The Light Emitting Diode

Light Emitting Diodes or simply LED´s, are among the most widely used of all the
different types of semiconductor diodes available today and are commonly used in TV’s
and colour displays.

The “Light Emitting Diode” or LED as it is

more commonly called, is basically just a
specialised type of diode as they have very
similar electrical characteristics to a PN
junction diode. This means that an LED will pass current in its forward
direction but block the flow of current in the reverse direction.
Light emitting diodes are made from a very thin layer of fairly heavily doped
semiconductor material and depending on the semiconductor material used
and the amount of doping, when forward biased an LED will emit a coloured
light at a particular spectral wavelength.
When the diode is forward biased, electrons from the semiconductors
conduction band recombine with holes from the valence band releasing
sufficient energy to produce photons which emit a monochromatic (single
colour) of light. Because of this thin layer a reasonable number of these
photons can leave the junction and radiate away producing a coloured light
output.
Then we can say that when operated in a forward biased direction Light
Emitting Diodes are semiconductor devices that convert electrical energy
into light energy.
The construction of a Light Emitting
Diode is very different from that of a
normal signal diode. The PN junction of
an LED is surrounded by a transparent,
hard plastic epoxy resin hemispherical
shaped shell or body which protects the
LED from both vibration and shock.
Light Emitting Diode Colours
 The actual colour of a light emitting
Typical LED Characteristics diode is determined by the
wavelength of the light emitted,
which in turn is determined by the
actual semiconductor compound
Semiconducto used in forming the PN junction
Wavelengt
r
h
Colour VF @ 20mA during manufacture.
Material
Therefore the colour of the light
emitted by an LED is NOT
determined by the colouring of the
Infra- LED’s plastic body although these
GaAs 850-940nm 1.2v
Red are slightly coloured to both
enhance the light output and to
indicate its colour when its not being
illuminated by an electrical supply.
GaAsP 630-660nm Red 1.8v
Light emitting diodes are available in
a wide range of colours with the
most common
GaAsP 605-620nm Amber 2.0v being RED, AMBER,  YELLOW  an
d GREEN and are thus widely used
as visual indicators and as moving
light displays.
GaAsP:N 585-595nm Yellow 2.2v

AlGaP 550-570nm Green 3.5v

SiC 430-505nm Blue 3.6v

GaInN 450nm White 4.0v

LED Series Resistance.
The series resistor value RS is calculated by simply using Ohm´s Law, by
knowing the required forward current IF of the LED, the supply
voltage VS across the combination and the expected forward voltage drop of
the LED, VF at the required current level, the current limiting resistor is
calculated as:

Light Emitting Diode Example No1

An amber coloured LED with a forward volt drop of 2 volts is to be connected
to a 5.0v stabilised DC power supply. Using the circuit above calculate the
value of the series resistor required to limit the forward current to less than
10mA. Also calculate the current flowing through the diode if a 100Ω series
resistor is used instead of the calculated first.
1). series resistor required at 10mA.

2). with a 100Ω series resistor.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEMICONDUCTOR DIODE

AND LED

The diode converts the alternating current into the direct current, whereas

the led converts the voltage into the light. The diode has high reverse breakdown
voltage while the LED has the low reverse breakdown voltage. The reverse breakdown
voltage is the voltage that allows current to conducts in the reverse bias.
ZENER DIODE
A Zener diode is a special type of
rectifying diode that can handle
breakdown due to reverse breakdown
voltage without failing completely.

A Zener diode is a silicon semiconductor

device that permits current to flow in
either a forward or reverse direction.
The diode consists of a special, heavily doped p-n junction, designed to conduct in
the reverse direction when a certain specified voltage is reached.

The Zener diode has a well-defined reverse-breakdown voltage, at which it starts

conducting current, and continues operating continuously in the reverse-bias
mode without getting damaged. Additionally, the voltage drop across the diode
remains constant over a wide range of voltages, a feature that makes Zener
diodes suitable for use in voltage regulation.

Zener diode operation

The Zener diode operates just like the normal diode when in the forward-bias
mode, and has a turn-on voltage of between 0.3 and 0.7 V. However, when
connected in the reverse mode, which is usual in most of its applications, a small
leakage current may flow. As the reverse voltage increases to the predetermined
breakdown voltage (Vz), a current starts flowing through the diode. The current
increases to a maximum, which is determined by the series resistor, after which it
stabilizes and remains constant over a wide range of applied voltage.

Zener Diode Clipping Circuits

Zener diodes are used to modify or shape AC waveform clipping circuits. The
clipping circuit limits or clips off parts of one or both of the half cycles of an AC
waveform to shape the waveform or provide protection.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ZENNER DIODE AND SEMICONDUCTOR DIODE
Normal diode is operated in forward bias, whereas a Zener diode is a special
purpose diode which is operated in forward bias and reverse bias. ... In terms of their
operation, A normal diode can operate only in forward bias whereas a Zener
diode can operate in reverse bias as well in forward bias.
Schottky Diode

Schottky diode is a device,

which comes under the type of a
metal – semiconductor junction
diode. Barrier diode and low
voltage diodes are the other
names for Schottky diode. When
compared to a PN junction
diode, power drop is lower in
Schottky diode. A scientist named Walter.H.Schottky first discovered Schottky
diode. Generally, in a PN junction device, when positive type (p-type) and
negative type (n-type) are joined together they form a PN junction. However,
in a Schottky diode, materials like aluminum or platinum are used instead of P
type semiconductors. 

Working of Schottky Diode

The most important physical parameter of this Schottky diode is their fast
switching rate and less forward voltage drop. It is a metal – semiconductor
junction that does not have the capacity to store charges at their junction. The
reason behind this is due to absence of depletion layer.

Construction of Schottky Diode

It is made of a metal and semiconductor forming unilateral junction. Few
metals like gold, silver, molybdenum, tungsten or platinum are utilized. Usually
an N type semiconductor, which includes Gallium, is used. Silicon is used for
low frequency operation.

Specialties of Schottky Diode

 Due to the absence of the current flow from metal to N-type
semiconductor, it acts as a unipolar device. Whereas, a PN junction
diode is a bipolar device.
  The metal does not have any holes, it does not store any charge. Due to
this reason, Schottky diode has the advantage to quickly switch with
relatively low noise.
 It has a low barrier potential compared to PN diode.

Operation of Schottky Diode

Unbiased Schottky Diode

The free electrons present inside the n – type semiconductor will move from n
– type semiconductor to a metal during the combination between metal and n
– type semiconductor. This results in production of equilibrium state. When
free electrons moves across the junction, it provides an extra electron to the
atoms present in the atom.

Forward Biased Schottky Diode

In the n-type semiconductor when positive terminal of the battery is connected

to metal and negative terminal is connected to n-type conductor, it is called as
Forward biased Schottky diode. On the diode, when forward bias voltage is
applied, more electrons are formed in the metal and conductor.

Applications of Schottky Diode

Schottky diodes are used in electronics industry for many applications in diode
rectifier because of its properties. They are used for voltage clamping
applications, to prevent transistor saturation. It is used as Schottky TTL in
digital devices as these devices require fast switching. as the performance of
digital computers is determined by switching speed of diodes, Schottky diode
is an important component for digital computers.