IDEAL & PRACTICAL DIODES: DIODE EQUIVALENT CIRCUITS:-

AN IDEAL DODE:-

SIMPLIFIED EQUIVALENT CIRCUITS:-

PIECEWISE LINEAR EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT:-

DIODE RESISTANCE:- IT IS OF TWO TYPES.

STATIC RESISTANCE:-
THE RESISTANCE OFFERED BY THE DIODE TO THE DC OPERATING
CONDITION IS CALLED AS DC OR STATIC RESISTANCE AND IT IS DENOTED
𝑉𝐹
BY RF. STATIC RESISTANCE RF =
𝐼𝐹

STATIC RESISTANCE OF A DIODE IN THE REVERSE BIASED CONDITION Rr

IS THE RATIO OF REVERSE VOLTAGE TO REVERSE CURRENT AT A
PARTICULAR OPERATING POINT.

AC OR DYNAMIC RESISTANCE:-
THE REISTANCE OFFERED BY THE DIODE TO THE AC OPERATING
CONDITIONS IS KNOWN AS DYNAMIC RESISTANCE OR AC
RESISTANCE.
∆𝑉𝐹
DYNAMIC RESISTANCE, rF = ∆𝐼𝐹
EXPRESSION FOR THE DYNAMIC RESISTANCE OF THE DIODE:-

QUES:- A P-N JUNCTION DIODE HAS A TEMPERATURE OF 125OC AND A REVERSE SATURATION CURRENT
OF 30𝜇𝐴. AT A TEMPERATURE OF 125oC. FIND THE DYNAMIC RESISTANCE FOR 0.2 VOLT BIAS I THE
FORWARD & REVERSE DIRECTION.

DIODE CAPACITANCE:- IT IS OF TWO TYPES.

 I. TRANSITION CAPACITANCE
II. DIFFUSION CAPACITANCE
(I) TRANSITION CAPACITANCE:- WHEN A P-N JUNCTION IS FORMED, THERE EXISTS A
DEPLETION REGION CONSISTS OF POSITIVE & NEGATIVE IMMOBILE IONS. THIS
DEPLETION LAYER ACTS AS A DIELECTRIC MEDIUM BETWEEN P & N REGION. THE P &
N REGION ACTS AS THE TWO PLATES OF A CAPACITOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOW
RESISTANCE. IN REVERSE BIAS, DUE TO THE MOVEMENT OF MAJORITY CARRIERS
AWAY FROM THE JUNCTION, THE WIDTH OF DEPLETION REGION WILL INCREASE. DUE
TO MOVEMENT OF CHARGE CARRIERS, THERE IS A CHANGE IN CHARGE (dQ) WITH
CHANGE IN VOLTAGE (dV).THIS IS CALLED TRANSITION CAPACITANCE.
𝒅𝑸 ∈𝑨
𝑪𝑻 = 𝒅𝑽
= 𝑾
THIS IS ALSO KNOWN AS SPACE CHARGE CAPACITANCE OR BARRIER CAPACITANCE OR
DEPLETION REGION CAPACITANCE.

(II) DIFFUSION CAPACITANCE:- THE CAPACITANCE WHICH EXISTS IN A FORWARD-BISED

JUNCTION IS CALLED A DIFFUSION CAPACITANCE OR STORAGE CAPACITANCE.IF IN A
FORWARD BISED JUNCTION THE APPLIED VOLTAGE IS SUDDENLY REVERSED, THEN
FORWARD CURRENT IF CEASES AT ONCE BUT A LOT OF MAJORITY CHARGE CARRIERS
ARE LEFT IN THE DEPLETION REGION. THIS CHARGE REPRESENTS STORED CHARGE
AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE DEPLETION REGION. THIS REMOVAL OF
CHARGE TAKES A FINITE TIME.THIS EFFECT IS SIMILAR TO DISCHARGE OF A
CAPACITOR. SO AMOUNT OF STORED CHARGE REPRESENTS THE MAGNITUDE OF
DIFFUSION CAPACITANCE.
𝝉𝑰𝑭
𝑪𝑫 =
𝜼𝑽𝑻
WHERE 𝐶𝐷 = DIFFUSION CAPACITANCE
𝜂 = CONSTANT (𝜂 = 2 FOR Si, 𝜂 = 1 FOR Ge)
VT = VOLT EQUIVALENT TEMPERATURE
𝜏 = MEAN LIFE TIME
IF = FORWARD CURRENT
BREAKDOWN MECHANISM:- IF THE REVERSE-BIAS APPLIED TO A P-N JUNCTION IS INCREASED, A POINT
WILL REACH WHEN THE JUNCTION BREAKS DOWN AND REVERSE CURRENT RISES SHARPLY TO AVALUE
LIMITED BY THE EXTERNAL RESISTANCE CONNECTED IN SERIES.THIS SPECIFIC VALUE OF THE REVERSE
BIAS VOLATAGE IS CALLED BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE (𝑉𝑍 ). THE BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE DEPENDS UPON
THE WIDTH OF DEPLETION LAYER. THIS WIDTH OF DEPLETION LAYER DEPENDS UPON THE DOPIG LEVEL.

BREAKDOWN

ZENER BREAKDOWN AVALANCHE BREAKDOWN

ZENER BREAKDOWN:-

THE ZENER BREAKDOWN IS OBSERVED IN THE ZENER DIODES HAVING 𝑉𝑍

LESS THAN 5 V OR BETWEEN 5 TO 8 VOLTS. WHEN A REVERSE VOLTAGE
IS APPLIED TO A ZENER DIODE, IT CAUSES A VERY INTENSE ELECTRIC
FIELD TO APPEAR ACROSS A NARROW DEPLETION REGION. THIS
ELECTRIC FIELD IS STRONG ENOUGH TO PULL SOME OF THE VALENCE
ELECTRONS INTO THE CONDUCTION BAND BY BREAKING THEIR
COVALENT BONDS. THESE ELECTRONS THEN BECOME FREE ELECTRONS
WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR CONDUCTION. A LARGE NUMBER OF SUCH
FREE ELECTRONS WILL CONSTITUTE A LARGE REVERSE CURRENT
THROUGH THE ZENER DIODE AND BREAKDOWN IS SAID TO HAVE
OCURRED DUE TO THE ZENER EFFECT.
THE BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE DECRESES WITH INCREASE IN THE JUNCTION TEMPERATURE.

AVALANCHE BREAKDOWN:- THE AVALANCHE BREAKDOWN IS OBSERVED IN ZENER DIODES HAVING 𝑉𝑍

HIGHER THAN 8V. AS WE INCREASE THE REVERSE VOLTAGE APPLIED APPLIED TO THE ZENER DIODE,
MINORITY CARRIERS TEND TO ACCELERATE. THE KINETIC ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH TEM INCREASES.
WHILE TRAVELLING, THESE ACCELERATED MINORITY CARRIERS WILL COLLIDE WITH THE STATIONARY
ATOMS AND IMPART SOME OF THE KINETIC ENERGY TO THE VALENCE ELECTRONS PRESENT IN THE
COVALENT BONDS. DUE TO THIS ADDITIONALLY ACQUIRED ENERGY, THESE VALENCE ELECTRONS WILL
BREAK THEIR COVALENT BONDS AND JUMP INTO THE CONDUCTION BAND TO BECOME FREE FOR
CONDUCTION. NOW THESE NEWLY GENERATED FREE ELECTRONS WILL GET ACCELERATED. THEY WILL
KNOCK OUT SOME MORE VALENCE ELECTRONS BY MEANS OF COLLISION. THIS PHENOMENON IS
CALLED AS CARRIER MULTIPLICATION.THIS MULTIPLICATION IS CALLED AVALANCHE EFFECT. A LARGE
REVERSE CURRENT STARTS FLOWING THROUGH THE ZENER DIODE.
S.NO. ZENER BREAKDOWN
1 OBSERVED IN ZENER DIODES HAVING 𝑉𝑍
BETWEEN 5 TO 8 VOLTS
2 VALENCE ELECTRONS ARE PULLED INTO
CONDUCTION BAND DUE TO VERY INTENSE
ELECTRIC FIELD APPEARING ACROSS THE
NARROW DEPLETION REGION.
3 V-I CHARACTERISTICS IS SHARP
4 BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE DECREASES WITH
INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE
AVALANCHE BREAKDOWN
OBSERVED IN DIODES HAVING 𝑉𝑍 GREATER
THAN 8 VOLTS
VALENCE ELECTRONS ARE PUSHED INTO
CONDUCTION BAND DUE TO THE ENERGY
IMPARTED BY COLLIDING ACCELERATED
MINORITY CARRIERS.
V-I CHARACTERISTICS IS GRADUAL
BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE INCREASES WITH
INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE