or changes in the load current. The zener voltage
regulator (Figure 4.4) consists of a current limiting resistor RS connected in series with the
input voltage VS with the zener diode connected in parallel with the load RL in its reverse
biased condition. The stabilized output voltage is always selected to be the same as the
breakdown voltage VZ of the diode.
Diode as Regulator:
Forward-biased diodes may be used as a kind of voltage reference in integrated circuits.
Although there are other much more preferable means to serve the purpose used in this
illustration nevertheless it is instructive to examine the principals involved. The basis for a
regulating application is the exponential nature of the diode characteristic; the junction
voltage varies only a small amount for large changes in diode current.
A Thevenin equivalent for a power supply consists of a voltage source VS in series with the
'internal' resistance RS of the supply. There is a voltage drop across RS that increases with
increasing load current, so that the terminal supply voltage decreases. To limit this voltage
change in so far as the load is concerned a 'regulator' is added; in this illustration the diode
'tree' in series with a resistor RB. The idea is to use the diode forward-bias property that large
diode current changes involve exponentially smaller diode voltage changes. To the extent that
the voltage drop across the four diodes is substantially constant the current drawn from the
power supply also is constant.

Fig-4.5: Diode as Regulator

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Lab #
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Islamabad
_________________________________________________________________________________
LAB TASKS
Task 1: Zener Diode Characteristics:
Construct the circuits as shown below. Vary the input voltage Vin according the values given
in the table and by using ampere meter and volt meter record the values of Id and Vd.

Forward Biased Reverse Biased

Vin (V) Vd (V) Id (mA) (-)Vd (V) (-)Id(mA)
0
1
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
15
16
18
20

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Lab #
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Using the data collected above, sketch the IV characteristics of diode w.r.t to 1Kohms. Take
Vd on x-axis and Id on y-axis.
Note: For reverse biased characteristics, input voltage would be negative.

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Lab #
(EL-1004) Sciences
Islamabad
_________________________________________________________________________________

Task 2: Construct a zener regulator and find the voltage regulation for varying input voltage
(line regulation) and varying loads (load regulation). Take RS = 1kΩ, and RL = as indicated.
a) Find VO with no load and with V+ = 15V at its nominal value.
b) Find the change in VO resulting from the ±1-V change in V+. Note that, usually ()
expressed in mV/V, is known as line regulation.
c) Find the change in VO resulting from connecting load resistance RL, and hence find the
load regulation () in mV/mA.

Load resistor Input Voltage Output Zenor Diode

Load Current
S. No. RL Vin (V) Voltage Vout Current
IL (mA)
(Ω) (V) IZ (mA)
1 No load 15
For Line Regulation
2 1k 10
3 1k 12
4 1k 14
5 1k 15
6 1k 16
7 1k 16
For Load Regulation
8 220 10
9 560 10
10 1k 10
11 2.2k 10
12 5.6k 10
13 10k 10
14 EDC 22k
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15 33k 10
16 56k 10

Task 3: Find Line Regulation and Load Regulation from the observations above.
(Note: Voltage Regulation takes place only when the zener diode is in significant zener
breakdown region)

Comment on your results:

Task 4:
Implement a silicon diode regulator circuit below and find the voltage regulation for varying
loads.
Take Vin = 9V, RS = 1kΩ, and RL = as indicated

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S. No. Load resistor RL (Ω) Input Voltage Vin (V) Output Voltage Vout
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(V)
1 560 9
2 1k 9
3 2.2k 9
4 5.6k 9
5 10k 9
6 22k 9
7 33k 9
8 56k 9
9 75k 9
10 100k 9

Is this Line regulation or Load Regulation?

Find the required regulation value:

Comment on your results:

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Lab #
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Islamabad
_________________________________________________________________________________

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