Current-voltage characteristics

➢ If Va is positive, the potential barrier in the junction is lower than its

equilibrium value, As a result the diffusion and drift currents are no longer
equal.

➢ The derivation of the current in the PN structure can be based on:

1. The majority carriers drift current due to the small electric field across
the quasi-neutral regions . These are the hole current in the P-type
material and the electron current in the N-type region, respectively.
or
2. The diffustion current due to the excess minority carrier gradient at the
edges of the transition region.
➢ The derivation of the current-voltage characteristics of the PN junction
based on the majority carriers is quite difficult.

➢ In the current derivation, Low-level injection (or "weak injection") is

assumed; The concentration of minority carriers injected in a quasi-neutral
region is low compared to the majority carrier concentration.
 Majority

(1)

(2)

As a result of Expressions (1) and (2), the concentration of excess

electrons at the P-side edge of the transition region is equal to:
(3)

Similarly the concentration of excess holes at the N-side edge of the

transition region is given by:
(4)
 in the N-type quasi- neutral region
(5)
in the P-type quasi- neutral region

The Continuity Equation for holes in the N-type quasi-neutral region,

At steady state

Where A and B are integration constants, and is called the diffusion

length of holes, defined by:
A similar calculation, made for electrons in the P-type quasi-neutral region,
would yield:

(6)

Substitute (6) into (5) yields:

 Jt

Diff. Diff.

y 0
x
0
 Large Signal Model
ID

1
Forward Rf
dynamic
1/Rf resistance
Vγ
VD
Vγ
Cut-in voltage
ID
2

Vγ
OFF ON

VD
Vγ
 ID

3 Ideal Diode ON
The diode acts as an ideal switch
OFF

VD
Vγ

In the circuits shown, the current

depends on the diode state (assuming
ideal case)
Example 1: Obtain the transfer characteristics

Example 2: Find the Logic function of these diode circuits

OR -gate AND -gate

 Small Signal Model
1. Transition capacitance

CT

CT0

Va
0 Φo
2. Diffusion capacitance

➢ The diffusion capacitance (F/Cm2) is proportional to the current densities

and the minority carriers life times.
3. Dynamic resistance

Small signal model

 PN Junction Breakdown
❖ When a PN junction is strongly reversed biased the electric field near the
metallurgical junction can reach high values.

❖ Carriers accelerated in that field can accumulate enough kinetic energy that
they can, through a collision process, generate electron-hole pairs through
what is called impact ionization.

❖ The generated carriers can in turn be accelerated, and again through

impact ionization, generate additional carriers.
❖ This carrier multiplication effect is a positive-feedback mechanism called
avalanche multiplication and is characterized by a multiplication factor, M,

❖ Where BV is the junction breakdown voltage and Va is the applied voltage.

The multiplication factor M tends to infinity as Va = BV

❖ There exists another breakdown mechanism in reverse-biased PN

junctions, called "Zener breakdown ". This effect takes place in diodes where
both the N-type and P-type regions are heavily doped.
 Zener diodes
❖ The breakdown characteristics of diodes can be tailored by
controlling the doping concentration
❖ Heavily doped P+ and N+ regions result in low breakdown voltage
(Zener effect)
❖ Used as reference voltage in voltage regulators

❖ VZ → Breakdown voltage when diode is zener diode

ID

VZ
VD
Region of
operation Imin
VZ
 Solar Cell
➢ A solar cell is a PN junction in which the generation of carriers by
an external source of energy, usually sunlight, is utilized to
generate electrical power.

Solar energy Electrical power

➢ In the N-type material , far from the junction,

❖ The current- voltage characteristics of the solar cell under illumination are
the ideal characteristics in the dark shifted by a current amount
due to generation:

❖The area of the gray rectangle, S, represents the power supplied by the
solar cell to the load.
❖ Optimisation of solar cell performance involves the use of anti-reflection
coatings, which increases light absorption, and therefore, the generation
rate, G.

❖ The use of high-quality semiconductor material with a high minority

carrier lifetime

❖ The "fill factor", FF, is defined by the following relationship,

,S is the shaded area= ImVm

is the short-circuit current

is the open-circuit voltage

The power conversion efficiency

 = (Im Vm)/Pin
Backup
 Diode Applications
Out the scope of the course

1 Diode Rectifiers
HWR
 Positive HWR Negative HWR

Circuit +
waveform

Vo Vo

Transfer
characteristics Vin

Vin
FWR
2 Battery charger

2θ is the conduction angle

The peak value of the diode current

3 Diode Clipping
4 Diode clamping
5 Voltage doubler
Solar Cell