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BASIC ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

Course Code: ES 201

Credit Units: 04
 Introduction ECE, ASET
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Semiconductor Devices:

Semiconductor devices are a type of electronic unit/components consist

of semiconductor materials such as Germanium (Ge)/Silicon (Si)/Gallium
Arsenide (GaAs) etc. which can perform useful function.
Examples: PN junction diode, Zener Diode, Schottky Diode, LED, Solar
Cell, BJT, JFET, MOSFET, ICs etc.
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• Because of its electrical properties semiconductor

materials and semiconductors became the main
important part of IC designing in electronic
industry and its variants.

• Vacuum tubes were used before semiconductor

materials in the design and fabrication of
electronic components and ICs

• Semiconductor devices can be discrete

components as well as in the form of Integrated
Chips.
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Semiconductor Devices

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Unipolar Devices

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 Semiconductor Diode ASET

• P type and N type material and conjoined to form our first

Device! A diode is formed by joining two doped P-Type
and N-Type semiconductor
 Semiconductor Diode ASET

JOINING P TYPE AND N TYPE

The P-Type semiconductor has excess holes and is of positive charge. The N-
Type semiconductor has excess electrons. At the point of contact of the P-Type
and N-Type regions, the holes in the P-Type attract electrons in the N-Type
material. Hence the electron diffuses and occupies the holes in the P-Type
material. 
 Semiconductor Diode ASET

JOINING P TYPE AND N TYPE

The P-Type semiconductor has excess holes and is of positive charge. The N-
Type semiconductor has excess electrons. At the point of contact of the P-Type
and N-Type regions, the holes in the P-Type attract electrons in the N-Type
material. Hence the electron diffuses and occupies the holes in the P-Type
material. 
 Semiconductor Diode ASET

• This region of uncovered positive and negative ions is called

the depletion region due to the “depletion” of free carriers in
the region.
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PN Junction Diode

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Ref. [1]
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N-Type and P-Type Semiconductor
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Ref. [1]
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pn junction diode
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 Semiconductor Diode ASET

Three Regions of Interest

No Bias V=0
Forward Bias V>0
Reverse Bias V<0
 Semiconductor Diode No Bias ASET

Electrons in n Type face attraction from the positive ions in the

depletion region on n side
But, they face repulsion from the negative ions in the depletion
region on the p side!
In n Type majority carriers are electrons,
Some have sufficient kinetic energy to cross barrier to P side
Ditto for holes on P side
Net movements of carriers across the depletion region is Zero!!
 pn junction diode under no bias ECE, ASET
No Applied Bias ( V = 0 V) ASET

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Ref. [1]
 Diode Reverse Bias (VD<0) ASET

An external potential of V volts is applied across the p–n

junction
Positive terminal (+)is connected to the n-type material
and the negative terminal (-) is connected to the p-type
material
Number of uncovered positive ions in the depletion region
of the n-type material will increase due to the large number
of free electrons drawn to the positive potential of the
applied voltage.
Number of uncovered negative ions will increase in the p-
type material.
 Diode Reverse Bias (VD>0) ASET

Depletion region is widened!

Widened depletion region establishes too great a barrier for
the majority carriers to overcome, effectively reducing the
majority carrier flow to zero
This widening of the depletion region will establish too great a barrier
for the majority carriers to overcome, effectively reducing the
majority carrier flow to zero
The current that exists under reverse-bias conditions is called the reverse
saturation current and is represented by Is
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Reverse-Bias Condition ( V D < 0 V) ASET

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Ref. [1]
 Diode Forward Bias (VD>0) ASET

An external potential of V volts is applied across the p–n

junction
Positive terminal (+)is connected to the p-type material and
the negative terminal (-) is connected to the n-type
material
Electrons in the n-type material and holes in the p-type material to
recombine with the ions near the boundary and reduce the width of
the depletion region
The resulting minority-carrier flow

.
 Diode Forward Bias (VD>0) ASET

The resulting minority-carrier flow remains unchanged

The reduction in the width of the depletion region has resulted in a
heavy majority flow across the junction.
An electron of the n-type material sees a reduced barrier at the
junction due to the reduced depletion region and a strong attraction
for the positive potential applied to the p-type material.

As the applied bias increases in magnitude, the depletion region will

continue to decrease in width until a flood of electrons can pass
through the junction, resulting in an exponential rise in current
.
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Forward-Bias Condition ( V D > 0 V) ASET

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Ref. [1]
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 pn-junction diode V-I characteristics ECE, ASET
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Ref. [1]
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Diode Current Equation

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Ref. [1]
 Ideal Diode ECE, ASET
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Ref. [1]
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Ref. [1]
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Ref. [1]
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Problem ASET

• A germanium diode has reverse saturation current of 10-8

A. Calculate forward current for a forward bias of 0.4 V and 300K.
At room temp VT = 26mV

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Thank You

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