ECE111 - Analog Electronics: Sandeep Saini Gaurav Chatterjee

ECE111 – Analog Electronics
Sandeep Saini
Gaurav Chatterjee
1
Lecture 03
2
The pn Junction with an Applied Voltage
3
Reverse bias
● The externally applied reverse-bias voltage V R is in the direction

to add to the barrier voltage, and it does, thus increasing the
effective barrier voltage to (V0 +VR) as shown.
● The end result is that the diffusion current I D is dramatically
reduced.
● ID ≈ 0, and the current across the junction and through the
external circuit will be equal to IS.
● The width of pn junction is
● (21)
● And
4
Forward bias
● Here the applied voltage VF is in the direction that subtracts from the
built-in voltage V0, (V0 − VF).
● This reduced barrier voltage will be accompanied by reduced
depletion-region charge and correspondingly narrower depletion-
region width W.
● The lowering of the barrier voltage will enable more holes to diffuse
from p to n and more electrons to diffuse from n to p.
● Thus the diffusion current ID increases substantially and it can become
many orders of magnitude larger than the drift current I S.
● The current I in the external circuit is of course the difference between
ID and IS, I = ID −IS
5
Forward bias
6
Current in forward bias
● The current is
(22)
● Where IS is called the saturation current or scale current
(23)
● Typical values for IS, for junctions of various areas, range
from 10−18 A to 10−12 A.
7
Example
8
9
10
11
Practice problems
● 1. For the pn junction in previous question, find the value of I S and that of the
current I at V = 0.605 V if ND is reduced by a factor of 2.
● Ans. 1.46×10−14 A; 0.2 mA
● 2. For the pn junction considered in previous examples, find the width of the
depletion region W corresponding to the forward-bias voltage found in the same
Example 3.6. (Hint: Use the formula in Eq. (21) with V R replaced with −VF.)
● Ans. 0.166 μm
● 3 For the pn junction considered in same Example, find the width of the depletion
region W and the charge stored in the depletion region Q J when a 2V reverse bias is
applied. Also find the value of the reverse current I.
● Ans. 0.608 μm; 9.63 pC; 7.3×10−15 A
12
Reverse Breakdown
● The description of the operation of the pn junction in the reverse direction,
and the I−V relationship of the junction indicate that at a reverse-bias
voltage –V, with V >> VT, the reverse current that flows across the junction
is approximately equal to IS and Thus is very small.
● However, as the magnitude of the reverse-bias voltage V is increased, a
value is reached at which a very large reverse current flows as shown in Fig.
● Observe that as V reaches the value VZ, the dramatic increase in reverse
current is accompanied by a very small increase in the reverse voltage; that
is, the reverse voltage across the junction remains very close to the value
VZ.
● The phenomenon that occurs at V = VZ is known as junction
breakdown.
● It is not a destructive phenomenon.
● That is, the pn junction can be repeatedly operated in the breakdown
region without a permanent effect on its characteristics
13
Zener effect and the avalanche effect
● There are two possible mechanisms for pn junction

breakdown: the Zener effect and the avalanche effect.
● If a pn junction breaks down with a breakdown voltage VZ <
5 V, the breakdown mechanism is usually the Zener effect.
● Avalanche breakdown occurs when VZ is greater than
approximately 7 V.
● For junctions that break down between 5 V and 7 V, the
breakdown mechanism can be either the Zener or the
avalanche effect or a combination of the two.
14
Capacitive Effects in the pn Junction
● There are two charge-storage mechanisms in the pn

junction.
● One is associated with the charge stored in the depletion
region, and the other is associated with the minority-carrier
charge stored in the n and p materials as a result of the
concentration profiles established by carrier injection.
● While the first is easier to see when the pn junction is reverse

biased, the second is in effect only when the junction is
forward biased.
15
Depletion or Junction Capacitance
16
Practice problem
● For the pn junction considered in Examples above, find Cj0

and Cj at VR = 2 V. Recall that V0 = 0.814 V, NA = 1018/cm3, ND
= 1016/cm3, and A = 10−4 cm2.
● Ans. 3.2 pF; 1.7 pF
17
Diffusion Capacitance
● In forward bias, a certain amount of excess minority-carrier charge is

stored in each of the p and n bulk regions (outside the depletion region).
● If the terminal voltage V changes, this charge will have to change before
a new steady state is achieved.
● This charge-storage phenomenon gives rise to another capacitive effect,
distinctly different from that due to charge storage in the depletion
region
18
● Qp = Aq ×shaded area under the pn(x)curve
● = Aq[pn(xn)−pn0]Lp
19
20
Practice Questions
● For the pn junction considered in Examples above for which

Dp = 10 cm2/V ·s, and Lp = 5 μm, find τp and Cd at a forward-
bias current of 0.1 mA. Recall that for this junction, Ip ≈ I.
● Ans. 25 ns; 96.5 pF
21

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ECE111 – Analog Electronics

● The externally applied reverse-bias voltage V R is in the direction

● There are two possible mechanisms for pn junction

● There are two charge-storage mechanisms in the pn

● While the first is easier to see when the pn junction is reverse

● For the pn junction considered in Examples above, find Cj0

● Ans. 3.2 pF; 1.7 pF

● In forward bias, a certain amount of excess minority-carrier charge is

● For the pn junction considered in Examples above for which

● Ans. 25 ns; 96.5 pF

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