PN Junction

When you take a block of silicon and dope part

of it with a trivalent impurity and the other part
with a pentavalent impurity, a boundary called
the pn junction is formed between the resulting
p-type and n-type portions. The pn junction is
the basis for diodes, certain transistors, solar
cells, and other devices

If a piece of intrinsic silicon is doped so that part

is n-type and the other part is p-type, a pn
junction forms at the boundary between the
two regions and a diode is created,
Depletion Region
When the pn junction is formed, the n region loses free
electrons as they diffuse across the junction. This creates
a layer of positive charges (pentavalent ions) near the
junction. As the electrons move across the junction, the
p region loses holes as the electrons and holes combine.
This creates a layer of negative charges (trivalent ions)
near the junction. These two layers of positive and
negative charges form the depletion region.
The term depletion refers to the fact that the region near
the pn junction is depleted of charge carriers (electrons
and holes) due to diffusion across the junction. Keep in
mind that the depletion region is formed very quickly
and is very thin compared to the n region and p region.
 Barrier Potential
This electric field is a barrier to the free
electrons in the n region, and energy must be
expended to move an electron through the
electric field. That is, external energy must be
applied to get the electrons to move across the
barrier of the electric field in the depletion
region.
The potential difference of the electric field
across the depletion region is the amount of
voltage required to move electrons through the
The typical barrier potential is approximately 0.7 V for electric field. This potential difference is called
silicon and 0.3 V for germanium. the barrier potential and is expressed in volts
Diode Basics
ENGR. KIMBERLY P. SISON
Chapter Outline
Outline

• Diode Operation
• Voltage-Current Characteristics of a diode
• Half & Full wave Rectifiers
• Power Supply Application
The Diode
A diode is made from a small piece of semiconductor material, usually silicon, in which half is
doped as a p region and half is doped as an n region with a pn junction and depletion region in
between. The p region is called the anode and is connected to a conductive terminal. The n
region is called the cathode and is connected to a second conductive terminal.

• Conducts in one direction (forward

bias)
• Acts as an insulator during reverse
bias (less than Vbr) condition
• Once a voltage greater than 0.7V is
applied across the diode (in
forward bias condition) the diode
conducts to achieve maximum
forward current (If)
Diode Packages
Forward Bias
To bias a diode, you apply a dc voltage across it. Forward
bias is the condition that allows current through the pn
junction.
The resistor limits the forward current to a value that will
not damage the diode.
Notice that the negative side of VBIAS is connected to the
n region of the diode and the positive side is connected
to the p region. This is one requirement for forward bias.
A second requirement is that the bias voltage, VBIAS,
must be greater than the barrier potential.
Forward Bias
A forward-biased diode showing the flow of majority carriers and the voltage due to the barrier
potential across the depletion region.
Effect of Forward Biasing
An additional small voltage drop occurs across the p and n regions due to the internal resistance
of the material. For doped semiconductive material, this resistance, called the dynamic
resistance, is very small and can usually be neglected.
Reverse Bias
The condition that essentially prevents current through the
diode. The figure shows a dc voltage source connected
across a diode in the direction to produce reverse bias. This
external bias voltage is designated as VBIAS just as it was for
forward bias. Notice that the positive side of VBIAS is
connected to the n region of the diode and the negative side
is connected to the p region. Also note that the depletion
region is shown much wider than in forward bias or
equilibrium.
At this point, the transition current essentially ceases except
for a very small reverse current that can usually be
neglected.
Reverse Current
The extremely small reverse
current in a reverse-biased diode
is due to the minority carriers
from thermally generated
electron-hole pairs.
The conduction band in the p
region is at a higher energy level
than the conduction band in the n
region. Therefore, the minority
electrons easily pass through the
depletionregion because they
require no additional energy.
Reverse Breakdown
• Normally, the reverse current is so small that it can be neglected. However, if the external
reverse-bias voltage is increased to a value called the breakdown voltage, the reverse current
will drastically increase.
• The high reverse-bias voltage imparts energy to the free minority electrons so that as they
speed through the p region, they collide with atoms with enough energy to knock valence
electrons out of orbit and into the conduction band.
• The multiplication of conduction electrons just discussed is known as the avalanche effect,
and reverse current can increase dramatically if steps are not taken to limit the current. When
the reverse current is not limited, the resulting heating will permanently damage the diode.
Voltage-Current Characteristic
Voltage-Current Characteristic
Dynamic Resistance
Unlike a linear resistance, the resistance of the
forward-biased diode is not constant over the
entire curve. Because the resistance changes as
you move along the V-I curve, it is called
dynamic or ac resistance.
Internal resistances of electronic devices are
usually designated by lowercase italic r with a
prime (𝑟’), instead of the standard 𝑅. The
dynamic resistance of a diode is designated 𝑟𝑑′ .
V-I Characteristic for Reverse Bias
When a reverse-bias voltage is applied across a
diode, there is only an extremely small reverse
current (𝐼𝑅 ) through the pn junction.
With 0 V across the diode, there is no reverse
current. As you gradually increase the reverse-bias
voltage, there is a very small reverse current and the
voltage across the diode increases.
When the applied bias voltage is increased to a value
where the reverse voltage across the diode (𝑉𝑅 )
reaches the breakdown value (𝑉𝐵𝑅 ), the reverse
current begins to increase rapidly.
Complete Characteristic Curve
Diode Models
Bias Connections
The Ideal Diode Model
The ideal model of a diode is the least accurate
approximation and can be represented by a
simple switch. When the diode is forward-
biased, it ideally acts like a closed (on) switch
and when the diode is reverse-biased, it ideally
acts like an open (off) switch.
The Practical Diode Model
The practical model includes the barrier potential. When the diode is forward-biased, it is
equivalent to a closed switch in series with a small equivalent voltage source (𝑉𝐹 ) equal to the
barrier potential (0.7 V) with the positive side toward the anode
The Complete Diode Model
The complete model of a diode is the most accurate approximation and includes the barrier
potential, the small forward dynamic resistance (𝑟𝑑′ )and the large internal reverse resistance The
reverse resistance (𝑟𝑅′ )is taken into account because it provides a path for the reverse current,
which is included in this diode model.
Example 1
Determine the forward voltage and
forward current for the diode in Figure
(a) for each of the diode models. Also
find the voltage across the limiting
resistor in each case. Assume at the
determined value of forward current.
Example 1
Determine the forward voltage and
forward current for the diode in Figure
(a) for each of the diode models. Also
find the voltage across the limiting
resistor in each case. Assume at the
determined value of forward current.
Example 1
Determine the forward voltage and
forward current for the diode in Figure
(a) for each of the diode models. Also
find the voltage across the limiting
resistor in each case. Assume at the
determined value of forward current.