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Lab 1

The document outlines an experiment to investigate the I-V characteristics of a diode under forward and reverse bias conditions, aiming to enhance understanding of diode behavior in electronic applications. It details the objectives, materials, procedures, and observations, noting key findings such as the threshold voltage of approximately 0.7 V for silicon diodes and minimal reverse current until breakdown. The experiment successfully demonstrated the application of load line analysis to determine current in a series diode circuit.

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7 views7 pages

Lab 1

The document outlines an experiment to investigate the I-V characteristics of a diode under forward and reverse bias conditions, aiming to enhance understanding of diode behavior in electronic applications. It details the objectives, materials, procedures, and observations, noting key findings such as the threshold voltage of approximately 0.7 V for silicon diodes and minimal reverse current until breakdown. The experiment successfully demonstrated the application of load line analysis to determine current in a series diode circuit.

Uploaded by

yohannesw06
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ELE 2403

Electronics I

Learning Outcome 1
Lab 1: I-V Characteristics for a Diode

Student Name Student ID Number


Michael Gashaw Tesfaye H00540203
Nebiyu Kasim Mohamed H00540209
Yohannes Wubshet Abate H00540219
Faculty Name HCT
Lab Instructor Munther Gdeisat
Introduction
This experiment aims to investigate the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of diodes under both
forward and reverse bias conditions. A diode is a semiconductor device that allows current to flow in
one direction, making it a key component for controlling electrical current in various circuits. By
analysing the I-V curve, we will be trying to get a deeper understanding of how diodes respond to
different voltage conditions, including the threshold voltage and the breakdown region. This
knowledge is crucial for optimizing diodes' performance in a wide range of electronic applications,
such as rectifiers, signal processing, and logic gates.
Objective:
In this activity you will determine the I-V characteristic curve for a diode. You will use the
results to determine the current through the diode in a simple series diode circuit using the
load line technique.

𝑉𝑠 = 𝑉𝑅 + 𝑉𝐷
𝑉𝑅
𝐼𝑅 =
𝑅
Activity:

You will complete the unknown measurements in the tables below.

Material needed:
1- Diode 1N4001
2- Resistor 100Ω
3-Variable Power Supply
4-Ammeter
5- Voltmeter

Part I derive I-V Characteristic for a Diode

Procedure

1. Connect the circuit shown in Fig. 1


2. Set Vs to zero volt.
3. Increase Vs to meet the values of ID as in Table 1
4. When done, reconnect the circuit in Fig. 2
5. Repeat steps 2-3 above, and fill in Table 2

Fig. 1
Table 1

Forward Bias
Characteristic
s
Idiode(mA) 50 40 30 11.5 1.7 0.5 0.2 0.01 0

Vdiode 0.785 0.775 0.763 0.721 0.63 0.569 0.527 0.419 -


0.004
50
Idiode(mA) 40 30 11.5 1.7 0.5 0.2 0.01 0
5.9
VS 4.9 3.8 1.9 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.4 0

Draw the curves of ID-VD on the graph (hand drawn, excel not allowed) below:
Comments

• After the voltage rises above 0.7V, the diode enters its conductive state, and the current has a
sharp incline. This behavior highlights the diode’s low resistance in the forward-biased
condition.
• The data further reinforces the importance of the threshold voltage as a defining characteristic
of silicon diodes. This voltage indicates the onset of significant current flow, crucial for
applications requiring precise switching or rectification.
• The I-V characteristics under forward bias conditions exhibit the typical behavior of a silicon
diode, with a significant increase in current observed after reaching the threshold voltage of
approximately 0.7 V.

Fig. 2

Table 2
Reverse Bias Characteristics

VS 15 14 13 12 11 10 8 6 4 2 1
15.0 14.0 13 12.0 10.9 10.04 8.06 6.07 4.04 2.01 1.05
Vdiode 1 6 5 8

1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.1 0
Idiode(µA)

Comments

• The reverse current is almost consistent at low reverse voltage (except for small leakage
current) due to the depletion region preventing charge carriers crossing the junction of
diode terminals.
• As the reverse voltage increases, small increment in the current was observed until the
saturation point was reached around 1.4µA (reverse saturation current).
• The reverse current didn’t go up sharply (didn’t surpass the breakdown point/region)
because of insufficient amount of the reverse voltage.
Part II Load Line

1. Construct the circuit shown below.


2. Measure the values of ID and VD
3. Draw the load line on the I-V characteristic curves (graph) you drew earlier, find the
intersection and evaluate the Q-points

Measured ID = 41.8mA

Measured VD = 0.747V

Comments and Calculations:


Conclusion

This activity successfully determined the I-V characteristic curve of a silicon diode under both
forward and reverse bias conditions. In forward bias, the diode exhibited a threshold voltage of
approximately 0.7 V, beyond which the current increased exponentially. In reverse bias, the diode
showed minimal current, confirming its high resistance until breakdown.
Using the I-V curve and the load line technique, the diode's current in a series circuit was accurately
calculated. The experiment provided a clear understanding of diode behaviour in different biasing
conditions and reinforced the practical application of load line analysis in circuit design.

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