EE292

CHAPTER 10 DIODES
Supplemental Info
Contains information from internet websites,
for EE292 class reference only

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

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Chapter 10 References
Various Diodes and Applications

1. Light Emitting Diodes (LED)

2. Photodiodes
3. Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR)
4. Triac
5. Term project ideas?

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

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Diode devices
Diode

Check valve behavior

anode
+

Diffusion at the PN junction

of P into N and N into P
causes a depleted nonconductive region
Depletion is enhanced by
reverse bias
Depletion is broken down by
forward bias

Schematic Symbol

D1

Pdoped

Ndoped

Semiconductor
Elements

Depletion region

Typical
Component
Appearance

1N412

I
Forward
bias
current

When forward biased

High current flow junction
voltage

cathode
-

When reverse biased

Very low current flow unless
above peak inverse voltage
(PIV) (damaging to
rectifying diodes, OK for
zeners)

V
Breakdown
voltage
(PIV)

Electrical Engineering: Principles

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Allan R. Hambley

Reverse
bias
current

Junction
Voltage
0.7 - silicon
0.3 - germanium

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Light Spectrum

Red, green and blue LEDs

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

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LED - Light Emitting Diodes

When a light-emitting diode is forward biased,

electrons are able to recombine with holes
within the device, releasing energy in the form
of photons.
This effect is called electroluminescence and
the color of the light (corresponding to the
energy of the photon) is determined by the
energy gap of the semiconductor.

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode
Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e
Allan R. Hambley

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LED - Light Emitting Diodes

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

UV AlGaN
Blue GaN, InGaN
Red, green GaP
Red, yellow GaAsP
IR- GaAs

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Deep UV LED for Space

Applications

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

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Semicoductor Quantum Devices

Conduction band
- Electron

Energy gap

Energy
level

Hole
Valence band
Photon
(hv)

Incident light

Absorption of a photon of sufficient energy

elevates an electron into the conduction band
and leaves a hole in the valence band.
Conductivity of semi-conductor is increased.
Current flow in the semi-conductor is
induced.
External circuit to read out the current
Front
Contact

Insulation
p+ Active Area
Depletion region
n- region
n+ Back Diffusion
Back Metalization

Absorbtion in the
depletion layer
causses current to
flow across the
photodiode and if
the diode is
reverse biased
considerable
current flow will be
induced

Rear
Contact

Electrical Engineering: Principles

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Applications, 6e
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BAE
Allan R. Hambley

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Photodiode fundamentals

Based on PN or PIN junction diode

photon absorption in the depletion
region induces current flow
Depletion layer must be exposed
optically to source light and thick
enough to interact with the light

P
+

hole

h
I
electron
N

Spectral sensitivity
Material

Band gap
(eV)

Spectral sensitivity

silicon (Si)

1.12

250 to 1100 nm

indium arsenide
(InGaAs)

~0.35

1000 to 2200 nm

Germanium (Ge)

.67

900 to 1600 nm

Electrical Engineering: Principles

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Applications, 6e
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BAE
Allan R. Hambley

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IL

RL

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Photodiode characteristics

Circuit model
I0 Dark current (thermal)
Ip Photon flux related current

Rs
Ip

I0

Rj

Cj

Noise characterization
Shot noise (signal current related)
q = 1.602 x 1019 coulombs
I = bias (or signal) current (A)
is = noise current (A rms)

is 2qi

Johnson noise (Temperature related)

k = Boltzmans constant = 1.38 x 1023 J/K

T = temperature (K)
B = noise bandwidth (Hz)
R = feedback resistor (W)
eOUT = noise voltage (Vrms)

Electrical Engineering: Principles

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BAE
Allan R. Hambley

eout 4kTBR

10

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Dark current

Photovo

Voltage

Photodiode current/voltage
characteristics

EE292

Isc (light level dependent)

ltaic mo
de load
line

Current

Increasing Light level

Photoco

nductiv
e
load lin mode
e

Electrical Engineering: Principles

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Trans-impedance amplifier
function

Current to voltage converter (amplifier)

Does not bias the photodiode with a voltage as current

flows from the photodiode (V1 = 0)

Circuit analysis
Vf

Io 0

I f I s
V1 0

V1
Is

V f R f I f R f I s

Io

+
+

If
Vout

Vout V f R f I s
Note: current to voltage conversion
Electrical Engineering: Principles
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Diode operating modes

Photovoltaic mode

Photodiode has no bias voltage

Lower noise
Lower bandwidth
Logarithmic output with light intensity

+
+

Vout

Photoconductive mode
Higher bandwidth
Higher noise
Linear output with light intensity

+
Vs

Electrical Engineering: Principles

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Vout

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Solar Zone & Photovoltaics

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

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Photovotaic System In Power Grids

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

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Silicon Controlled Rectifier

More control than rectification

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

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Triac: Bidirection SCR

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc.

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How to Connect a LED:

Requires 1.5~2.5V and 10 mA

To prevent overloading, use resistor 470

Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e

Allan R. Hambley

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc.

All rights reserved.