A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits

HANDOUT # 02
Diode Characteristics
Diode Resistance and Capacitance

Learning Outcomes:
After completing this session, the student will be able to
 Distinguish between the ideal diode and practical diode
 Analyze and calculate the internal resistance and capacitance of diode

Diode Resistance:
Forward Resistance of a Diode:
The resistance offered by the diode in forward biased condition is called Forward resistance.
The forward resistance is defined in two ways.
a) Static (or) DC Forward resistance (RF).
b) Dynamic (or) AC Forward resistance (rf).
a) Static Forward Resistance (RF):
The static forward resistance RF is defined as the ration of the DC voltage applied across the PN-
junction to the DC current flowing through the PN-junction.
Forward d .c. voltage OA Vf
RF   
Forward d .c. current OC at point E If
b) Dynamic (or) AC Forward resistance (rf):
The resistance offered by the PN-junction under AC conditions is called dynamic resistance and
is denoted by rf. The dynamic resistance is also defined as the reciprocal of the slope of the V-I
dV
characteristics i.e., rf 
dI
The dynamic resistance is not a constant but depends upon the operating voltage.
 V
VT

From the diode current equation, we have I  I o  e  1
 
 
Differentiating the above equation w.r.t. V,
We get,
V

dI  VV 1  I eVT dI I  I o
 Io  e T   0  o  
dV  V  VT dV VT
 T 
dI VT
For a forward bias, I  I o and rf is given approximately by r  
f dV I
26
The dynamic resistance varies inversely with current. At room temperature and for   1 , rf 
I
where I is in mA and rf is in ohms. For a forward current of 26mA, the dynamic resistance is 1Ω.
V 1
From the figure, r   = 1/Slope of forward characteristics
f I I
V
Generally the value of rf is very small of the order of few ohms in the operating region.

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 1|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 02

If (mA)

D F

ΔIf
E
C

ΔVf

O A B Vf (V)
Fig. Forward characteristics of a Diode.
Reverse Resistance of a Diode:
The resistance offered by the diode in reverse biased condition is called Reverse resistance.
The reverse resistance is defined in two ways:
a) Static (or) DC Reverse resistance (RR).
b) Dynamic (or) AC Reverse resistance (rr).
a) Static Reverse resistance (RR):
The static reverse resistance RR is defined as the ratio of applied reverse DC voltage to the
reverse saturation current Io flowing through the PN-junction.
Applied Reverse DC Voltage OQ
RR  
Reverse saturation current OR at point P

b) Dynamic Reverse resistance (rr):

The reverse dynamic resistance rr is defined as the ration of incremental change in the reverse
voltage applied to the corresponding change in the reverse current.
VR Change in reverse voltage
rr  
 I R Change in reverse current
VR (V) Q O

ΔVR ΔIR = 0
S P R

I R (µA)
Fig. Reverse characteristics of a Diode.
Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 2|Page
 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 02
Summery:

Ideal Diode Vs Practical Diode:

Ideal Diode
The cut-in voltage is zero
V  0
The dynamic forward resistance
is zero
rf  0
The reverse resistance is infinity
rr  
The reverse saturation current Io
is zero
Diode capacitances or junction capacitances:
In a semiconductor pn- junction, there are two types of capacitances.
1) Transition capacitance
2) Diffusion capacitance.
Practical Diode
The cut-in voltage is
approximately
0.3 V for Ge and 0.7 V for Si
V  0
The dynamic forward resistance
is low (few tens of Ohms)
rf  0
The reverse resistance is high
(hundreds of kilo-Ohms)
rr  
A small reverse saturation current
flows across the junction in the
range of nano-amps for Si diode
and micro-amps for Ge diode

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 3|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 02
Transition capacitance ( cT ):

1) The transition capacitances come into play when the junction is under reverse biased condition.
2) The reverse bias in a pn- diode results in majority carriers moving away from the junction leaving
only uncovered immobile ions.
3) Thus thickness of the space charge layer at the junction increases of reverse bias magnitude.
4) This depletion region along with concentration of uncovered immobile charges may be
considered to constitute a capacitor whose incremental capacitance cT is given by
dQ A
CT   CT 
dV 
Diffusion Capacitance (CD):
The diffusion capacitance exists across the junction when it is forward biased. The rate of change of
injected charge with applied voltage is called as “diffusion capacitance” (or) Storage Capacitance. It is
given by
I
CD 
VT

Example 1.1
Determine the dc resistance levels for the diode of Fig. at
a. ID = 2 mA (low level)
b. ID = 20 mA (high level)
c. VD = 10 V (reverse-biased)

Solution:
From the curve,
VD 0.5V
a. RD    RD  250 
I D 2 mA
VD 0.8V
b. RD    RD  40 
I D 20 mA
VD 10 V
c. RD    RD  10M 
ID 1 A

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 4|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 02
Example 1.2
0
Find the value of dc resistance and ac resistance of a germanium junction diode at 25 C with
I o  25 A and at an applied voltage of 0.2V across the diode.
Solution:
The dc resistance is the ratio of diode voltage and current at a point on V – I characteristics.
Given : V f  0.2 V , I o  25 A,   1
T 25  273
VT    VT  0.025V
11600 11600
 Vf   0.2 
I  I o  eVT  1  25   e 0.025  1  I  60.13 mA
   
 
Vf 0.2
Static dc resistance RF    RF  3.33 
I 60.13 m
VT 0.025
Dynamic ac resistance rr    rr  0.43 
 VV  0.2

Io  e T  25  e 0.025
 
 

Analysis Problems
1. The voltage across a silicon diode at room temperature of 300ºk is 0.7v when 2ma current flows
through it. If the voltage increases to 0.75v, calculate the diode current assuming V T = 26mv
[Ans: 5.23mA]
2. Calculate the dynamic forward and reverse resistance of PN – junction silicon diode when the applied
voltage is 0.25v at T = 300ºk with given IO = 2µA [Ans: rf=212.33Ω, rr = 3.18MΩ]
3. A PN – junction diode has a reverse saturation current of 30µA at a temperature of 125ºc.At the same
temperature find the dynamic resistance for 0.2v bias in forward and reverse direction Given a diode
current of 6 mA, VT = 26 mV,  =1, and Io=1 nA, find the applied voltage VD.
[Ans: rf=3.35Ω, rr = 0.39MΩ]

References:
1. Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky: Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory; PHI, 11e, 2013.
2. Thomas L. Floyd David L. Buchla, Electronics Fundamentals - Circuits, Devices and Applications;
Pearson Education Limited, 8e, 2014.
3. James M. Fiore, Semiconductor Devices: Theory and Application, an open educational resource
(OER), Version 1.1.1, 12 May 2019.

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 5|Page