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ELECTRONICS

The document discusses several types of optical diodes including Schottky diodes, PIN diodes, step-recovery diodes, and tunnel diodes. Schottky diodes are fast-switching diodes formed from a metal-semiconductor junction with no depletion region. PIN diodes have an intrinsic region between doped P and N regions which gives them variable resistance and capacitance properties. Step-recovery diodes use graded doping for fast switching times. Tunnel diodes exhibit negative resistance due to electron tunneling at low forward voltages.

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78 views12 pages

ELECTRONICS

The document discusses several types of optical diodes including Schottky diodes, PIN diodes, step-recovery diodes, and tunnel diodes. Schottky diodes are fast-switching diodes formed from a metal-semiconductor junction with no depletion region. PIN diodes have an intrinsic region between doped P and N regions which gives them variable resistance and capacitance properties. Step-recovery diodes use graded doping for fast switching times. Tunnel diodes exhibit negative resistance due to electron tunneling at low forward voltages.

Uploaded by

JasperGementiza
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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OPTICAL DIODES

*THE LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED) AND THE


ORGANIC LED

*THE PHOTODIODE

*THE SCHOTTKY DIODE

*THE PIN DIODE

*THE STEP RECOVERY DIODE

*THE TUNNEL DIODE


THE SCHOTTKY DIODE

SCHOTTKY DIODES ARE HIGH-CURRENT DIODES USED PRIMARILY


IN HIGH-FREQUENCY AND FAST-SWITCHING APPLICATIONS. THEY
ARE ALSO KNOWN AS HOT-CARRIER DIODES. THE TERM HOT-
CARRIER IS DERIVED FROM THE HIGHER ENERGY LEVEL OF
ELECTRONS IN THE N REGION COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE METAL
REGION. A SCHOTTKY DIODE SYMBOL IS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3–49.
A SCHOTTKY DIODE IS FORMED BY JOINING A DOPED
SEMICONDUCTOR REGION (USUALLY N-TYPE) WITH A
METAL SUCH AS GOLD, SILVER, OR PLATINUM. RATHER
THAN A PN JUNCTION, THERE IS A METAL-TO-
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTION, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3–50.
THE FORWARD VOLTAGE DROP IS TYPICALLY AROUND
0.3 V BECAUSE THERE IS NO DEPLETION REGION AS IN A
PN JUNCTION DIODE.
THE SCHOTTKY DIODE OPERATES ONLY WITH MAJORITY CARRIERS. THERE
ARE NO MINORITY CARRIERS AND THUS NO REVERSE LEAKAGE CURRENT
AS IN OTHER TYPES OF DIODES. THE METAL REGION IS HEAVILY OCCUPIED
WITH CONDUCTION-BAND ELECTRONS, AND THE N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR
REGION IS LIGHTLY DOPED. WHEN FORWARD-BIASED, THE HIGHER ENERGY
ELECTRONS IN THE N REGION ARE INJECTED INTO THE METAL REGION
WHERE THEY GIVE UP THEIR EXCESS ENERGY VERY RAPIDLY. SINCE THERE
ARE NO MINORITY CARRIERS, AS IN A CONVENTIONAL RECTIFIER DIODE,
THERE IS A VERY RAPID RESPONSE TO A CHANGE IN BIAS. THE SCHOTTKY IS
A FAST-SWITCHING DIODE, AND MOST OF ITS APPLICATIONS MAKE USE OF
THIS PROPERTY. IT CAN BE USED IN HIGH-FREQUENCY APPLICATIONS AND
IN MANY DIGITAL CIRCUITS TO DECREASE SWITCHING TIMES. THE LS
FAMILY OF TTL LOGIC (LS STANDS FOR LOW-POWER SCHOTTKY) IS ONE
TYPE OF DIGITAL INTEGRATED CIRCUIT THAT USES THE SCHOTTKY DIODE.
THE PIN DIODE

THE PIN DIODE CONSISTS OF HEAVILY DOPED P AND N REGIONS SEPARATED


BY AN INTRINSIC (I) REGION, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3–51(A). WHEN
REVERSE-BIASED, THE PIN DIODE ACTS LIKE A NEARLY CONSTANT
CAPACITANCE. WHEN FORWARD-BIASED, IT ACTS LIKE A CURRENT-
CONTROLLED VARIABLE RESISTANCE. THIS IS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3–51(B)
AND (C). THE LOW FORWARD RESISTANCE OF THE INTRINSIC REGION
DECREASES WITH INCREASING CURRENT.
THE FORWARD SERIES RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTIC AND THE REVERSE
CAPACITANCE CHARACTERISTIC ARE SHOWN GRAPHICALLY IN FIGURE 3–52 FOR
A TYPICAL PIN DIODE.
THE PIN DIODE IS USED AS A DC-CONTROLLED MICROWAVE SWITCH OPERATED
BY RAPID CHANGES IN BIAS OR AS A MODULATING DEVICE THAT TAKES
ADVANTAGE OF THE VARIABLE FORWARD-RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTIC. SINCE
NO RECTIFICATION OCCURS AT THE PN JUNCTION, A HIGH-FREQUENCY SIGNAL
CAN BE MODULATED (VARIED) BY A LOWER-FREQUENCY BIAS VARIATION. A PIN
DIODE CAN ALSO BE USED IN ATTENUATOR APPLICATIONS BECAUSE ITS
RESISTANCE CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT. CERTAIN
TYPES OF PIN DIODES ARE USED AS PHOTODETECTORS IN FIBER-OPTIC SYSTEMS.
THE STEP-RECOVERY DIODE

THE STEP-RECOVERY DIODE USES GRADED DOPING


WHERE THE DOPING LEVEL OF THE SEMICONDUCTIVE
MATERIALS IS REDUCED AS THE PN JUNCTION IS
APPROACHED. THIS PRODUCES AN ABRUPT TURN-OFF
TIME BY ALLOWING A FAST RELEASE OF STORED CHARGE
WHEN SWITCHING FROM FORWARD TO REVERSE BIAS. IT
ALSO ALLOWS A RAPID RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF FORWARD
CURRENT WHEN SWITCHING FROM REVERSE TO
FORWARD BIAS. THIS DIODE IS USED IN VERY HIGH
FREQUENCY (VHF) AND FAST-SWITCHING APPLICATIONS.
THE TUNNEL DIODE

THE TUNNEL DIODE EXHIBITS A SPECIAL CHARACTERISTIC KNOWN


AS NEGATIVE RESISTANCE. THIS FEATURE MAKES IT USEFUL IN
OSCILLATOR AND MICROWAVE AMPLIFIER APPLICATIONS. TWO
ALTERNATE SYMBOLS ARE SHOWN IN FIGURE 3–53.
TUNNEL DIODES ARE CONSTRUCTED WITH
GERMANIUM OR GALLIUM ARSENIDE BY
DOPING THE P AND N REGIONS MUCH MORE
HEAVILY THAN IN A CONVENTIONAL RECTIFIER
DIODE. THIS HEAVY DOPING RESULTS IN AN
EXTREMELY NARROW DEPLETION REGION. THE
HEAVY DOPING ALLOWS CONDUCTION FOR ALL
REVERSE VOLTAGES SO THAT THERE IS NO
BREAKDOWN EFFECT AS WITH THE
CONVENTIONAL RECTIFIER DIODE.
ALSO, THE EXTREMELY NARROW DEPLETION REGION PERMITS
ELECTRONS TO “TUNNEL” THROUGH THE PN JUNCTION AT VERY
LOW FORWARD-BIAS VOLTAGES, AND THE DIODE ACTS AS A
CONDUCTOR. THIS IS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3–54 BETWEEN POINTS
A AND B. AT POINT B, THE FORWARD VOLTAGE BEGINS TO
DEVELOP A BARRIER, AND THE CURRENT BEGINS TO DECREASE
AS THE FORWARD VOLTAGE CONTINUES TO INCREASE. THIS IS
THE NEGATIVE-RESISTANCE REGION
THIS EFFECT IS OPPOSITE TO THAT DESCRIBED
IN OHM’S LAW, WHERE AN INCREASE IN
VOLTAGE RESULTS IN AN INCREASE IN
CURRENT. AT POINT C, THE DIODE BEGINS TO
ACT AS A CONVENTIONAL FORWARD BIASED
DIODE.

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