Gunn Diode

Gunn Diode
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Gunn diode is a transferred electron device, which is
composed of only one type of semiconductor i.e. N-type.
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It uses its negative resistance characteristics to generate
RF and microwave frequencies.
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It is composed of only N-type semiconductor because N-
type semiconductor has electrons as majority carriers. And
transferred electron devices use materials which have
electrons as majority charge carrier.
Construction
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It is made up of three layers of N-type
semiconductor. The semiconductors used in Gunn
diodes are Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Gallium
Nitride (GaN), Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), Cadmium
Sulphide (CdS), Indium Phosphide (InP), Indium
Arsenide (InAs), Indium Antimonide (InSb) and Zinc
Selenide (ZnSe).
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Among these three layers the top most and the
bottom most are heavily doped while the middle
layer is lightly doped in comparison to the extreme
layers.
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The metallic contacts are provided on extreme
layers to facilitate biasing. The heat sink is there so
that the diode can withstand excessive heat and
can be prevented from damage.
 Working Principle
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In Gunn diode, there is valence band, conduction band and one more
band near conduction band. Thus, on initial DC bias the current through
the device increases because electrons move from valence band to
conduction band.
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After moving in conduction band the current through the device starts
decreasing because the electrons in conduction band move to band
above the conduction band.
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Due to this the effective mass of electrons starts increasing and thus
mobility starts decreasing due to which the current starts decreasing, And
this creates the negative resistance region in the diode.
Band Diagram
 Gunn Effect
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Gunn effect, high-frequency oscillation of electrical current flowing through certain semiconducting solids. The
effect is used in a solid-state device, the Gunn diode, to produce short radio waves called microwaves. The
effect was discovered by J.B. Gunn in the early 1960s. It has been detected only in a few materials.
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In materials displaying the Gunn effect, such as gallium arsenide or cadmium sulfide, electrons can exist in
two states of mobility. Electrons in the state of higher mobility move through the solid more easily than
electrons in the lower mobility state.
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When no electrical voltage is applied to the material, most of its electrons are in the high mobility state. When
an electrical voltage is applied, all its electrons begin to move just as in ordinary conductors. This motion
constitutes an electrical current, and in most solids greater voltages cause increased movement of all the
electrons and hence greater current flow.
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In Gunn-effect materials, however, a sufficiently strong electrical voltage may force some of the electrons into
the state of lower mobility, causing them to move more slowly and decreasing the electrical conductivity of the
material. In electronic circuits incorporating the Gunn diode, this unusual relationship between voltage and
current (motion) results in the generation of high-frequency alternating current from a direct-current source.
 Gunn Domain
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Domain is a bunch of electrons. Negative resistance effect in the
Gunn diode is mainly because of formation of domains
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The region where the impurity concentration is less becomes less
conductive than other regions of the sample. So the resistance of
this region is high.
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As a result the voltage drop across this region is high compared with
other regions
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If we start rising D.C. voltage across the GaAs sample, current start
rising
 Gunn Domain
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At the same time voltage drop across the less conductive region
staring to increase and also the electric filed.
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Further increase in the DC voltage causes a high voltage drop
across this region, which means a high electric field is set up inside
the region
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With this electric field electrons in the conduction band have enough
energy to jump into the higher energy levels.
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Now current inside the less conductive region starting to decrease
and this region will become a negative resistance domain.
 Working Principle
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Domains drift along the GaAs sample until they reach the anode or until the
electric field drops below the sustaining field required to maintain domain.
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If a suitable tank circuit is connected at the output of the diode, this pulse
turns tank circuit into oscillating mode.
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The next current pulse will form only when the previous current pulse has
traversed the entire active region or it will be on the end of the active
region. In this way, the thickness of active region modifies the frequency at
which the device is working.
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Can you explain how the bunch was created?
 V-I Characteristic
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The V-I Characteristic Curve is similar to Tunnel
Diode but for completely Different reason.
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At initial stages, the conduction increases due to the
movement of electrons from the valence band into
the lower valley of the conduction band.The
associated V-I plot is shown by the curve in the
Region 1 (colored in pink) of Figure 2.
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However, after reaching a certain threshold value
(Vth), the conduction current through the Gunn diode
decreases as shown by the curve in the Region 2
(colored in blue) of the figure. This is due to formation
of Gunn Domains as we discussed earlier. As a
result the diode is said to exhibit negative resistance
region (region spanning from Peak point to Valley
Point) in the V-I characteristic curve.
 Gunn Diode Oscillator
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The negative resistance created by
the V/I characteristic will cancel out
any real resistance in the circuit so
that any oscillation will build up and
will be maintained indefinitely while
DC is applied.
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This device is appropriate for the
fabrication of amplifier and oscillator
circuits. It generates frequency
ranging from 10 GHz to THz.