Lecture 3

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PN Junction Diodes
(contd)

EE105 Fall 2007

Electrostatics (contd)
I-V characteristics
Reverse breakdown
Small-signal model

Lecture 3, Slide 1
Reading: Chapter
2.2-2.3,

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

The Depletion
Approximation
In the depletion region on the N side:

dE qN D

dx si
si
qN D
x b
E
si
(x)
qND
a
-b
-qNA

In the depletion region on the P side:

dE qN A

dx si
si

qN A
a x
si

aN A bN D
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 2

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

More on the Built-In

Potential (V0)

Q: Why cant we harness V0 and use the PN

+
junction as a battery?
?
V0

A: A built-in potential also exists at a junction

between a metal and a semiconductor (e.g.
at a contact).
If we connect the P and N regions
together,
No net current
flows across
the junction when the
there is no net voltage drop
across
V(x)
externallythe
applied voltage is 0
V
V!
device:
0

Vbn+V0+Vbp=0
Vbn
EE105 Fall 2007

V0

Vbp

-b
Lecture 3, Slide 3

x
Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Effect of Applied Voltage

The quasi-neutral N-type and P-type regions have
low resistivity, whereas the depletion region has
high resistivity.

Thus, when an external voltage VD is applied

across the diode, almost all of this voltage is
dropped across the depletion region. (Think of
a voltage divider circuit.)

If VD < 0 (reverse bias), the potential barrier to

carrier diffusion is increased by the applied
voltage.
VD

+ the potential barrier to

If VD > 0 (forward bias),
carrier diffusion is reduced by the applied
voltage.
ID
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 4

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

PN Junction under
Forward Bias

A forward bias decreases the potential drop

across the junction. As a result, the
magnitude of the electric field decreases and
(x) of the depletion region narrows.
the width
qND
a

-b
-qNA

ID
V(x)
V0
-b

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 5

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Minority Carrier Injection under

Forward Bias
The potential barrier to carrier diffusion is
decreased by a forward bias; thus, carriers
diffuse across the junction.
The carriers which diffuse across the junction
become minority carriers in the quasi-neutral
regions; they recombine with majority
carriers,
np(x)
dying out with distance.
np0
0

EE105 Fall 2007

x'
edge of depletion region

x'

Equilbrium concentration n
p0
of electrons on the P side:
Lecture 3, Slide 6

ni2

NA

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Concentrations
at the Edges of the Depletion
Region
The minority-carrier
concentrations at the
qV / kT

VD / VT
D
e

e
edges of the depletion region are changed

by the factor

There is an excess concentration (pn, np)

of minority carriers in the quasi-neutral regions,
under forward bias.

Within the quasi-neutral regions, the

) n p 0 n p ( x)
excess
concentrations
n p ( xminority-carrier
Notation: from the
2 V /V
decay exponentially
with
distance
ni e
1 x / L
L electron diffusion

n
(
x
)

e
p
depletion
region,
to zero: length (cm)
N
D

J n ,diff

dn p qDn ni2 qVD / VT

qDn

e
1 e x / Ln
dx
N A Ln

x'
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 7

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Diode Current under

Forward Bias

The current flowing across the junction is

comprised of hole diffusion and electron
diffusion
J J components:
J
J
J
tot

p , drift x 0

n , drift x 0

p , diff x 0

n , diff x 0

Assuming that the diffusion current

components are constant within the
2
2
qD
n
qD
n
p i
depletion
no
recombination
n region
i

J p ,diff

eV / V 1

J n ,diff

eV / V 1(i.e.
x 0
x 0
N D Lp
N A Lthe
occurs
in
depletion region):
n
D

J tot J S e
EE105 Fall 2007

VD / VT

Dp
D
n

1 where J S qn

N L N L
D p
A n

2
i

Lecture 3, Slide 8

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Current Components under

Forward Bias
For a fixed bias voltage, Jtot is constant
throughout the diode, but Jn(x) and Jp(x)
vary with position.
Jtot

-b

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 9

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

I-V Characteristic of a PN
Junction
Current increases exponentially with
applied forward bias voltage, and
saturates at a relatively small negative
current level for reverse bias voltages.
Ideal diode equation:

I D I S eVD / VT 1

Dp
D
n

I S AJ S Aqn

N L N L
D p
A n
2
i

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 10

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Parallel PN Junctions
Since the current flowing across a PN
junction is proportional to its crosssectional area, two identical PN junctions
connected in parallel act effectively as a
single PN junction with twice the crosssectional area, hence twice the current.

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 11

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Diode Saturation Current

IS
Dp
D
n

I S Aqni

LN

L
N
n
A
p
D

IS can vary by orders of magnitude, depending on the

diode area, semiconductor material, and net dopant
concentrations.
typical range of values for Si PN diodes: 10 -14 to 10-17 A/m2

In an asymmetrically doped PN junction, the term

associated with the more heavily doped side is negligible:

If the P side is much more heavily doped,I S

Aqni

If the N side is much more heavily doped,

I

Aqni

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 12

Dp

L N
p D

Dn

Ln N A

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Reverse Breakdown
As the reverse bias voltage increases, the
electric field in the depletion region
increases. Eventually, it can become large
enough to cause the junction to break
down so that a large reverse current flows:

breakdown voltage

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 13

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Reverse Breakdown
Mechanisms

a) Zener breakdown occurs when the electric

field is sufficiently high to pull an electron
out of a covalent bond (to generate an
electron-hole pair).
b) Avalanche breakdown occurs when
electrons and holes gain sufficient kinetic
energy (due to acceleration by the E-field) inbetween scattering events to cause electronhole pair generation upon colliding with the
lattice.

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 14

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Constant-Voltage Diode
Model

If VD < VD,on: The diode operates as an open circuit.

If VD VD,on: The diode operates as a constant
voltage
source with value VD,on.
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 15

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Example: Diode DC Bias

Calculations
IX
V X I X R1 VD I X R1 VT ln
IS

I X 2.2mA for VX 3V
I X 0.2mA for VX 1V
This example shows the simplicity provided by a
constant-voltage model over an exponential model.
Using an exponential model, iteration is needed to
solve for current. Using a constant-voltage model,
only linear equations need to be solved.
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 16

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Small-Signal Analysis
Small-signal analysis is performed at a DC
bias point by perturbing the voltage by a
small amount and observing the resulting
linear current perturbation.
If two points on the I-V curve are very close, the
curve in-between these points is well
approximated by a straight line:

I D
dI D

VD dVD

2
3
x
x
ex 1 x

2! 3!

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 17

VD VD1

I s VD1 / VT I D1
e

VT
VT
Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Diode Small-Signal
Model

Since there is a linear relationship

between the small-signal current and
small-signal voltage of a diode, the diode
can be viewed as a linear resistor when
only small changes in voltage are of
interest.

Small-Signal Resistance
(or Dynamic Resistance)
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 18

VT
rd
ID
Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Small Sinusoidal Analysis

If a sinusoidal voltage with small amplitude
is applied in addition to a DC bias voltage,
the current is also a sinusoid that varies
about
the
DC
bias
current
value.
V D(t ) V

V
cos

t
0
p

V0 V p cos t

I D (t ) I 0 I p cos t I s exp
VT / I 0
VT
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 19

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Cause and Effect

In (a), voltage is the cause and current is
the effect. In (b), current is the cause and
voltage is the effect.

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 20

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Summary: PN-Junction
Diode
I-V
Under forward bias, the potential barrier is reduced,
so that carriers flow (by diffusion) across the junction
Current increases exponentially with increasing forward bias
The carriers become minority carriers once they cross the
junction; as they diffuse in the quasi-neutral regions, they
recombine with majority carriers (supplied by the metal
contacts)
injection of minority carriers

I D I S eVD / VT 1

Under reverse bias, the potential barrier is increased,

so that negligible carriers flow across the junction
If a minority carrier enters the depletion region (by thermal
generation or diffusion from the quasi-neutral regions), it will
be swept across the junction by the built-in electric field
collection of minority carriers
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 3, Slide 21

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley