WORLD UNIVERSITY OF BANGLADESH

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Course Name: Electronics I

Exp. 1: STUDY OF V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF SEMICONDUCTOR DIODE

OBJECTIVES:
1) To construct the circuit using semiconductor diode
2) To measure the output current and voltage
3) To sketch the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics curve
4) To analysis the characteristics

EQUIPMENT:
p-n junction diode(1N4003) one piece
Resistor (1k, 10k) one piece each
DC power suply one piece
Oscilloscope one unit
Chords and wire lot
Capacitor 1F, 47F

THEORY:
Diode is a semiconductor device that allows current flow only in one direction, from p to n or
anode to cathode. The schematic diagram, diode notation and circuit symbol are shown in
Figure 1. Diodes are usually marked with a dot or a bar appearing on the cathode side. This
mark helps identify the diode terminals.

Diode Structure

Packaged Diode

Anode Cathode

Circuit Symbol

Fig. 1 Diode configuration

Diodes have small impedance to current flow in one direction (forward-biased) and large
impedance in the reverse-biased mode. When diodes fail they either short-circuit (pass
current in both directions – i.e. low resistance in both directions) or open-circuit (do not pass
current at all). Forward-Bias Condition: When the +Ve terminal of the battery is connected to
P-type material & -Ve terminal to N-type terminal as shown in fig. 2, the diode is said to be
forward biased and lamp will blow. The application of forward bias voltage will force
electrons in N-type and holes in P-type material to recombine with the ions near boundary
and to flow crossing junction. This reduces width of depletion region. This further will result
in increase in majority carriers flow across the junction. If forward bias is further increased in
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magnitude the depletion region width will continue to decrease, resulting in exponential rise
in current.

Fig. 2 Forward bias of diode

Reverse-biased: If the negative terminal of battery (DC power supply) is connected with P-
type terminal of diode and +Ve terminal of battery connected to N type then diode is said to
be reverse biased and the lamp is off as shown in fig. 3. In this condition the free charge
carriers (i.e. electrons in N-type and holes in P-type) will move away from junction widening
depletion region width. The minority carriers (i.e. –ve electrons in p-type and +ve holes in n-
type) can cross the depletion region resulting in minority carrier current flow called as reverse
saturation current (Is). As no of minority carrier is very small so the magnitude of Is is few
microamperes. Ideally current in reverse bias is zero. In short, current flows through diode in
forward bias and does not flow through diode in reverse bias. Diode can pass current only in
one direction. The real characteristics of diode are showed in fig. 4.

Fig. 3 Reverse bias of diode

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 Fig. 4 Real Characteristics of semiconductor diode

EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE:
1. Connect the power supply, voltmeter, current meter with the diode as shown in the
figure for forward bias diode. You can use two multi meter (one to measure current
through diode and other to measure voltage across diode)
2. Increase voltage from the power supply from 0V to 20V in step as shown in the
observation table
3. Measure voltage across diode and current through diode. Note down readings in the
observation table.
4. Reverse DC power supply polarity for reverse bias
5. Repeat the above procedure for the different values of supply voltage for reverse bias
6. Draw VI characteristics for forward bias and reverse bias in one graph

CIRCUIT DIAGRAMS:

Fig. 5 Forward bias characteristics

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 Fig. 6 Reverse bias characteristics

EXPERIMENTAL DATA SHEET:

Forward Bias:

Sl. No Supply voltage (V) Diode Voltage (V) Diode current (mA)

Reverse Bias:

Sl. No Supply voltage (V) Diode Voltage (V) Diode current (uA)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The diode characteristics were done and the wave forms are noted. The characteristics curves
are plotted.

CONCLUSION:
Current through Silicon based diode starts increasingly exponentially when potential across
diode is approximately milli volts (Cut-in Voltage). A germanium diode requires a lower
voltage due to its higher atomic number, which makes it more unstable. Silicon is used far
more extensively than germanium in solid state devices because of its stability.

Important Viva Questions

1. List important specifications of the diode

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2. What is breakdown voltage? What is the breakdown voltage of diode 1N4001 and
1N4007?
3. What is the highest forward current in the diode 1N4007?
4. List different types of the diode
5. List applications of the diode?
6. How to check diode with help of multimeter?
7. What is the reason for reverse saturation current ?
8. What is the forward voltage drop of silicon diode and germanium diode?