MT 247

POWER ELECTRONICS

Lecture 2a: Power Semi-Conductor Diodes

(Chapter :2 )

Instructor: Mariam Saleem

10/22/2019 1
Lecture Outline
Semi Conductor Basics
Diodes
Ideal & Reverse Recovery Characteristics
Connecting diodes in a cct.
 Semiconductor (SC) Basics
wood
In terms
Copper, of Electrical
Silver, Properties Materials Silicon, Germanium,
can be classified
Gold, Carbon
into Aluminium
three Groups Materials

Conductors Semi- Insulators

Conduct electric Between conductor
Conductors Does not conduct
current and insulator electric current
Valence electrons are Few Electrons & Holes Valence electrons are
loosely bounded to Silicon, Germanium, bounded tightly to
the parent’s atom and Carbon the parent’s atom

Intrinsic or Pure extrinsic or impure

Semiconductor or Doped
Do not Conduct well
carriers are both
Semiconductor
Holes & Electrons N-Type SC P-Type SC
SC in this state are of
little value -ive
Majority +ive
carriers Majority carriers
charged
Electrons Charged
Holes
Diodes
A semiconductor diode is formed with
pieces of N and P-type material are
joined.
The P material is called the anode.
The N material is called the cathode.
The resulting structure is called a PN
junction.
A PN junction (or diode) is a switch or
component through which electrons will
flow easily in one direction but not in
the opposite direction.
To represent the diode in schematic
diagrams, we use the symbol shown on
the right.
 The pn Junction
p-type n-type

anode cathode

metal
silicon oxide

doped silicon
integrated circuit diode wafer (chip)
 Dopant distribution inside a
pn junction
excess holes diffuse
to the n-type region

p>>n n>>p

excess electrons diffuse

to the p-type region
 Dopant distribution inside a
pn junction
excess holes diffuse
to the n-type region
- +
p>>n - + n>>p
- +
excess electrons diffuse
to the p-type region

DEPLETION REGION:
p~0, and acceptor ions n~0, and donor ions
are exposed - are exposed +
 Zero Bias
- +
p>>n - + n>>p
- +

voltage, ~0.7 volts

(for Si)
V(x) x

At zero bias (vD=0), very few electrons or

holes can overcome this built-in voltage
barrier of ~ 0.7 volts (and exactly balanced
by diffusion)  iD = 0
 Forward Bias
- +
p>>n - + n>>p
- +

vD

As the bias (vD), increases toward 0.7V,

more electrons and holes can overcome the
built-in voltage barrier . iD > 0
 Reverse Bias
- +
p>>n - + n>>p
- +

As the bias (vD) becomes negative, the

barrier becomes larger. Only electrons
and holes due to broken bonds contribute
to the diode current.  iD = -Is
Breakdown
- +
p>>n - + n>>p
- +
Ideal-Diode Model

* We may apply “Ideal-Diode Model” to simplify the analysis:

(1) in forward direction: short-circuit assumption, zero voltage drop;
(2) in reverse direction: open-circuit assumption.
* The ideal-diode model can be used when the forward voltage drop and reverse currents
are negligible.

12
Properties of Diodes
The Shockley Equation
• The trans-conductance curve is characterized by the following equation:

ID = I0(eVD/VT – 1)
• ID is the current through the diode, Io is the
saturation current and VD is the applied
biasing voltage. VT is the thermal equivalent voltage
and is approximately 26 mV at room temperature.
The equation to find VT at various temperatures is:
VT = kT
q
k = 1.38 x 10-23 J/K T = temperature in Kelvin
q = 1.6 x 10-19 C
•  is the emission coefficient for the diode.
• It is determined by the way the diode is constructed.
 Strong dependence of Vt (forward threshold) on temp (T)
For Silicon the voltage drop decreases by 2.5mV/0C as
temperature increases

iD
Red = Room T (250C) Vt = 0.7V

Vt = 0.7 V at 250C
Green=Elevated T(250C+▲T ) Vt=0.7-▲V
Forward bias

Vt = 0.7-▲V at (250C+▲T)

-V Io 0.7-▲V 0.7 VD

Reversed bias
THIS VOLTAGE CHANGE ( 0.7-▲V )
FORMS THE BASIS OF SOME SC-
-i JUNCTION TEMPERATURE SENSORS
Example 1
Assume the diode is a low-power diode with a forward resistance
value of 5 ohms. The barrier potential voltage is still: V = 0.3 volts
(typical for a germanium diode) Determine the value of ID if VA = 5
volts.
RS = 50 

ID
+
VA
_
 RS = 50 

ID Once again, write a KVL equation

+ for the circuit:
VA _ + 0 = VA – IDRS - V - IDRF
V
ID = VA - V = 5 – 0.3 = 85.5 mA
RS + RF 50 + 5
RF
Example 2
For the circuit shown below evaluate the unknown quantities
Example 3
Analyze the circuit using ideal diode model
 Assignment 1

Plot the V-I characteristic of germanium diode. Represent

graphically the effect of temperature in forward & reverse biased
region.

Submission date :
17th October ,2016
Example 2.1
Diode Reverse Recovery Time
trr=Reverse recovery
time
IRR=Max(Peak) reverse
current

ta= time between zero crossing and the maximum reverse current
and it is due to the charge stored in the depletion region of the
junction

tb= time between maximum reverse current IRR and 25% of the of
the maximum reverse current IRR and is due to charge stored in
the bulk semiconductor material
The reverse recovery time is measured from the initial zero
crossing from forward conduction to reverse blocking condition
of the diode current to 25% of the maximum reverse current IRR.
Its magnitude depends on:

 junction temperature
 rate of fall of forward current
trr=Reverse recovery time; IRR=Max(Peak) reverse current

General purpose diodes trr= 25 sec; Rectifiers - (1 kHz)

Fast Recover diodes trr=5 sec; ( Dc-Dc, Dc to ac converters)

Example-1

The manufacturer of a selected diode gives the rate of fall of the diode
current di/dt=20 A/μs, and its reverse recovery time trr =5μs. What
value of peak reverse current do you expect?

24
SOLUTION.

The peak reverse current is given as:

𝑑𝑖
𝐼𝑅𝑅 = 2𝑄𝑅𝑅
𝑑𝑡

The storage charge QRR is calculated as:

2𝑄𝑅𝑅
𝑡𝑅𝑅 =
𝑑𝑖 Τ𝑑𝑡

25
 2𝑄𝑅𝑅 1 𝑑𝑖 2
𝑡𝑅𝑅 = 𝑄𝑅𝑅 = 𝑡𝑅𝑅
𝑑𝑖 Τ𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡

1 20𝐴
𝑄𝑅𝑅 = × × 5 × 10−6
2 𝜇𝑠

𝑄𝑅𝑅 = 50𝜇𝐶

Hence,

𝑑𝑖 20𝐴
𝐼𝑅𝑅 = 2𝑄𝑅𝑅 𝐼𝑅𝑅 = 2 × 50𝜇𝐶
𝑑𝑡 𝜇𝑠

𝐼𝑅𝑅 = 44.72 𝐴 26
 Two Series-Connected Diodes

• Use 2 diodes in series to withstand

higher reverse breakdown voltage.

• Diodes characteristics differ (same

manufacturer) due to tolerance in
their production.

• Increase reverse blocking

capabilities (HVDC-T)
 v-i Diodes characteristics

• Due to differences between

devices, each diode has a
different voltage across it.
 Series-Connected Diodes with
Voltage -Sharing Resistors Characteristics
v-i Diodes characteristics
• Is = Is1+IR1 = Is2+IR2
• IR1 = VD1/R1
• IR2 = VD2/R2 = VD1/R2

• Is1+VD1/R1 = IS2+VD1/R2
• Let R = R1 = R2
• Is1 + VD1/R = Is2 +VD2/R
• VD1 + VD2 = Vs
Example4
Two diodes connected in series to share a total reverse voltage
of Vd=5kV. The reverse leakage currents of two diodes are
Is1=30mA & Is2=35mA.
a) Find diode voltages if voltage sharing resistance are
R1=R2=R=100k
b) Find voltage sharing resistances R1 & R2 if diode voltage are
equal.
 Example 4

• Is1 = 30mA, Is2 = 35mA

• VD = 5kV

• (a) – R1=R2=R=100kΩ,
find VD1 and VD2

• (b) – Find R1 and R2 for

VD1=VD2=VD/2
Is1 = 30mA
Is2 = 35mA
R1 = R 2 = R = 100kΩ
-VD = -VD1 - VD2
VD2 = VD - VD1

VD1 VD2
Is1 + = Is2 +
R R
V R
VD1 = D + (IS2 -IS1 )
2 2
5kV 100k
VD1 = + (35Χ10-3 - 30Χ10-3 ) = 2750Volts
2 2
VD2 = VD - VD1 = 5kV - 2750 = 2250Volts
Is1 = 30mA
Is2 = 35mA
VD
VD1 = VD2 = = 2.5kV
2
VD1 V
Is1 + = Is2 + D2
R1 R2

VD2R1
R2 =
VD1 - R1(Is2 - Is1 )
R1 = 100kΩ
2.5kVΧ100kΩ
R2 =
2.5kV -100kΩΧ(35Χ10-3 - 30Χ10-3 )
R 2 = 125kΩ
 Parallel-Connected Diodes

• Increase current carrying capabilities (HVDC transmission)

• Same type and Diodes With equal Forward voltage drops
• As connected in parallel the VRB each diode would be same
End Problems
End Problems
2.1,2.2,2.3,2.4,2.5,2.6