2 PN Diode

Semiconductor Fundamentals

•• Semiconductor
Semiconductor Materials
Materials
•• PN
PN junctions
junctions
•• PN
PN Diode
Diode
•• Summary
Summary
 Insulators
• Electrons tightly bound to host ion
– need large amounts of energy to break free
– very low numbers of free electrons low
conductivity
– electric currents do not pass easily
• e.g. paper, rubber, PVC
 Conductors
• Electrons very loosely bound to host
ions
– very easy to break free from ions
– free to "wander" around crystal
– large numbers of free electrons
– about one per atom high conductivity
– movement of electrons produces current in
opposite direction
• e.g. metals - Cu, Ag, Al etc
 Semiconductor
• Electrons have moderate binding
energies
– at absolute zero, all electrons are tightly
bound insulator
– at very high temps, material can conduct
conductor
– usually moderate numbers of free electrons
about one per million atoms
• e.g. Si, Ge, GaAs
Covalent Bounding of the Silicon Atom
Covalent Bounding of the Silicon Atom
 Doping

n p
type type

Group V Group III

Donors Acceptor
Semiconductor Fundamentals

•• Semiconductor
Semiconductor Materials
Materials
•• PN
PN junctions
junctions
•• PN
PN diode
diode
•• Summary
Summary
• A PN junction is fabricated from a single
slice of semiconductor
– one side doped p-type
– other side doped n-type
doped
p-type ion cores n-type

- - - - - - - +- +- +- +- +- +- +-
- - - - - - - +- +- +- +- +- +- +-
- - - - - - - +- +- +- +- +- +- +-

holes electrons
• Depletion region (free of mobile charge
carriers) develops on either side of junction
– leaves fixed negative ions on p-side (ion cores
cannot move)
– leaves fixed positive ions on n-side (ion cores
cannot move)

Depletion region

- - - - - - - +- +- +- +- +- +- +-
- - - - - - - +- +- +- +- +- +- +-
- - - - - - - +- +- +- +- +- +- +-
 Forward Biasing
– Depletion region is Anode Cathode
very resistive
– external voltage drops
entirely across it
– junction potential
+ V
reduces
– width of depletion
p n
region is reduced
– net flow of current +
from pn
V
 Reverse Biasing
External voltage adds to
equilibrium potential

–potential barrier increased

–width of depletion region
increases
– No Current flow
Semiconductor Fundamentals

•• Semiconductor
Semiconductor Materials
Materials
•• PN
PN junctions
junctions
•• PN
PN diode
diode
•• Summary
Summary
 The Junction Diode
• A diode is a unidirectional device
– conducts in one direction but not in the
other
– only conducts when a forward bias
connected across its ends
– anode +ve, cathode -ve
 PN Diode Characteristics
A diode is basically a nonlinear resistor, with a DC V-I
 Question
• Which of the following diodes will
conduct?
I I

+ 5V + 1.2 V + 0.3 V +5 V
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Semiconductor Fundamentals

•• Semiconductor
Semiconductor Materials
Materials
•• PN
PN junctions
junctions
•• PN
PN diode
diode
•• Summary
Summary
 Summary
We have looked at:
• Semiconductor materials
• N-type and P-type Materials
• PN junctions
• Semiconductor diodes