║JAI SRI GURUDEV║

Sri AdichunchanagiriShikshana Trust (R)

SJB INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

BGS Health & Education City, Kengeri , Bangalore – 60 .

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Module- 1
1.Semiconductor diodes and its applications
2.Zener diodes

Dr. Komala.M
Associate Professor,
Dept. of ECE
SJBIT
18EC81 1 Dr.Komala.M
 Module-1 (8 Hours)
• Semiconductor Diodes:
Introduction, PN Junction diode, Characteristics and
Parameters, Diode Approximations, DC Load Line
analysis (Text 1: 2.1,2.2,2.3,2.4)
• Diode Applications:
Introduction, Half Wave Rectification, Full Wave
Rectification, Full Wave Rectifier Power Supply:
Capacitor Filter Circuit, RC π Filter (includes
numerical) (Text 1: 3.1,3.2,3.4,3.5)
• Zener Diodes:
Junction Breakdown, Circuit Symbol and Package,
Characteristics and Parameters, Equivalent Circuit,
Zener Diode Voltage Regulator. (Text1:2.9, 3.7)
 Introduction to diode
• Diodes are made from a single piece
of Semiconductor material which has a
positive “P-region” at one end and a negative
“N-region” at the other, and which has a
resistivity value somewhere between that of a
conductor and an insulator.

• https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/diode/di
ode_1.html
 What is a semiconductor?

• Semiconductors materials such as silicon (Si),

germanium (Ge) and gallium arsenide (GaAs),
have electrical properties somewhere in the
middle, between those of a “conductor” and
an “insulator”. They are not good conductors
nor good insulators (hence their name “semi”-
conductors).
 PN junction diode
• A PN-junction is formed when an N-type
material is fused together with a P-type
material creating a semiconductor diode.
 Biasing of diode
• Forward Bias – The voltage potential is connected positive, (+ve) to the P-
type material and negative, (-ve) to the N-type material across the diode
which has the effect of Decreasing the PN junction diodes width.
• Reverse Bias – The voltage potential is connected negative, (-ve) to the P-
type material and positive, (+ve) to the N-type material across the diode
which has the effect of Increasing the PN junction diode’s width.
 Forward characteristics of diode
• When a PN junction is Forward Biased, if P-side is
connected to positive (+) and N- side is connected
to negative (-) of the battery. It results in the
depletion layer becoming very thin.
Reverse Bias characteristics of diode
• When a PN junction is reverse biased, if P-
side is connected to negative (-) and N-side is
connected to positive (+) of the battery it
results in wide depletion region.
V-I characteristics of PN junction diode
 Diode Approximations
• Diode approximations describe the behavior of diode circuit which is useful in the analysis of the
device.
• Three different diode approximation are
1. Ideal diode
2. Practical diode
3. Piecewise linear charqactrisitcs
 1st Approximation (Ideal diode)

• Diode acts like a perfect switch with zero

resistance.