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Electronic Circuits (18NPC304)

Assignment 2 part – 1

PN Junction Diode
Question and Answers:

1.) Is a hole an important particle in an atom?

No, its is not an important in an atom. Holes may be thought of as positive particles, and
they move only through an electrical field in a opposite direction of the moving electron.

2.) What is a Drift Current?

When we applying an electric field, the holes move towards the negative terminal of the
battery and the electron moves towards the positive terminal of the battery. By the result of
the drift movement of the charge carries generates a current, that is called as drift current.

3.) What is a barrier Potential?

Because of the oppositely charged ions (positive of holes and negative of electrons) are
present at the both end of the PN Junction diode, there was a creation of the electrical
potential without giving an external potential as a voltage that term is called as barrier
Potential.

4.) Define Depletion layer in PN Junction diode?

Depletion layer is also called a depletion region. In that region has no charge carriers.
Depletion layer, which simply act as a barrier that opposes the flow of electron from n-side
and holes from p-side

5.) What is a cut in voltage in PN Junction diode?

Cut in voltage is also known as knee voltage or operating voltage like that. PN junction diode
which may be made up of only a each one the following two

 Silicon - 0.7 is a cut in voltage

 Germanium – 0.3 is a cut in voltage.

6.) When the forward bias occurs in PN junction diode?

At equilibrium p-side is lower concentration than the n-side and that balance the diffusion
current caused by the concentration difference. When we give a positive voltage at the p-
side, there was a p-side concentration increases, it injects the holes in n-region and electron
are injected into p-region. By that way forward bias will occur.

7.) What is PIV?

Peak inverse voltage is simply called as PIV. It is the maximum reverse voltage that can be
applied to the PN junction diode without damaging the junction.
8.) Why is silicon preferred over germanium in the manufacture of semiconductor devices?
Silicon semiconductors generally have a higher PIV (Peak in Voltage) and Current ratings and
wider temperature range than the germanium semiconductor, that’s why silicon
semiconductor is mostly preferred in manufacturing.

9.) Write the diode current equation?

The diode current equation related to the voltage and the current:Thursday, September 24,
20209/24/2020 4:47 a9/p9

´ ⊥
⊥= ´0 ⅇ ( −
( ɳvv )−1)
T

I - diode current
I0 – reverse saturation current
V – External Voltage
ɳ - Constant depends upon the type of semiconductor
 Ge - 1
 Si - 2
Vt – T/11600
Where V t = KT/q;
K – Boltzmann constant;
q – Charge of the electron;
T – Temperature of the diode;
10.) Write some applications of the diode.
PN Junction diode is used as,
 A Switch
 In rectifier Circuits
 In power supplies
 In Clipper and Clamper (Waving the circuits)