2.

13 Zener Diodes
By special manufacturing processes the reverse voltage breakdown of
a diode can be made almost
vertical as shown on the characteristics curve of Figure 2.56.
Figure 2.56. Zener diode operating region
These diodes are called Zener diodes and they are designed to operate
in the breakdown region.
The Zener diode is always connected as a reverse-biased diode and its
voltage rating and the
maximum power it can absorb are given by the manufacturer. The
Zener diode symbol is shown
in Figure 2.57.
Figure 2.57. Symbol for a Zener diode
Zener diodes from small voltage ratings of 5 volts to large voltage
ratings of 250 volts are commercially
available and we can calculate the maximum current that a Zener
diode can withstand
from its voltage and power ratings. For instance, a 2 watt, 25 volt
Zener diode can withstand a
maximum current of 80 milliamperes.
One important application of the Zener diode is in voltage regulation. A
voltage regulator is a
circuit or device that holds an output voltage constant during output
load variations. Example