SEMICONDUCTOR

• It is a substance, usually a solid chemical element or compound that can conduct

electricity under some conditions but not others, making it a good medium for the control of
electrical current.
• Contains four valence electrons

TYPES OF SEMICONDUCTOR
1. Intrinsic Semiconductor
- are semiconductors in its purest form

2. Extrinsic semiconductor
- are semiconductors with other atoms mixed in

N-TYPE P-TYPE
•Carries current mainly in •Carries current
the form of negatively- predominantly as electron
charged electrons, in a deficiencies called holes.
manner similar to the A hole has a positive
conduction of current in a electric charge, equal and
wire. opposite to the charge on
an electron.

PN Junction
 A diode is created by joining the N- and P-
type materials together. Where the materials
come in contact with each other, a junction id
formed. This device is called junction diode.
 When the junction is formed, the mobile
charges in the vicinity of the junction are
strongly attracted to their opposites and drift
toward the junction.
 Some electrons move across the junction and
fill some of the holes near the junction in the
P- type material. In the N-type material, the electrons become depleted near the junction.
 This region near the junction where the electrons and holes are depleted is called the
depletion region.
 The size of the depletion region is limited by the charge
on each side of the junction.
 These opposite charges that build up on each side of
the junction creates a voltage, referred to as the barrier
voltage.
 The barrier voltage is quite small, measuring only
several tenths of a volt. Typically the barrier voltage is
0.3V for germanium PN Junction and 0.7V for silicon PN
Junction. This voltage becomes apparent when an
external voltage is applied.

THE BIASED PN JUNCTION

 The PN Junction is considered biased when an external voltage is applied. There are
two types of biasing: Forward bias and Reverse bias.

 Vapplied > 0
 In forward bias the depletion region shrinks slightly in width. With
Forward

s
this shrinking the energy required for charge carriers to cross the
Bias: depletion region decreases exponentially. Therefore, as the applied
voltage increases, current starts to flow across the junction. The
barrier potential of the diode is the voltage at which appreciable
current starts to flow through the diode.

 Vapplied < 0
 Under reverse bias the depletion region widens. This causes the
Reverse electric field produced by the ions to cancel out the applied reverse
Bias: bias voltage. A small leakage current is (saturation current) flows
under reverse bias conditions. This saturation current is made up of
electron-hole pairs being produced in the depletion region.

DIODE CHARACTERISTICS
1. Maximum average forward current is usually given at a special temperature, usually 25°C,
(77°F) and refers to the maximum amount of average current that can be permitted to flow in the
forward direction. If this rating is exceeded, structure breakdown can occur.
2. Peak recurrent forward current is the maximum peak current that can be permitted to flow
in the forward direction in the form of recurring pulses.
3. Maximum surge current is the maximum current permitted to flow in the forward direction in
the form of nonrecurring pulses. Current should not equal this value for more than a few
milliseconds.
4. Peak reverse voltage (PRV) is one of the most important ratings. PRV indicates the
maximum reverse-bias voltage that may be applied to a diode without causing junction
breakdown.

TYPES OF DIODE
1. Backward diode
- This type of diode is sometimes also called the back diode.
- It is similar to tunnel diode.
2. Gunn Diode
- This type of diode is a semiconductor device that has two terminals.
- It is generally used for generating microwave signals.
3. Laser diode
- This type of diode is not the same as the ordinary LED because it produces coherent
light.
- These are widely used in many applications from DVD and CD drives to laser light
pointers for presentations.
4. Light Emitting Diodes (LED)
- It is one of the most popular types of diode.
- When forward biased with current flowing through the junction, light is produced.
- It is produced in many different colours but the original colour was red.
5. Photodiode
- It is used for detecting light.
- It is found that when light strikes a PN junction it can create electrons and holes.
- Typically photo-diodes are operated under reverse bias conditions where even small
amounts of current flow resulting from the light can be easily detected.
6. Schottky diodes
- This type of diode has a lower forward voltage drop than ordinary silicon PN junction
diodes.
- At low currents the drop may be somewhere between 0.15 and 0.4 volts as opposed to
0.6 volts for a silicon diode.
7. Step recovery diode
- It is a form of microwave diode used for generating and shaping pulses at very high
frequencies.
- These diodes rely on a very fast turn off characteristic of the diode for their operation. 
8. Tunnel diode
 - It was used for microwave applications where its performance exceeded that of other
devices of the day. 
9. Zener diode
- It is a very useful type of diode as it provides a stable reference voltage.
- This type of diode is therefore widely used to provide a reference voltage in power
supplies.

STEPS IN TESTING DIODE

1. Keep  the multitester selector 2. If the meter fails to show above

1 1
switch in low resistance value readings, then the diode is said to be
defective or bad.

5. If the meter indicates infinite resistance

4. Connect the diode in the forward-
or high resistance, then it refers to the

1
biased condition by connecting the

1
positive terminal to anode and
negative to the cathode.
perfect condition of the diode.

6. Now put the selector in high

3. If the meter indicates a low resistance position and reverse the

1 1
resistance value (then it says that terminals of the meter by connecting
the diode is healthy). positive to the cathode and negative
to anode. In this case, the diode is
said to be in reverse bias.