ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND

SYSTEMS
Swarna Prabha Jena
Dept. of Electronics & Communication Engineering
Centurion University of Technology and Management
Bhubaneswar
 V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF DIODE

• Positive side is connected to p-region (anode) and negative side is connected with
n-region
• VBIAS or VD must be greater than ‘barrier potential’ or ‘Knee Potential’ or ‘Knee
Voltage’ .
 V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF DIODE

• VI Characteristic for forward bias.

• The current in forward biased called forward current and is designated If.
• At 0V (VD) across the diode, there is no forward current.
• With gradual increase of VD, the forward voltage and forward current
increases.
• A resistor in series will limit the forward current in order to protect the
diode from overheating and permanent damage.
• A portion of forward-bias voltage drops across the limiting resistor.
• Continuing increase of VD causes rapid increase of forward current but only
a gradual increase in voltage across diode.
 V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF DIODE

• Reverse Biased
• Reverse bias is a condition that prevents current through junction.
• Positive side of VBIAS or VD is connected to the n-type material. whereas
the negative side is connected with p-type material.
• Depletion region get wider with this configuration.
 V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF DIODE

• VI Characteristic for reverse bias.

• With 0V reverse voltage there is no reverse current.
• There is only a small current through the junction as the
reverse voltage increases.
• At a point, reverse current shoots up with the break down
of diode. The voltage called break down voltage. This is not
normal mode of operation.
▪ After this point the reverse voltage remains at
approximately VBR but Is increase very rapidly. Break down
voltage depends on doping level, set by manufacturer.
THE COMPLETE V-I CHARACTERISTIC
CURVE
 KNEE VOLTAGE

• The minimum amount of voltage required for

conducting the diode is known as “knee
voltage” or “threshold voltage”, “cut-in-
voltage".
• The forward voltage at which the current
through PN junction starts increasing
rapidly is known as knee voltage.
• Knee voltage of Ge diode is 0.3volts.
• Knee voltage of Si diode is 0.7volts.
• Knee voltage of GaAs diode is 1.2volts.
 REVERSE BREAKDOWN

• As the voltage across the diode increases in the reverse-bias region,

the velocity of the minority carriers responsible for the reverse
saturation current Is will also increase.
• Eventually, their velocity and associated kinetic energy will be sufficient
to release additional carriers through collisions with otherwise stable
atomic structures.
• That is, an ionization process will result whereby valence electrons
absorb sufficient energy to leave the parent atom.
• These additional carriers can then aid the ionization process to the
point where a high avalanche current is established and the
avalanche breakdown region determined.
 ZENER REGION

• The avalanche region ( VBV ) can be brought closer to the

vertical axis by increasing the doping levels in the p - and n -
type materials.
• It occurs because there is a strong electric field in the region
of the junction that can disrupt the bonding forces within the
atom and “generate” carriers.
• Although the Zener breakdown mechanism is a significant
contributor only at lower levels of VBV, this sharp change in
the characteristic at any level is called the Zener region , and
diodes employing this unique portion of the characteristic of
a p – n junction are called Zener diodes .
 PIV RATING
• The maximum reverse-bias potential that can be
applied before entering the breakdown region is
called the peak inverse voltage (referred to simply
as the PIV rating) or the peak reverse voltage
(denoted the PRV rating).
 TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
• In the forward-bias region the
characteristics of a silicon diode
shift to the left at a rate of 2.5 mV
per centigrade degree increase in
temperature.
• In the reverse-bias region the
reverse current of a silicon diode
doubles for every 10°C rise in
temperature.
• The reverse breakdown voltage of a
semiconductor diode will increase
or decrease with temperature
 IDEAL DIODE

• The semiconductor diode behaves

in a manner similar to a
mechanical switch in that it can
control whether current will flow
between its two terminals.
• The semiconductor diode is
different from a mechanical switch
in the sense that when the switch
is closed it will only permit
current to flow in one direction.
 RESISTANCE LEVELS

• DC or Static Resistance
• The higher the current through a diode, the lower is the dc resistance level.
• The dc resistance of a diode is independent of the shape of the characteristic in the
region surrounding the point of interest.
 RESISTANCE LEVELS

• AC or Dynamic Resistance
• The steeper the slope, the lower is the
value of Vd for the same change in Id and
the lower is the resistance.
• The ac resistance in the vertical-rise
region of the characteristic is therefore
quite small, whereas the ac resistance is
much higher at low current levels.
• The lower the Q-point of operation (smaller
current or lower voltage), the higher is the ac
resistance.
 RESISTANCE LEVELS

• The derivative of a function at a point is equal to the slope of the tangent line
drawn at that point.

𝑑 𝑑 𝑉𝐷
𝐼𝐷 = [𝐼𝑠 𝑒 𝑛𝑉𝑇 − 1 ]
𝑑𝑉𝑑 𝑑𝑉𝑑
𝑑𝐼𝐷 1
= 𝐼 + 𝐼𝑠
𝑑𝑉𝐷 𝑛𝑉𝑇 𝐷
As ID>> Is ,
𝑑𝐼𝐷 1
= 𝐼
𝑑𝑉𝐷 𝑛𝑉𝑇 𝐷
𝑑𝑉𝐷 𝑛𝑉𝑇
= 𝑟𝑑 =
𝑑𝐼𝐷 𝐼𝐷
26𝑚𝑉
𝑟𝑑 = (at room temp.)
𝐼𝐷
 DIODE EQUIVALENT CIRCUITS

• An equivalent circuit is a combination of elements properly chosen to best

represent the actual terminal characteristics of a device or system in a particular
operating region.
• At reverse bias , Diode is open, hence loop is not closed.
• At forward biasing of diode Applying KVL,
𝑣𝐷 − 𝑉𝐷 = 0
DIODE EQUIVALENT CIRCUITS
 DIODE REVERSE RECOVERY TIME

• ts (storage time) required for the minority

carriers to return to their majority-carrier.
• the diode will remain in the short-circuit
state with a current I reverse determined
by the network parameters. State in the
opposite material.
• tt (transition interval) , the current will be
reduced in level to that associated with
the nonconduction state.
• 𝑡𝑟𝑟 = 𝑡𝑠 + 𝑡𝑡
 DIODE SPECIFICATION SHEETS

• The forward voltage VF (at a specified current and temperature)

• The maximum forward current IF (at a specified temperature)
• The reverse saturation current IR (at a specified voltage and
temperature)
• The reverse-voltage rating [PIV or PRV or V(BR), where BR comes from
the term “breakdown” (at a specified temperature)]
• The maximum power dissipation level at a particular temperature
• Reverse recovery time trr
• Operating temperature range
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ZENER AND
AVALANCHE BREAKDOWN

Zener Breakdown Avalanche Breakdown

1. This occurs at junctions which being
1. This occurs at junctions which being lightly doped
heavily doped have narrow depletion have wide depletion layers.
layers. 2. Here electric field is not strong enough to
2. This breakdown voltage sets a very produce Zener breakdown.
strong electric field across this narrow 3. Her minority carriers collide with semiconductor
layer.
atoms in the depletion region, which breaks the
3. Here electric field is very strong to covalent bonds and electron-hole pairs are
rupture the covalent bonds thereby
generating electron-hole pairs. So even generated. Newly generated charge carriers are
a small increase in reverse voltage is accelerated by the electric field which results in
capable of producing Large number of more collision and generates avalanche of charge
current carriers.
carriers. This results in avalanche breakdown.
4. Zener diode exhibits negative temp: 4. Avalanche diodes exhibits positive temp.
coefficient. Ie. breakdown voltage
decreases as temperature increases. coefficient. i.e breakdown voltage increases with
increase in temperature.