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ELECTRONICS I (LECTURE 3) PAGE 1 OF 6

REVERSE BREAKDOWN REGION

 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.

 This energy will increase their speed through the p region, as well as collision
with valence electron.

 This energy is enough to knock valence electrons out of orbit and into the
conduction band.

 The newly created conduction electrons are also high in energy and repeat the
process. If one electron knocks only two others the numbers quickly multiply.

 As these high-energy electrons go through the depletion region, they have enough
energy to go through the n-region as conduction electrons, rather than combining
with holes.

 The multiplication of conduction electrons just discussed is known as Avalanche


Effect.

 This results in a very high reverse current that can damage the diode because of
excessive heat dissipation.

V I CHARACTERISTIC FOR FORWARD BIAS

 Normal operation for a forward biased diode is above the knee of the curve.
ELECTRONICS I (LECTURE 3) PAGE 2 OF 6

 DYNAMIC RESISTANCE (rD)

o Unlike linear resistance, the resistance of the forward – biased diode is


not constant over the entire curve. Such resistance is known as
dynamic resistance.

 Below knee voltage rD is maximum.

V I CHARACTERISTIC FOR REVERSE BIAS

o Reverse Voltage = VR
o Reverse Current = IR
o Reverse Breakdown
Voltage = VBR

 Normally very small reverse


current flow from the diode in
reverse bias.

 Reverse current increases rapidly


when bias voltage reaches to
breakdown voltages.

 Breakdown is not a normal mode


of operation for most pn-junction
devices.

 For typical silicon diode, minimum voltages are 50 V for breakdown.


ELECTRONICS I (LECTURE 3) PAGE 3 OF 6

COMPLETE V I CHARACTERISTIC CURVE

TEMPERATURE EFFECT ON THE DIODE

 For given value of forward voltages, current will increase as temperature is


increased.

 For a given value of forward current, the forward voltage decreases i.e. potential
barrier get minimize.

 Remember reverse current is very small and can be neglected.


ELECTRONICS I (LECTURE 3) PAGE 4 OF 6

DYNAMIC RESISTANCE

 Consider a biased PN junction. As the applied bias increases in magnitude the


depletion region will continue to decrease in width until a flood of electrons can
pass through the junction, resulting in an exponential rise in current as shown in
the forward-bias region of the characteristics curve.

 The horizontal scale in the forward-bias region has a maximum of 1 V. Therefore,


the voltage across a forward-biased diode will be less than 1 V. Note also, how
quickly the current rises beyond the knee of the curve, while reverse saturation
current Is has a very small value as compare to forward current diode ID.

 It can be demonstrated through the use of solid-state physics that the general
characteristics of a semiconductor diode can be defined by the following
Shockley’s equation for the forward- and reverse-bias regions:

 kVD

Is  e  1
TK
=> ID = ------ 
 

 Is = reverse saturation current


 k = 11,600/ with  = 1 for Ge and  = 2 for Si for relatively low levels of
diode current (at or below the knee of the curve) and  = 1 for Ge and Si
for higher levels of diode current (in the rapidly increasing section of the
curve).
 TK = TC + 273°
ELECTRONICS I (LECTURE 3) PAGE 5 OF 6

The dynamic resistance of the PN junction can be develop by taking derivative of the
above Shockley’s Equation #,
d d   kVD TK 
=>  ID  = I s  e  1
dVD dVD   

d d  kVD TK 
=>  ID  =  Ise  Is 
dVD dVD  
d d  kVD TK  d
=>  ID  = Is  e   Is (1)
dVD dVD   dVD
d kI s  kVD TK 
=>  ID  =  e   0
dVD TK  
d k  kVD TK 
=>  ID  =  I s e  ------ 
dVD TK  

From equation #,


kVD
=> Is e TK = ID + Is
But ID >> Is
So,
kVD
=> Is e TK ≈ ID
Therefore,
d k
=>  ID  =  ID 
dVD TK
Substituting  = 1 for Ge and Si in the vertical-rise section of the characteristics, we
obtain,

And at room temperature,


=> TK = TC + 273
=> TK = 25 + 273 = 298 K
Thus,
d 11600
=>  ID  =  ID  = 38.93 ID
dVD 298
dVD 0.0257
=> =
dI D ID
But,
dVD
=> = rD
dI D
ELECTRONICS I (LECTURE 3) PAGE 6 OF 6

26mV
=> rD = ID

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