Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Independent University, Bangladesh

BAETE Accredited

Lab Report
Course Code: EEE234L
Course Title: Electronics lab
Autumn- 2022

Student Name Oishe Banozier

Grade/Mark
Student Id 2010781
Section 01

Due Date

Submission Date

Remark

Experiment No. 02

Experiment Name Study of the I-V characteristics of Zener diode.

Objective:
1. To verify the Zener Diode voltage characteristic.
2. To verify the Zener Diode current characteristic.
3. To draw a graph of V/I and verify with the theoretical value.

Theory:
A Zener diode is a special kind of diode which allows current to flow in the forward
direction in the same manner as an ideal diode. But it will also allow current to flow in the
reverse direction when the voltage is above a certain value known as the breakdown
voltage, knee voltage or Zener voltage.

Zener diodes are heavily doped silicon diodes that, unlike normal diodes, exhibit an abrupt
reverse breakdown at relatively low voltages. The Zener diode is designed to operate in
reverse breakdown region. Zener diode is used for voltage regulation purpose. Zener
diodes are designed for specific reverse breakdown voltage called Zener breakdown
voltage (Vz). The value of Vz depends on amount of doping.

Zener diodes are available in various families (according to their general characteristics,
encapsulations, and power ratings) with reverse breakdown (Zener) voltages in the range
2.4V to 200 V.

Zener Diode I-V Characteristics

The Zener Diode is used in its reverse bias or reverse breakdown mode. From the I-V
characteristics curve, we can see that the Zener diode has a region in its reverse bias
characteristics of almost a constant negative voltage regardless of the value of the current
flowing through the diode and remains nearly constant even with large changes in current
if the Zener diodes current remains between the breakdown current IZ (min) and the
maximum current rating IZ (max). This ability to control itself can be used to great effect
to regulate or stabilize a voltage source against supply or load variations.
Observation table: (Forward biased)  Observation table: (Reverse biased)  
Supply Diode Diode   Supply Diode Diode
Sr.  No.   voltage   voltage   current   Sr.  No.   voltage   voltage   current  
(Volt)   (Vd)   (Id)   (Volt)   (Vd)   (Id)  
1.    0   0  0 1.    0   0  0

2.    1  0.7    0.35 2.    0.2   0.294    0

3.    2  0.742    1.29 3.    0.4   0.488    0

4.    3  0.758    2.27 4.    0.6    0.680  0

5.    5  0.776    4.26 5.    0.8   0.821    0

6.    7  0.786    6.10 6.    1  1.065    0

7.    9  0.795  8.25 7.    2  2.000    0

8.    11   0.802  10.29 8.    5  4.940    0.12

9.    13   0.807  12.31 9.    8  5.110    2.92

10.    15   0.812  14.42 10.    10   5.120    4.89

11.    17   0.815 16.45   11.    12   5.130  6.91  

12.    20   0.820  19.65   12.    15   5.140   9.91  

13.    24  0.828 24.20   13.    18   5.150    12.96

14.    27  0.830   27.30   14.    20   5.160    15.01

15.    30  0.833   30.80   15.    25   5.170    20.40

Question and Answers:

1. Write two applications of Zener diode.

Ans: The major application of a Zener diode in the electronic circuit is as a Voltage
Regulator. It provides a constant voltage to the load from a source whose voltage may
vary over a sufficient range. Zener diodes are also used to convert sine wave into
square waves. 

2. Define the knee voltage and Breakdown voltage of diode from V-I curve.

Ans: In the forward characteristics of a diode once the voltage is applied then the
junction starts increasing rapidly. It is known as knee voltage and an alternate
name of this is cut in voltage. The diode’s breakdown voltage can be defined as
the least reverse voltage which is used to make the diode perform in reverse.
Breakdown voltage is a factor of a diode that describes the highest reverse
voltage. This voltage can be used without affecting an exponential rise in the
current of the diode.