Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management & Gramothan,

Jaipur
Department of Physics
Lab Manual
Subject: Engineering Physics Lab (2FY2-20)

P-N Junction Diode

OBJECT: Determine the band gap using a P-N junction diode.

APPARATUS: Ge/Si diode, microammeter, thermometer, oven, battery or power

supply.

THEORY & FORMULA:

The energy gap between the top of the valence band and bottom of the conduction band is
known as band gap.
 Band gap Eg = Ec – Ev.
Here Ev: Energy level corresponding to the top of the valence band
Ec: Energy level corresponding to the bottom of the conduction band.

When a P-N junction is reverse biased then current formed is due to minority carriers
whose concentration is dependent on the energy gap E or Eg. The reverse current IS
(saturated value) is a function of the temperature of junction diode. For small range of
temperature the relation can be expressed as :-
  Vn Vp  E
log IS = log  AeN n N p     ( ) .....(1)
  pp nn  KT
where
Vn = Velocity of electrons;
Vp = Velocity of holes;
A = Area of the junction
nn = density of electrons in n type material;
pp = density of holes in p type material
K = Boltzmann constant (1.38 x 10 -23 J/K)
T = Absolute temperature of junction
2(2 mn KT / e )3 / 2
Nn = .....(2)
h3

1|Page
 2(2 m p KT / e)3/ 2
Np = .....(3)
h3
Here mn = mass of an electron;
mp = effective mass of hole
For small range of temperature IS depends only on term containing as the other term is a
constant being independent of temperature. So
E
log IS = Constant -
KT
 103 
log10 IS = Constant - 5.036 E   .....(4)
 T 
where T is temperature in kelvin. A graph between log10 IS and (103 /T) is plotted which
comes out to be a straight line. Slope of this line
Slope = – 5.036 E
Slope
  E =  .....(5)
5.036
Procedure:

1. Connect the PN junction diode to the battery through micro ammeter such that the
junction is reverse biased(negative terminal of the battery is connected to the P
semiconductor and positive to the N semiconductor)
2. Insert the thermometer and diode in the sachet of the oven.
3. Now switch on the power supply of the oven and allow the temperature to increase upto
70 0 C or less till the reverse current reached up to nearly 50µA. now oven is switched
off.
4. Now start taking readings of micro ammeter in steps of 5 0C decrease.
5. Plot a graph between log10Is & (10 3/T).

y
L og I S

x
O 3 X
10 /T
Fig 1.: Circuit Diagram for Band gap Determination

Observations:

2|Page
 Temperature Temperature Current Is
S.No. 103/T (K-1) Log10Is
T (in 0C) T (in K) (in μ amp)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Calculation:

The slope of the graph between log10Is & (103/T) = ....................

Slope
nergy band gap E =  = ..........eV
5.036

Result:

The energy band gap for a given semiconductor = ........eV

Precautions:

(1) The diode should be reverse biased.

(2) Do not use the Instrument in wet environments.
(3) Do not heat beyond 70ºC in case of Ge diode and 120ºC in case of Si diode.
(4) Bulb of the thermometer and diode should be inserted well in the oven.
(5) The current through the sample was adjusted to the most bearable minimum, because
if large, it will amount to overheating.

Viva-Questions

Q.1: What are Semiconductors?

Ans.: Semiconductors are those materials whose resistivity lies between those of
conductors and insulators, i.e. of the order of 108 to 10-1 of units of resistance.

Q.2: What are energy bands in Solids?

Ans.: In solids there are very large number of atoms which are situated very close to each
other. Due to mutual interactions among them their energy levels spilt up. Being very
close to each other these energy levels from almost continuous energy bands.

3|Page
 Q.3: What is forbidden energy gap?
Ans: In solids, there is a gap between the valance band and the conduction band which
does not contain any allowed energy levels. Hence this gap in known as forbidden energy
gap.

Q.4: What is the conductivity of semiconductor at absolute zero temperature?

Ans.: At absolute zero temperature the conductivity of the semiconductor is zero i. e.
they behave like insulators.

Q.5: What are intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors?

Ans: When the semiconductor is in pure state it is known as intrinsic semiconductor.
When some limited quantity of suitable impurity is mixed in pure semiconductors the
resulting semiconductor is known as extrinsic semiconductor.

Q.6: What are the charge carriers in semiconductors?

Ans.: In semiconductors electrons and holes both are charge carriers for the effective
current.

Q.7: What are holes?

Ans.: The absence of an electron creates a hole or an effective positive charge. Holes act
as carriers of positive charge in valance band whose displacement is in a direction
opposite to that of electrons.

Q.8: What are N-type and P-type semiconductors?

Ans.: When some atoms of pentavalent element (like P, As, Sb, etc.) are mixed as
impurity with pure semiconductor, the resulting semiconductor is known as N-type
semiconductor and when some atoms of trivalent element (like B, Ga, Al, In etc.) are
mixed as impurity with pure semiconductor the resulting semiconductor is known as P-
type semiconductor. In P-type semiconductor holes are majority charge carriers while in
N-type semiconductors electrons are majority charge carriers.

Q.9: What is PN junction diode?

Ans.: When a P-type semiconductor and N-type semiconductor crystals are joined
together, then a PN junction diode is formed.

Q.10: What do you mean by forward and reverse biasing?

Ans.: When PN junction diode is connected to a battery such that P region is connected
to positive terminal and N region is connected to negative terminal of the battery, the
arrangement so formed is called forward bias, if P region to negative terminal and N
region is connected to positive terminal of the battery, such an arrangement is called
reverse bias.

4|Page