Avalanche breakdown

• The external applied voltage increase the velocity of

minority carriers
• The high velocity minority carriers collide with new
atom creating new carriers which are again
accelerated to high velocities
• This process continues which result in large number
of electrons and thus increases reverse current.
• This occurs in normal pn junctiondiodes.
• Avalanche breakdown voltage is high.
• With the application of sufficient reverse
voltage, a p-n junction will experience a rapid
avalanche breakdown and conduct current in the
reverse direction.
•  Valence electrons which break free under the
influence of the applied electric field can be
accelerated enough that they can knock loose
other electrons and the subsequent collisions
quickly become an avalanche.
• When this process is taking place, very small
changes in voltage can cause very large changes
in current.
• The zener diode uses a p-n junction in reverse
bias to make use of the zener effect, which is a
breakdown phenomenon which holds the
voltage close to a constant value called the
zener voltage.

• It is useful in zener regulators to provide a

more constant voltage, for improvement
of regulated power supplies, and
for limiter applications.
 Zener diode
• It is designed to operate under reverse bias in the
breakdown region and used as a voltage regulator.
• Zener diode is fabricated by heavily doping both p-, and n-
sides of the junction. Due to this, depletion region formed
is very thin and electric field of junction is very high.
• When applied reverse bias voltage(V) reaches the
breakdown voltage (Vz) of the Zener diode, there is a large
change in the current.
• Zener voltage remains constant, even though current
through the Zener diode varies over a wide range.
 Zener break down
• When a diode is heavily doped the depletion
layer is very narrow.
• When reverse voltage across the diode is
increased, large number of electrons are
pulled out from the covalent bond.
• A large number of hole-electron pair are thus
formed and reverse current increases sharply.
• This is known as Zener effect
 Zener break down
• reverse current is due to the flow of electrons (minority carriers)
from p to n and holes from n to p. As the reverse bias voltage is
increased, the electric field at the junction becomes significant.
• When the reverse bias voltage V = Vz, then the electric field
strength is high enough to pull valence electrons from the host
atoms on the p-side which are accelerated to n-side.
• These electrons account for high current observed at the
breakdown.
• The emission of electrons from the host atoms due to the high
electric field is known as internal field emission or field
ionisation.
Zener Breakdown Avalanche Breakdown
The process in which the electrons move across the The process of applying high voltage and increasing the
barrier from the valence band of p-type material to the free electrons or electric current in semiconductors and
conduction band of n-type material is known as Zener insulating materials is called an avalanche breakdown.
breakdown.

This is observed in Zener diodes having a Zener This is observed in Zener diode having a Zener
breakdown voltage breakdown voltage Vz greater than 8 volts.
Vz of 5 to 8 volts.

The valence electrons are pulled into conduction due to The valence electrons are pushed to conduction due to
the high electric field in the narrow depletion region. the energy imparted by accelerated electrons, which
gain their velocity due to their collision with other
atoms.

The increase in temperature decreases the breakdown The increase in temperature increases the breakdown
voltage. voltage.

The VI characteristics of a Zener breakdown has a sharp The VI characteristic curve of the avalanche breakdown
curve. is not as sharp as the Zener breakdown.

It occurs in diodes that are highly doped. It occurs in diodes that are lightly doped.
 V-I characteristics of Zener diode
• The forward characteristics is same as ordinary
diode
• In reverse characteristics when voltage is
increased a small reverse (leakage) current flows
• This current remains constant until certain
voltage is reached
• When voltage is further increased the current
increases rapidly to a high value and is known as
break down voltage.
V-I characteristics of Zener diode
 Zener voltage regulator
• Zener diode is used as voltage regulator.
• The unregulated dc voltage is connected to zener diode
through Rs .
• The zener diode is reverse biased.
• If the input voltage increases the current through and
zener diode also increases.
• This increases the voltage drop across Rs without any
change in the voltage across zener diode.
• If the input voltage decreases the current through Rs
and zener diode decreases
• The voltage drop across RS decreases without any
change in voltage across the zener diode.
• Thus the zener diode acts as voltage regulator