Diode Characteristics

Diode Construction:
A diode is a P-N junction, that conducts current much more readily in one direction than in the other, depends on the voltage across the diode terminals. Figure 1 shows the construction, and the symbol of the diode.
Anode
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + -

Cathode
-

Figure 1: Diode construction & symbol As seen in Figure 1, diode consists of three regions, P-doped semiconductor, N-doped semiconductor, and a depletion region. The P-doped regions is rich of positive carriers which are holes, and it is represented as an anode. The N-doped regions is rich with negative charge carriers; electrons. The middle region, is poor of free charge carriers, so it has very high impedance in natural conditions. Due to the difference in potential between N-type material (negative potential), and the P-type material (positive potential), a build-in voltage VD ; is created between the anode and the cathode. Note that this voltage is not active, in other words we can not use the diode as a charges source. It means that to turn the diode on, we need to apply a voltage difference to overcome this build-in voltage.

Diode Biasing:
1. No Applied Bias:
In the absence of an applied bias voltage, the net flow of charge in any one direction for a semiconductor diode is zero. This occurs because any minority carriers (holes) in the n-type material that find themselves within the depletion region will pass directly into the p-type material. The same happens with due to the electrons in the depletion region that will pass to the n-type material. The result is a depletion region empty of charge carriers, with high impedance, so no net current passes through the diode. See Figure 2.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + -

ID = 0

VD = 0
Figure 2: P-N junction with on external bias

2. Reverse Bias Condition:

If an external potential V is applied across the P-N junction such that the positive terminal is connected to the cathode, and the negative terminal is connected to the anode as shown in Figure 3.

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + +

+ + + +

IS VD +

Figure 3: Reverse biased P-N junction Note that the depletion region width increases as the reverse voltage increases, which increases the junction impedance, and reduces the passing current. This current that exists under reverse bias conditions is called the reverse saturation current, and is represented by I S . This saturation current is very low, it is within the range of parts of microamperes As the voltage across the diode increases in the reverse bias region, the velocity of the minority carriers responsible for the reverse saturation current I S will also increase. Eventually, there velocity and associated kinetic energy will be sufficient to release additional carriers through collisions with otherwise stable atomic structures. That is, an ionization process will result whereby valence electrons absorb sufficient energy to leave the parent atom. These additional carriers can then aid the ionization process to the point where a high avalanche current is established and the avalanche break down region determined.

3. Forward Bias Conditions:

A forward bias or "on" condition is established by applying the positive potential to the p-type material and the negative potential to the n-type material as shown in Figure 4. To operate the diode in the forward biased region, the applied voltage must exceed such voltage which is the build-in potential.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + - - - - -

ID
+

VD _

Figure 4: Forward biased P-N junction Increasing the applied forward voltage will reduces the depletion region width, and decreasing the junction impedance, resulting in higher current passes through the P-N junction. When this applied voltage is increased such that the depletion region width is very low, very high current will passes and the junction will be damaged. The current passing the junction I D is not linearly related to the applied voltage VD which means that the P-N junction is not a linear device. The relationship between them is: VD I D = I S exp 1 VT Where: I D : Current passes through the diode. I S : Reverse saturation current. VD : Forward voltage applied across the diode terminals. 1 : Ge, & Si (after knee) : Emission coefficient = . 2 : Si (before knee) KT VT : Thermal voltage, where V T = and: q

K : Boltzmann's constant , K = 1.38 10 23 J / K . T : Temperature (Kelvin). q : Electron charge, q = 1.6 10 19 C .

Diode I-V Characteristics Curve:

For ideal diode: - Reverse current is zero. - Diode switches on at zero forward voltage. - Diode impedance is zero. Thus, the ideal diode I-V characteristics curve is shown in Figure 5.
ID

VD

Figure 5: Ideal diode I-V characteristics curve For practical diode, these parameters depends on the doping concentrate, and the temperature. At room temperature the Si, and Ge I-V characteristics curve is like shown in Figure 6.
ID
Si Ge

0.3

0.7

VD

Figure 6: I-V characteristics curve for Si, and Ge. Note that Si diode is more ideal in reverse bias than Ge, but in the forward bias region, the Ge diode is more ideal. This because to get ideal diode the needed energy band gap of the material must be very small ( = 0), but in this case the reverse current will also increase heavily. For any diode I-V characteristics curve, you must be familiar with some concept. See Figure 7. Forward region: It is the operation region at which the potential applied to anode is more positive than that applied to the cathode. Reverse Region: It is the operation region at which anode potential is more negative than cathode potential. Saturation Region: Part of the reverse region where the diode impedance is very high, and causes very small drift current. Break Down Region: The part of the reverse region where the diode impedance is very low, and the current passing through the diode is very high. Threshold Voltage VT: It is also called the knee region. It can be determined on the I-V curve by the point at which diode starts to conduct current easily. It is also called the diode barrier potential and is very near in amplitude to the diode build-in voltage.

ID

Forward Region

VBD

IS
VT
VD

Break down Region

Saturation Region

Reverse Region

Figure 7: Diode I-V characteristics curve. Saturation Current: it is a very small current due to drift current in the diode in the reverse bias region. This current is very low (in the nano-amperes range) due to the high impedance of the depletion region. Break Down Voltage: It is the maximum allowable voltage in the reverse bias region, at which diode resistance changed abruptly from very high impedance to very low impedance. If the reverse voltage applied on the diode exceeds this limit, a very high current in the reverse direction passes through the diode causing in burning it.

Diode Resistance Levels:

1. DC or Static Resistance:
The application of a dc voltage to a circuit containing a semiconductor diode will result in an operating point on the characteristic curve that will not change with time. The resistance of the diode at the operating point can be found simply by finding the corresponding levels of VD and I D as shown in Figure 8 and applying the following equation: V RD = D ID
I D (mA)

ID

VD

VD (V)

Figure 8: Determining the static resistance of a diode Note that the DC or static resistance of a diode is taken in the middle of the linear region of the I-V characteristic curve in the forward bias region. Also, the static resistance of a diode does not depend on the curve shape, it depends only on the operating point and the values of diode voltage and diode current.

2. AC or Dynamic Resistance:
To determine the dynamic resistance of a diode, a straight line drawn tangent to the curve through the operating point as shown in Figure 9.
I D (mA)

I d

Vd

VD (V )

Figure 9: Dynamic resistance determination Then the dynamic resistance of the diode is found using the following equation: Vd 1 rd = = Slope I d Also, dynamic resistance is found by the derivative of the diode equation; where: VD qVD I D = I S exp 1 I = exp S 1 KT VT Let q =k K

kV I D = I S exp D 1 T dI VD d I S exp D = dVD dVD VT Since I D >> I S , then:

dI D k = ID dVD T rd =

k 1 = T (I D + I S )

dVD T = dI D kI D

1.6 10 19 For Ge, and Si (above the knee) = 1 k = = 11594 11600 1 1.38 10 23 And at room temperature T = 300 o K Then: T 300 0.026 rd = = rd kI D 11600I D ID

Zener Diode:
Zener diode is similar in construction and operation to ordinary diode, except it is mostly used in the reverse region. Its I-V characteristic curve is similar to ordinary diode. See Figure 10. The maximum reverse-bias potential that can be applied before entering the Zener region is called the Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV) or the Peak Reverse Voltage (PRV).

ID

Forward Region

VBD
Break down Region

VZ

IS
I Z(min) I Z(max)
Saturation Region

VT

VD

Zener Region

Reverse Region

Figure 10: Zener diode characteristic curve Zener symbol is shown in Figure 11.

Anode

Cathode

Figure 11: Zener diode schematic symbol

Diode Terminals Determination:

Diode terminals can be determined by a silver or colored line drown on the diode package indicates the cathode of the diode. See Figure 12 (a) for ordinary diode, and Figure 12(b) for Zener diode.

6V2

(a)

(b)

Figure 12: Diode terminals determination On ordinary diode, the diode part number is written, while on Zener diode, the Zener voltage value is written in the form shown in Figure 12(b). i.e. 6V2 = 6.2V, 5V1 = 5.1V etc.