LABORATORY #2 Zener Diode Characteristics and Zener Diode as a Voltage Regulator

Group 5:
Dela Cruz, Mark Louie
Mendoza, Allen Rodney
Punzalan, Paul Jasmin
Sampayan, Glenn
Tambaoan, Christian Alan
Velandres, Quinno Ross
A. Static characteristics:
S. No

Applied Voltage (V)

0V
6V
12 V
18 V
24 V
30 V

Forward Voltage (VF)

0V
0.583 V
0.602 V
0.613 V
0.621 V
0.627 V

Forward Current (IF)

0 mA
5.417 mA
11.398 mA
17.387 mA
23.379 mA
29.373 mA

Static characteristics
0.7

Forward Voltage (VF)

0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3

Y-Values

0.2
0.1

0
0

10

15

20

25

30

Forward Current (IF)

B. Regulation characteristics:
S. No

Applied Voltage,
VS
0V
6V
12 V
18 V
24 V
30 V

VNL (VOLTS)

VFL (VOLTS)

RL (k)

% Regulation

0V
-4.941 V
-4.979 V
-4.992 V
-5 V
-5.007 V

0V
-5.036 V
-6.98 V
-12.989 V
-21.427 V
-27.729 V

0.5 k
1 k
2 k
4 k
8 k
10 k

0%
1.89%
28.67%
61.57%
76.67%
81.94%

Calculations:
%Regulation
%Regulation
%Regulation
%Regulation
%Regulation

=
=
=
=
=

(-4.941 (-5.036))/ (-5.036) x 100 = 1.89%

(-4.979 (-6.98))/ (-6.98) x 100 = 28.67%
(-4.992 (-12.989))/ (-12.989) x 100 = 61.57%
(-5 (-21.427))/ (-21.427) x 100 = 76.67%
(-5.007 (-27.729))/ (-27.729) x 100 = 81.94%

Questions:
1. What type of temp coefficient does the zener diode have? The zener diode has a negative
temperature coefficient.
2. If the impurity concentration is increased, how does the depletion width get affected? The depletion
width is lesser if the impurity concentration is increased.
3. Does the dynamic impedence of a zener diode vary? Yes. Based on temperature coefficient it
shows that the dynamic impedance of a zener diode varies.
4. Explain briefly about avalanche and zener breakdowns? Avalanche has higher voltage compared
to zener breakdowns which consume less voltage.
5. Draw the zener equivalent circuit

6. Differentiate between line regulation and load regulation. Line regulation is a measure of ability of
the power supply to maintain its output voltage given changes in the input line voltage
while load regulation is a measure of the ability of an output channel to remain constant
given changes in the load.
7. Which region zener diode can be used as a regulator? In the reverse breakdown region the zener
diode can be used as a regulator.
8. How the breakdown voltage of a particular diode can be controlled? By varying the impurity
concentration the breakdown voltage of a particular diode can be controlled or by doping a
p-type or n-type minority carriers.
9. What type of temperature coefficient does the Avalanche breakdown has? The temperature
coefficient of the avalance mechanism is positive.
10. By what type of charge carriers the current flows in zener and avalanche breakdown diodes? The
avalanche process occurs when carriers in the transition region are accelerated by the
electric field to energies sufficient to free electron-hole pairs via collisions with bound
electrons. Zener breakdown occurs in heavenly dope junctions (p-type semiconductor
moderately doped and n-typed heavily doped), which produces a narrow depletion region.