Electronic Devices & Practice

Instructor:
Mian Jehanzeb
Email: jehanzeb@case.edu.pk
Cell # 0331-5557755
Tentative Midterm Syllabus
 Chapter 1: Introduction to Semiconductors
 Conduction in Semiconductors
 N-type and P-type Semiconductors
2 lectures
 The Diode and its Biasing
 Voltage current characteristics of a Diode
 Chapter 2: Diode Applications
 Half-Wave and Full-Wave Rectifiers
 Fixed and Variable Power Supply
 Diode Limiting and Clamping Circuits 5 lectures

 Voltage Multipliers
 Chapter 3: Special-Purpose Diodes
 Zener diodes and its applications 3 lectures
 Varactor and Optical Diodes
 Chapter 4: Bipolar Junction Transistors
 Transistor basics, structure and parameters
4 lectures
 Transistor as an Amplifier and a Switch
Introduction to
Semiconductors
Semiconductors, Conductors
and Insulators
Conduction in Semiconductor

Electrons in conduction band are free electrons

 Electron Current
Free or Conduction band electrons are directed
using external source to move in one direction!

The current produced is called Electron Current

 Hole Current

This is the movement of Valence electrons from one hole to the other!
Not the conduction electron!
 N Type Semiconductors

 Pentavalent impurity with five

valence electrons is added
 Arsenic (As), Antimony (Sb),
Phosphorus (P)
 Each pentavalent atom forms
four covalent bonds leaving
one electron

There are no holes in this type of semiconductors

except of those electron-hole pair created thermally!
 P Type Semiconductors

 Trivalent impurity with three

valence electrons is added
 Boron (B), Indium (In),
Gallium (Ga)
 Each trivalent atom forms
covalent bonds to form a
symmetrical crystalline material

Minority electrons are thermally generated and are not

produced by the addition of Trivalent impurity!
 Today’s Agenda

 The Diode

 The Diode and its Biasing

 Voltage current characteristics of a Diode

 Diode Applications
 The Diode

 At the instant of PN junction formation the electrons from n region start to drift
towards p region
 for every electron that diffuses into p region, a positive charge is left at its
place in n region
 this action continues until barrier potential repels further diffusion
 The Diode

 The trivalent impurity p type material usually has electrons at high energy orbits
and n type pentavalent impurity has electrons at low energy levels
 Observe the overlap in the energy bands at the instant of junction formation.
 Few electrons at conduction band of n region have enough energy to diffuse easily to
p region conduction band
 They easily recombine with valence band in the p region and start to diffuse
 As a result the n type material starts to loose energy and creates a barrier after which
further no electrons can drift towards p type material
 Forward Bias

 At the instant of PN junction formation the electrons from n region start to drift
towards p region
 for every electron that diffuses into p region, a positive charge (ion) is left at its
place in n region
 this action continues until barrier potential repels further diffusion
 Forward Bias

 Forward bias narrows down the depletion region because of the reduction in
positive and negative ions in the depletion region
 Reverse Bias

 small reverse current exist because of movement of thermally generated

electron hole pair.
 Reverse Bias and Avalanche

 The high reverse bias voltage provides energy to free minority carriers such
that they knock out electrons from other atoms (This chain reaction continues)
and a huge amount of surge current can be realized (damaging for the diode)
Voltage Current Characteristics
Temperature effect on diode
Connections
Ideal Diode Model
Practical Diode Model
Complete Diode Model
Example
 Chapter 2 Diode Applications
■ Half-Wave and Full-Wave
Rectifiers

■ Fixed and Variable Power

Supply

■ Diode Limiting and Clamping

Circuits


■ Voltage Multipliers
Diode Applications

A simple DC Power Supply

The Half wave Rectifier

■ Only passes one half of the input sinusoid

The Half wave Rectifier

■ Conducts only in half of the duration of the full

cycle
Average value of Half wave O/P Voltage

■ Calculate the Average value (Vp/pi) of half-

wave Rectifier if peak voltage is 12 V.

■ Average value is how much in percentage of

the peak Value?
 Effect of Barrier Potential

■ The input voltage must overcome the barrier

potential before diode becomes forward biased
 Another Example

■ What value you would measure at the DC Volt-

meter across the load resistor? (plot your results
assuming practical diodes i.e with 0.7V barrier)
 Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV)

■ The diode must be capable of withstanding this

repeated reverse voltage
■ Should be rated atleast 20% higher than the
PIV (otherwise avalaunch breakdown and
damage)
Half wave rectifier with Transformer
Coupled Input-Output

N sec Vsec = nV pri

n=
N pri