Power Semiconductor

Diodes
Introduction
 Function of power semiconductor
diodes in power electronic circuits
 Switches in rectifiers
 Freewheeling in switching regulators
 Charge reversal of capacitor & energy transfer
between components
 Voltage isolation
 Energy feedback from load to power source
 Trapped energy recovery
 Diode Characteristics

 A power diode is a two terminal pn-junction

device.
A (Anode)

+
Id Vd
_

K (Cathode)

Diode: Symbol
Forward Biased Diode
 A diode is said to be
forward biased or
conducting when the
anode potential is
positive with respect
to the cathode.
 In this state, the
diode has a small
forward voltage drop
across it.
 The magnitude of this voltage
drop depending on:
 the manufacturing process and
 the junction temperature
Reverse Biased Diode
 When the cathode potential is
positive with respect to the anode,
the diode is said to be reverse
biased.
 Under reverse biased conditions, a
small reverse or leakage current
flows.
 The magnitude of the reverse
current increases in magnitude
with reverse voltage until the
avalanche or zener voltage is
reached.
 Diode Characteristics
 The practical characteristics shown in Id
figure can be expressed by the schockley
diode equation.
qV
I D  Is(e nkT  1)
Vr
ID= current through the diode.
VD=diode voltage with anode positive Vf Vd
with respect to cathode.
Is=leakage current.
n=emission coefficient.[Ge=1 and Si=2]
K=Boltzmann’s constant
T= absolute temperature
 Examination of the diode
characteristics reveal three
distinct regions:

 Forward-biased region
 Reverse-biased region
 Breakdown region
 Reverse Recovery
Characteristics
 The current in a forward-biased junction
diode is made up of two components.
 A forward conducting diode whose forward
current has been reduced to zero, continues
to conduct minority carriers from two different
regions of the diode.
 Reverse Recovery
Characteristics(continued)
 These minority carriers requires some finite
time to recombine with opposite charges in
order to be neutralized. This time is called the
reverse recovery time.
 Two reverse recovery characteristics exist.
 Reverse Recovery Time
 The reverse recovery time is measured from
the initial zero crossing from forward
conduction to reverse blocking condition of
the diode current to 25% of the maximum
reverse current.
 Reverse Recovery Charge
 This is the amount of charge carriers that flow
across the diode in the reverse direction due
to changeover from forward conduction to
reverse blocking condition. Its value is
determined from the area enclosed by the
path of the reverse recovery current.
 Power Diode Types
 Standard or general-purpose diodes
 Fast-recovery diodes
 Schottky diodes
 General Purpose Diodes

 High reverse recovery time typically around

25 microseconds
 Used in low speed applications, e.g.,
rectifiers and converters, with frequencies up
to 1kHz
 Fast-recovery Diodes
 low recovery time, typically around 5
microseconds
 Used in ac-dc and dc-ac converters where
speed of recovery is of critical importance
 Schottky Diodes
 The barrier potential is accomplished with a
contact between a metal and a
semiconductor. This barrier simulates the
behavior of a pn-junction.
 Recovery charge of this diode is much less
than the equivalent pn-junction diode. It is
due only to junction capacitance and is
independent to reverse di/dt.
 Schottky Diodes(continued)
 It has a relatively low forward voltage drop.
 The leakage current is higher than that of a
pn-junction diode.
 They are mainly used in high current low
voltage power supplies.
POWER DIODES
EXAMPLES OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DIODES