TERM PAPER

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY –

RAIPUR

P.I.N DIODE AND IT’S APPLICATION

Full Name Gattey Shanmukha Venkata Durga Surya

Prakash
Roll Number 20116035
Branch Electronics and Communication
Engineering
Semester III
Course Name Micro-Electronics Devices and Circuits
Submitted to Dr. Guru Prasad Subas Chandra Mishra
Abstract:
This paper aims at presenting the idea of P.I.N Diode and how it is different from PN diode, its uses
and drawbacks and also the working of Radio Frequency (R.F) Switch, which is an application of
PIN Diode Through this paper one can get clear understanding about working of PIN diode, RF
Switch, Construction and uses of diode and Rf switch.

Introduction:
The PIN-diode is an alteration of the PN-junction for particular applications. After the PN-junction
diode was developed in the year 1940s, the diode was first exercised as a high-power rectifier, low-
frequency during the year 1952. The occurrence of an intrinsic layer can significantly increase the
breakdown voltage for the application of high-voltage. This intrinsic layer also offers exciting
properties when the device operates at high frequencies in the range of radio wave and microwave.

P.I.N Diode
The diode in which the intrinsic layer of high resistivity is sandwiched between the P and N-region
of semiconductor material such type of diode is known as the PIN diode. The high resistive layer of
the intrinsic region provides the large electric field between the P and N-region. The electric field
induces because of the movement of the holes and the electrons. The direction of the electric field is
from n-region to p-region.

Symbol of PIN Diode

The symbolic representation of the PIN diode is shown in the figure below. The anode and cathode
are the two terminals of the PIN diode. The anode is the positive terminal and cathode represent their
negative terminals.

PIN Diode Structure

The diode consists the P-region and N-region which is separated by the intrinsic semiconductor
material. In P-region the hole is the majority charge carrier while in n-region the electron is the
majority charge carrier. The intrinsic region has no free charge carrier. It acts as an insulator between
n and the p-type region. The i-region has the high resistance which obstructs the flow of electrons to
pass through it.
Construction of PIN Diode
Pin diode consists of two layers of semiconductors and one layer of intrinsic material in between
them. The Semiconductor layer are usually of P-type and n-type. Pin diode can be constructed in two
ways using planar structure and mesa structure. In a planar structure, a very thin epitaxial layer is
fabricated on the P-type substrate. This epitaxial layer consists of P+ regions.

Similarly, an epitaxial layer is fabricated on N-type substrate, and that will be comprised of N+ region.
And in between these semiconductors, a layer of intrinsic material of width 10-200 microns and
resistivity 0.1 Ω-m is introduced. Semiconductor layer provides ohmic contacts.

Working of PIN Diode

The working of the PIN diode is similar to the ordinary diode. When the diode is unbiased, their
charge carrier will diffuse. The word diffusion means the charge carriers of the depletion region try
to move to their region. The process of diffusion occurs continue until the charges become
equilibrium in the depletion region. Let the N and I-layer make the depletion region. The diffusion of
the hole and electron across the region generates the depletion layer across the NI-region. The thin
depletion layer induces across n-region, and thick depletion region of opposite polarity induces across
the I-region.

Forward Biased PIN Diode

When the diode is kept forward biased, the charges are continuously injected into the I-region from
the P and N-region. This reduces the forward resistance of the diode, and it behaves like a variable
resistance.

The charge carrier which enters from P and N-region into the i-region are not immediately combined
into the intrinsic region. The finite quantity of charge stored in the intrinsic region decreases their
resistivity.
Consider the Q be the quantity of charge stored in the depletion region. The τ be the time used for the
recombination of the charges. The quantity of the charges stored in the intrinsic region depends on
their recombination time. The forward current starts flowing into the I region.

Were,IF –forwardcurrent
τ- recombination time

The resistance (Rs) of the current under forwarding biased is inversely proportional to the charge Q
stored in the intrinsic region.

Were,w–widthregion
μ–electronmobility
μ0 – hole mobility

From equation (1) and (2), we get

The above equation shows that the resistance of the intrinsic region depends on the width of the
region.

Reversed Biased PIN Diode

When the reverse voltage is applied across the diode, the width of the depletion region increases. The
thickness of the region increases until the entire mobile charge carrier of the I-region swept away
from it. The reverse voltage requires for removing the complete charge carrier from the I-region is
known as the swept voltage.

In reverse bias, the diode behaves like a capacitor. The P and N region acts as the positive and negative
plates of the capacitor, and the intrinsic region is the insulator between the plates.

were, A - junction diode

w – intrinsic region thickness

The lowest frequency at which the effect starts to begins is expressed as

Were, ε – silicon dielectric constant

PIN Diode Characteristics:

1. This obeys the typical diode equation for small frequency signals. At higher frequencies, PIN
diode appears like an approximately perfect resistor. There is a set of stored charge in the
intrinsic region. At small frequencies, the charge can be detached and the diode switched OFF

2. At higher frequencies, there is not sufficient time to eliminate the charge, so the PIN diode
never switched OFF. The diode has a reduced reverse recovery time. A PIN diode properly
biased, therefore performs as a variable resistor. This high-frequency resistance may differ
over a broad range (from 0.1 Ω-10 kΩ in some cases; the practical range is slighter, though).

3. The wider intrinsic area also means the PIN diode will have a low capacitance when reverse-
biased. In this diode, the depletion region exists completely in the intrinsic region. This
depletion region is much better than in a PN-diode, and nearly constant-size, independent of
the reverse bias applied to the PN-diode.

4. This increases the amount where pairs of electron-hole can be produced by an occurrence
photon. Some photo detector devices like photo transistors and PIN photodiodes employ a
PIN-junction in their constructions.

5. The design of the PIN-diode has some design trade-offs. Rising the magnitudes of the intrinsic
region permits the diode to appear like a resistor at minor frequencies. It harmfully affects the
time required to switch off the diode & its shunt capacitance. Therefore, it is essential to
choose a device with the most suitable properties for a particular us.

Applications of PIN Diode

• High Voltage Rectifier – It is used as a high voltage rectifier. The diode has a large
intrinsic region between the N and P-region which can tolerate the high reverse voltage.
• Photo-detector – The PIN diode is used for converting the light energy into the electrical
energy. The diode has large depletion region which improves their performance by
increasing the volume of light conversion.
The PIN diode is most suitable for low voltage applications.

Use of PIN Diodes for RF Switching:

Switching RF power in portable applications is challenging for electromechanical switches due to

size, cost and speed considerations. While PIN diodes offer some unique advantages relative to other
non-mechanical options such as CMOS switches and MEMS structures, they are difficult to design
into a circuit unless their characteristics are clearly understood.

PIN diodes are challenging to use:

It’s a two-terminal device, and as such, the control port needed for biasing and the port for the RF
signal are the same physical point. Thus, the design must allow them to "merge" at the diode, yet keep
them isolated from the rest of the circuitry. As a result, engineers have mixed emotions about using
PIN diodes since they are not the easiest switch option to use, but they can do things other options
cannot.
 PIN Diode switches FET switches Hybrid switches

Lower frequency
100 MHz DC 300 300 Khz
limit *

Upper frequency
>50 Ghz >20 Ghz >20 Ghz
limit *

Construction:

A diode alone is not a complete and useful switch as it is only the core switching element. At a
minimum, an RF switch based on PIN diodes needs a DC blocking capacitor to prevent the DC bias
current from reaching the RF output, and an RF choke to provide a path for the DC bias current to
return while blocking the RF signal.

A basic single-pole, single-throw RF switch that can either pass or cut off an RF signal can be built
using either a series or a shunt topology. The series approach provides minimum insertion loss over
a broad frequency range (Figure 4). This configuration can function across a wide bandwidth, which
is limited by the biasing inductors and the DC blocking capacitors. It can be expanded to a single-
pole, double-throw configuration where the source signal can be routed to one of two ports.

Similarly, shunt-diode switches can be used for basic SPST and SPDT functions. The
shunt approach offers high isolation, and since the diode may be heatsinked at one electrode,
it is capable of handling more RF power than a diode in a series topology. Some designs add
a quarter-wave transmission line between the diode and its blocking capacitor to create
lumped-series inductance for a low-pass filter. This enables the switch to work up to the
desired frequency.

IN diodes used in shunt mode for a) a basic SPST switch and b) an SPDT switch. Note the
addition of quarter-wavelength transmission lines to form a low-pass filter
 Using either a shunt or series topology, it is challenging to achieve better than 40 dB
isolation using a single PIN diode, especially at the higher operating frequencies. These
limitations can be overcome somewhat by using combinations of series and shunt diodes in
what are called compound switches.

The PIN diodes are configured in either ELL (series-shunt) or TEE (shunt-series) topologies, .
In a compound switch, the insertion loss state is when the series diode is forward biased and
the shunt diode is at zero or reverse bias. For the isolation state, the reverse situation applies.
Note that the bias circuitry of a compound switch is more complex than that needed in simple
series or shunt switches.

Use of series and shunt modes in compound topologies in a basic SPST switch to maximize desired
performance while minimizing undesired specifications in both a) ELL and b) TEE configurations

Biasing the PIN diode

The DC bias voltage needed to control the PIN diode's mode is a function of the diode as well
as the RF signal level, temperature range, and other factors. This bias voltage must be
decoupled from the RF signal and be stable, as any noise or ripple will affect the diode's
operating point.

When used in high-power situations, PIN diodes need a high bias-control voltage to minimize
the cross-modulating effects of the voltage swing of the RF signal. For example, a 100 W RF
signal has a peak-to-peak voltage of 200 V in a standard 50 Ω system. The control voltage must
be greater than this and have sufficient headroom to prevent the RF signal's voltage from
affecting the resistance of the diode and creating distortion.

Modelling the switch

The static and dynamic performance of PIN diodes is characterized by many available models
and equations. These capture basic attributes as well as changes in these attributes as a
function of temperature, voltage, frequency, and other factors. This data and the associated
models make a very good first-pass simulation possible. Changes in characteristics such as
 isolation, linearity, distortion, insertion loss, and power consumption versus
frequency and power can be determined with reasonable accuracy.

However, these device models show only part of the story. As with all RF designs,
interconnections, PC board effects, EM fields, and parasitic can distort the model.
Designers must attempt to incorporate these into their simulation model in order to get
a more accurate view of the performance of the PIN diode switch.

Conclusion:

The PIN diode is an apparently "simple" passive device used in a variety of switching designs
due to its speed and isolation potential. However, because it merges both the RF signal path
and the DC bias to the same connection point, it requires careful understanding and
consideration when assessing whether to use series, shunt, or combined approaches to build
the complete switch.

References:
1. https://www.digikey.in/en/articles/how-and-why-to-use-pin-diodes-for-rf-switching

2. https://www.elprocus.com/pin-diode-basics-working-applications/
3. https://www.electrical4u.com/pin-diode/
4. https://circuitglobe.com/pin-diode.html