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Lecture 3 Zener Diode

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31 views21 pages

Lecture 3 Zener Diode

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lendybesty
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ECE 211 ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

LEC.3: ZENER DIODES

Dr. Ahmed Hassan Abd El-Malek


Associate professor, Electronics and Communication
Engineering Dept.
E-mail: [email protected]
THE ZENER DIODE

• A major application for Zener diodes is as a type of voltage regulator for


providing stable reference voltages for use in power supplies, voltmeters, and
other instruments.
• You will learn the conditions and limitations for properly using the zener diode
and the factors that affect its performance.
THE ZENER DIODE
ZENER DIODE

• The breakdown voltage of a zener diode is set by


carefully controlling the doping level during
manufacture.
• when a diode reaches reverse breakdown, its voltage
remains almost constant even though the current changes
drastically, and this is the key to zener diode operation.
SPECIFYING AND
MODELING THE ZENER knee voltage
DIODE

• The manufacturer usually specifies knee current

the voltage across the zener diode


VZ at a specified test current, IZT
• Thus a 6.8-V zener diode will exhibit
a 6.8-V drop at a specified test
current of, say, 10 mA.
• A large change in current causes a −𝐼𝑍𝑀
slight change in voltage as maximum current

Δ𝑉 = Δ𝐼 𝑟𝑍
EXAMPLE 1
A zener diode exhibits a certain change in VZ
for a certain change in IZ on a portion of the
linear characteristic curve between IZK and
IZM. What is the zener impedance?
Δ𝑉 50mV
𝑟𝑍 = = = 10 Ω
Δ𝐼 5mA
MODEL FOR THE ZENER DIODE.
• The equivalent circuit model can be
analytically described by
𝑉𝑍 = 𝑉𝑍0 + 𝑟𝑍 𝐼𝑍
and it applies for IZ > IZK and, obviously,
VZ > VZ0.
Zener Power Dissipation
𝑃𝑍 = 𝐼𝑍 × 𝑉𝑍
EXAMPLE 2
A 1N4736A zener diode has a rZ of 3.5 Ω.
The datasheet gives VZ 6.8 V at a test
current, IZ, of 37 mA. What is the voltage
across the zener terminals when the current is
50 mA? When the current is 25 mA? 𝑉𝑍0

𝑉𝑧 = 𝑉𝑍0 + 𝐼𝑍 𝑟𝑍
𝑉𝑍0 = 𝑉𝑧 − 𝐼𝑍 𝑟𝑍
37 × 3.5
= 6.8 − = 6.67
1000
EXAMPLE 2 (CONT.)

𝑉𝑍0 = 6.67 V
At 𝐼𝑍 = 50 mA
𝑉𝑍 = 𝑉𝑍0 + 𝐼𝑍 𝑟𝑍 = 6.85 V 𝑉𝑍0

At 𝐼𝑍 = 25 mA
𝑉𝑍 = 𝑉𝑍0 + 𝐼𝑍 𝑟𝑍 = 6.76 V
ZENER REGULATION
WITH A VARIABLE
INPUT VOLTAGE
Zener diode regulators can
provide a reasonably constant
dc level at the output, but they
are not particularly efficient.
For this reason, they are limited
to applications that require only
low current to the load.
ZENER REGULATION WITH A VARIABLE INPUT VOLTAGE
• The maximum current can be
R
calculated as
𝑃𝑍 (max)
𝐼𝑍𝑀 =
𝑉𝑍
• The resistance R is very important to
control the current passing through the
Zener diode. If the a high current pass
through the Zener diode such that 𝑉in = 𝐼 × 𝑅 + 𝑉out
𝐼 > 𝐼𝑍𝑀 , the diode will be damaged.
EXAMPLE 3

Determine the minimum and the maximum input voltages that can be
regulated by the zener diode. The 1N4733A zener diode has the following
specifications PZ = 1 W, VZ = 5.1 V at IZ = 49 mA, IZK = 1 mA, and rZ = 7 Ω
at IZ.
EXAMPLE 3 (CONT.)
ZENER REGULATION
WITH A VARIABLE
LOAD

• The zener voltage regulator with a variable load resistor RL across


the terminals. The zener diode maintains a nearly constant voltage
across as long as the zener current is greater than IZK and less than
IZM.
• We need to find the minimum and maximum load resistance RL
that guarantees the Zener diode works as a voltage regulator.
𝑎
ZENER REGULATION
WITH A VARIABLE
LOAD
𝑏

• To find RL (min) which denotes the minimum load resistance, apply thevenin
theorem between nodes a and b in the figure.
𝑅𝐿
𝑉th = 𝑉
𝑅𝐿 + 𝑅 IN
• To guarantee that the Zener diode is one 𝑉th = 𝑉Z such as
𝑅𝐿 𝑅 𝑉𝑍
𝑉th = 𝑉IN = 𝑉𝑍 ➔ 𝑅𝐿 min =
𝑅𝐿 +𝑅 𝑉in −𝑉𝑍 −𝑅 𝐼ZK
𝑉IN − 𝑉𝑍 𝑉𝑍
𝐼𝐿 max = 𝐼𝑇 − 𝐼𝑍𝐾 = − 𝐼𝑍𝐾 =
𝑅 𝑅𝐿 min
ZENER REGULATION
WITH A VARIABLE
LOAD

• To find RL (max) which denotes the minimum load resistance, RL(max) means that IL
current is minimum such as
𝑉𝑍
𝐼𝐿 min =
𝑅𝐿 max
𝐼𝐿 min = 𝐼𝑇 − 𝐼𝑍
We have two cases here: Case I: if 𝐼𝑇 > 𝐼𝑍𝑀
𝑉𝑍 𝑉IN − 𝑉𝑍
= − 𝐼𝑍𝑀
𝑅𝐿 max 𝑅
𝑅 𝑉𝑍
𝑅𝐿 max =
𝑉IN − 𝑉𝑍 − 𝑅𝐼𝑍𝑀
ZENER REGULATION
WITH A VARIABLE
LOAD

• To find RL (max) which denotes the minimum load resistance, RL(max)


means that IL current is minimum such as
𝑉𝑍
𝐼𝐿 min =
𝑅𝐿 max
𝐼𝐿 min = 𝐼𝑇 − 𝐼𝑍
We have two cases here: Case I: if 𝐼𝑇 < 𝐼𝑍𝑀
𝑅𝐿 max = ∞
EXAMPLE 4

Determine the minimum and the maximum load currents for which the
zener diode will maintain regulation. What is the minimum value of RL
that can be used? Assume an ideal zener diode where remains a
constant 12 V over the range of current values, for Simplicity rZ = 0 Ω
and VZ = 12 V, IZK = 1 mA, and IZM = 50 mA.
ZENER LIMITER
EXAMPLE 5
EXAMPLE 5

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