Lecture #19

OUTLINE
• pn Junctions (cont’d)

– small-signal model

– transient response
• turn-off

Reading: Chapters 7, 8

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Small-Signal Model of the Diode
Small signal equivalent circuit:
i
+
dva
va R=1/G C i = Gva + C
-
dt

Small-signal conductance :
1 dI d qVA / kT d
Gº = = I 0 (e - 1) » I 0 e qVA / kT
R dVA dVA dVA
q I
G= I 0 e qVA / kT @ DC
kT kT / q

Prof. Changhwan Shin

Review: Charge Storage in pn-Diode

Prof. Changhwan Shin

2 types of capacitance associated with a pn junction:
1. CJ depletion capacitance
(due to variation of depletion charge)
2. CD diffusion capacitance
(due to variation of stored minority charge in the quasi-neutral regions)

For a one-sided p+n junction, QP >> QN

so Q = QP + QN @ QP:

dQ dI τ p I DC
CD = = τp = τ pG =
dVA dVA kT / q

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Depletion Capacitance

p n

W
conductor “insulator” conductor

dQdep es
CJ º =A
dVA W

What are three ways to reduce Cdep?

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Total pn-Junction Capacitance
i
+
va R=1/G C = CJ + C D
-

es
CJ = A
W
τI DC
CD =
kT / q
( )
µ e qV A / kT - 1

• CD dominates at moderate to high forward biases

• Cdep dominates at low forward biases, reverse biases

Prof. Changhwan Shin

CJ-vs.-VA (Reverse Bias)
1 W2 2(Vbi - VA )
2
= 2 2 @ 2
CJ A es A qe S N

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Example
If the slope of the (1/Cdep)2 vs. VA characteristic is -2x1023
F-2 V-1, the intercept is 0.84V, and A is 1 mm2, find the
lighter and heavier doping concentrations Nl and Nh.

Solution:
N l = 2 /( slope ´ qe s A2 )
= 2 /( 2 ´ 10 23 ´ 1.6 ´ 10 -19 ´ 12 ´ 8.85 ´ 10 -14 ´ 10 -8 cm 2 )
= 6 ´ 1015 cm -3
qV 2 0.84
kT N h N l ni kTbi 10 20 0.026 18 -3
Vbi = ln 2
Þ N h = e = e = 1 . 8 ´ 10 cm
q ni Nl 6 ´ 1015

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Summary: Small Signal Model
C = CJ + CD

I DC = I 0 (e qVA / kT - 1)

Ae s I DC
Depletion capacitance CJ = Conductance G@
W kT / q

τI DC
Diffusion capacitance CD =
kT / q

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Transient Response of pn Diode
• Suppose a pn-diode is forward biased, then suddenly
turned off at time t = 0. Because of CD, the voltage
across the pn junction depletion region cannot be
changed instantaneously.
The delay in switching between
the ON and OFF states is due
to the time required to change
the amount of excess minority
carriers stored in the
quasi-neutral regions.

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Turn-Off Transient
• In order to turn the diode off, the excess minority
carriers must be removed by net carrier flow out
of the quasi-neutral regions and/or recombination
– Carrier flow is limited by the switching circuitry

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Decay of Stored Charge
Consider a p+n diode (Qp >> Qn):
Dpn(x) i(t)

ts
t

vA(t)

dpn i t
For t > 0: =- >0 ts
dx x = xn qAD p

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Examples (qualitative)

Increase IF Increase IR Decrease tp

i(t) i(t) i(t)

ts ts ts
t t t

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Storage Delay Time ts
• ts is the primary “figure of merit” used to characterize
the transient response of pn junction diodes
dQ p Qp æ Qp ö
=i- = -ç I R + ÷ 0+ £ t £ ts
dt τp ç τ ÷
è p ø
• By separation of variables and integration from t = 0+
to t = ts, noting that I F = Q p (t = 0) / τ p

and making the approximation Q p (t = t s ) = 0

æ IF ö
We conclude that t s @ τ p lnçç1 + ÷÷
è IR ø
Prof. Changhwan Shin