Switching Time of a Diode

• Switching Time of a diode is the time it takes to switch the diode between two
states (ON and OFF states).

• Assume R S is large enough that all current flows through diode in forward bias
conditions.

Switching Time of a Diode

• For Forward Bias:

• ( )
Current source I D is an ideal diode current source: ID = IS e VD / φT − 1
• C j represents the space-charge ( junction capacitance ).
• C d represents the excess minority carrier charge ( diffusion capacitance ).
o (Note that both of these are small-signal capacitances; to be applicable large-
signal analysis, average capacitance values must be used).

• For Reverse bias:

o Eliminate the current source ID and the diffusion capacitance C d.

• Transient response requires finding a solution to:

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Switching Time of a Diode

• Transient response:
o The exponential and the non-linear dependence of C d and
C j on V D make this difficult to do by hand.

o Consider the simulated response:

Switching Time of a Diode

• Turn-off Transient.

o The turn-off transient, has two operation intervals.

• Region 1 :
§ Diode is on.
§ I 2 removes excess minority charge .
§ Voltage drop is small allowing C j to be ignored
since space-charge remains ~constant.

• Region 2 :
§ I D~= 0 (diode off).
§ Space-charge changes while building a reverse-
bias over the diode.
§ Therefore, C j dominates performance.

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 Derivation of Turn-off Transient.

o Region 1 : Removal of excess minority charge .

§ Charge-control expression:

dQ D (t)
The term represents the current due to the removal of injected
dt
QD (t)
carriers from the base region and the term represents the normal
τT
Diffusion current where τ T is the Base transit time.

o Solving
this differential equation assuming that:
QD = I1 τT at time t = 0 or the initial value of QD and Iin = I2
(V −V )
Where I1 ≈ 1 D is the current under forward bias and I2 = 2
V
RS RS

o Yields: [
QD (t) = τT I2 + (I1 − I2 )e −t / τT ]
o The turn-off time is derived by solving for the time t = t 1 (Q D evaluates to 0):

⎡ (I − I )⎤
t1 = τT ln ⎢ 1 2 ⎥
⎣ − I2 ⎦
o Region 2 : Changing the Space Charge.

§ Diode is off, circuit evolves toward steady state.

VD (t = ∝) = V2 = I2 RS

§ Duringthis time, a reverse voltage is built over the diode.

§ Therefore, space charge has to be provided.

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 § The change in excess minority charge can be ignored as well as the reverse bias
diode current I d.
§ This leaves us with a simple RC circuit (red capacitor model shown earlier).

VD (t ) dVD
I2 = + Cj Cj is the average junction capacitance over the voltage range
RS dt
of interest.

o Assuming the value of V D at time t = t 1 is 0, the solution is the well-

known exponential:

⎡ − (t − t1 ) ⎤
R C
VD (t) = I2 RS ⎢1 − e S j ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦

o The 90% point is reached after 2.2 time-constants of RS Cj .

t2 − t1 = 2.2 RS Cj

• Derivation of Turn-on Transient.

o Similarconsiderations hold for the turn-on transient.

o Space Charge :
§ The transient waveform for the diode voltage (assume t = 0):

⎡ 1 ⎤
−
R C
VD (t ) = RS ⎢I1 − (I2 − I1 )e S j ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦
⎡ I − I ⎤
t3 = RS Cj ln ⎢ 1 2 ⎥ Assu min g VD = 0
⎣ I1 ⎦

o Excess charge :
⎡ − (t − t3 ) ⎤

QD (t ) = I1 τ T ⎢1 − e τT ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎣ ⎦

o It takes 2.2 time constants for Q D to reach 90% of its final value.

t4 − t3 = 2.2 τT