MODULE 1 Problems

1. Explain why a p-type silicon sample has a lower conductivity compared to an n-type silicon sample
having the same dopant concentration.

2. Explain how trivalent impurities create a p-type semiconductor while penta-valent impurities create an
n-type semiconductor with suitable bond diagrams.

3. List the factors on which the drift current in semiconductors depends.

4. In a p-type Si sample the hole concentration is . The intrinsic carrier Concentration is

. Find the electron concentration.

5. The intrinsic carrier concentration of silicon sample at 3000 K is 1.5 × 1016/𝑚3. If after doping, the
number of majority carriers is 5 × 1020/𝑚3. Find the the minority carrier density.

6. A small concentration of minority carries is injected into a homogeneous Semiconductor crystal at one
point. An electric field of 10 V/cm is applied across the crystal, and this moves the minority carriers 1 cm
in 20 µ sec. Find the mobility (in cm2/V-sec).

7. A silicon PN junction at a temperature of 200 C has a reverse saturation current of 10pA. What is the
approximate reverse saturation current at 400 C for the same bias.

8. Find the value of VT at 20oC.

9. A Ge diode described by (2.1) is operated at a junction temperature of 27oC. For a forward current of 10
mA, VD is found to be 0.3 V. (a) If VD = 0.4 V, find the forward current. (b) Find the reverse saturation
current.

10. Find the percentage increase in the reverse saturation current of a diode if the temperature is
increased from 25o C to 50oC.

11. Explain Avalanche and Zener breakdown mechanisms. Tabulate the difference between these two.

12. Explain the working of a Zener diode as a voltage regulator.

13. Determine the temperature coefficient of a 5-V Zener diode (rated 25°C value) if the nominal voltage
drops to 4.8 V at a temperature of 100°C.

14. Consider the given circuit and a waveform for the input voltage , shown in figure below. The diode in
circuit has cut in voltage .

Find the output waveform .

15. Find the current through the diode in the circuit shown in Fig. Assume the diode to be ideal.

16. In the circuit shown below, the diodes have a cut-in voltage of 0.6 V. Determine which diodes are in ON
state.

17. For the circuit shown below cut-in voltage of diode is Vth = 0.7. What is the value of v and i ?

18. In the voltage regulator circuit shown below the zener diode current is to be limited to the range
. Find the range of possible load current and the load resistance.

19. Explain the working of a half wave, center taped, and bridge rectifier. What is the significance of the
ripple factor in a rectifier circuit?

20. Consider the circuit and a waveform for the input voltage given below. If the diode has cut in voltage
Vth = 0, what will be the output waveform of the circuit?
21. In the voltage regulator shown below, find the power dissipation in the Zener diode.

22. In the voltage regulator circuit shown below the power rating of Zener diode is 400 mW. The value of
RL that will establish maximum power in Zener diode is.

23. The applied input a.c. power to a half-wave rectifier is 100 watts. The d.c. output power obtained is 40
watts. (i) What is the rectification efficiency? (ii) What happens to the remaining 60 watts?

24. An a.c. supply of 230 V is applied to a half-wave rectifier circuit through a transformer of turn ratio 10 :
1. Find (i) the output d.c. voltage and (ii ) the peak inverse voltage. Assume the diode to be ideal.

25. A semiconductor diode having internal resistance is used for half-wave rectification. If the
applied voltage is and load resistance , find:
(i)
(ii) a.c. power input and d.c. power output
(iii) d.c. output voltage
(iv) efficiency of rectification.

26. A half-wave rectifier is used to supply 50V d.c.to a resistive load of . The diode has a resistance of
. Calculate a.c. voltage required.

27. What is the significance of peak inverse voltage (PIV) in a rectifier? Derive the expressions for the PIV
in case of half wave rectifier, center taped, and bridge rectifier.
28. What do you mean by rectification efficiency of a rectifier. Derive the expression of rectification
efficiency in case of half wave rectifier, center taped, and bridge rectifier.
29. In the center-tap circuit shown in Fig., the diodes are assumed to be ideal i.e., having zero internal
resistance. Find:
(i) d.c. output voltage
(ii) peak inverse voltage
(iii) rectification efficiency

30. In the bridge type circuit shown in Fig., the diodes are assumed to be ideal. Find:
(i) d.c. output voltage
(ii) peak inverse voltage
(iii) output frequency