Varicap

In electronics, a varicap diode, varactor diode, variable capacitance diode, variable reactance diode
or tuning diode is a type of diode designed to exploit the voltage-dependent capacitance of a
reverse-biased p–n junction.[1]

Applications Varicap diode

Varactors are used as voltage-controlled capacitors. They

are commonly used in voltage-controlled oscillators,
parametric amplifiers, and frequency multipliers.[2] Voltage-
controlled oscillators have many applications such as
frequency modulation for FM transmitters and phase-locked
loops. Phase-locked loops are used for the frequency
Internal structure of a varicap
synthesizers that tune many radios, television sets, and
cellular telephones. Type Passive

Inventor 1961
The varicap was developed by the Pacific Semiconductor
subsidiary of the Ramo Wooldridge Corporation who Pin names anode and
[3]
received a patent for the device in June 1961. The device cathode
name was also trademarked as the "Varicap" by TRW
Electronic symbol
Semiconductors, the successor to Pacific Semiconductors,
in October 1967. This helps explain the different names for
the device as it came into use.
Operation

Operation of a varicap. Holes are blue,

electrons are red, depletion zone is
white. The electrodes are at the top
and bottom.

Varactors are operated in a reverse-biased state, so no DC current flows through the device. The
amount of reverse bias controls the thickness of the depletion zone and therefore the varactor's
junction capacitance. Capacitance change characteristic depends on doping profile. Generally, for
abrupt junction profile, the depletion region thickness is proportional to the square root of the
applied voltage, and capacitance is inversely proportional to the depletion region thickness. Thus,
the capacitance is inversely proportional to the square root of applied voltage. For hyperabrupt
junction profile capacitance change is more non-linear, but hyperabrupt varicaps have larger
capacitance variation and can work with lower voltages.

All diodes exhibit this variable junction capacitance, but varactors are manufactured to exploit the
effect and increase the capacitance variation.

The figure shows an example of a cross section of a varactor with the depletion layer formed of a
p–n junction. This depletion layer can also be made of a MOS or a Schottky diode. This is important
in CMOS and MMIC technology.
Use in a circuit

Tuning circuits

Generally the use of a varicap diode in a circuit requires connecting it to a tuned circuit, usually in
parallel with any existing capacitance or inductance.[4] A DC voltage is applied as reverse bias
across the varicap to alter its capacitance. The DC bias voltage must be blocked from entering the
tuned circuit. This can be accomplished by placing a DC blocking capacitor with a capacitance
about 100 times greater than the maximum capacitance of the varicap diode in series with it and by
applying DC from a high impedance source to the node between the varicap cathode and the
blocking capacitor as shown in the upper left circuit in the accompanying diagram.

Example circuits using varicaps

Since no significant DC current flows in the varicap, the value of the resistor connecting its cathode
back to the DC control voltage resistor can be somewhere in the range of 22 kΩ to 150 kΩ and the
blocking capacitor somewhere in the range of 5–100 nF. Sometimes, with very high-Q tuned circuits,
an inductor is placed in series with the resistor to increase the source impedance of the control
voltage so as not to load the tuned circuit and decrease its Q.

Another common configuration uses two back-to-back (anode to anode) varicap diodes. (See lower
left circuit in diagram.) The second varicap effectively replaces the blocking capacitor in the first
circuit. This reduces the overall capacitance and the capacitance range by half, but has the
advantage of reducing the AC component of voltage across each device and has symmetrical
distortion should the AC component possess enough amplitude to bias the varicaps into forward
conduction.

When designing tuning circuits with varicaps it is usually good practice to maintain the AC
component of voltage across the varicap at a minimal level, usually less than 100 mV peak to peak,
to prevent changing the diode capacitance too much, which would distort the signal and add
harmonics.

A third circuit, at top right in diagram, uses two series-connected varicaps and separate DC and AC
signal ground connections. The DC ground is shown as a traditional ground symbol, and the AC
ground as an open triangle. Separation of grounds is often done to (i) prevent high-frequency
radiation from the low-frequency ground node, and (ii) prevent DC currents in the AC ground node
changing bias and operating points of active devices such as varicaps and transistors.

These circuit configurations are quite common in television tuners and electronically tuned
broadcast AM and FM receivers, as well as other communications equipment and industrial
equipment. Early varicap diodes usually required a reverse voltage range of 0–33 V to obtain their
full capacitance ranges, which were still quite small, approximately 1–10 pF. These types were –
and still are – extensively used in television tuners, whose high carrier frequencies require only
small changes in capacitance.

In time, varicap diodes were developed which exhibited large capacitance ranges, 100–500 pF, with
relatively small changes in reverse bias: 0–5 V or 0–12 V. These newer devices allow electronically
tuned AM broadcast receivers to be realized as well as a multitude of other functions requiring large
capacitance changes at lower frequencies, generally below 10 MHz. Some designs of electronic
security tag readers used in retail outlets require these high capacitance varicaps in their voltage-
controlled oscillators.

Australian market band I-III-U

television tuner with varicaps
highlighted
 Consumer AM-FM broadcast tuner
with varicaps highlighted

The three leaded devices depicted at the top of the page are generally two common cathode
connected varicaps in a single package. In the consumer AM/FM tuner depicted at the right, a single
dual-package varicap diode adjusts both the passband of the tank circuit (the main station
selector), and the local oscillator with a single varicap for each. This is done to keep costs down –
two dual packages could have been used, one for the tank and one for the oscillator, four diodes in
all, and this is what was depicted in the application data for the LA1851N AM radio chip. Two lower-
capacitance dual varactors used in the FM section (which operates at a frequency about one
hundred times greater) are highlighted by red arrows. In this case four diodes are used, via a dual
package for the tank / bandpass filter and a dual package for the local oscillator.

Harmonic multiplication

In some applications, such as harmonic multiplication, a large signal amplitude alternating voltage
is applied across a varicap to deliberately vary the capacitance at signal rate to generate higher
harmonics, which are extracted through filtering. If a sine wave current of sufficient amplitude is
applied driven through a varicap, the resultant voltage gets "peaked" into a more triangular shape,
and odd harmonics are generated.

This was one early method used to generate microwave frequencies of moderate power, 1–2 GHz at
1–5 watts, from about 20 watts at a frequency of 3–400 MHz before adequate transistors had been
developed to operate at this higher frequency. This technique is still used to generate much higher
frequencies, in the 100 GHz – 1 THz range, where even the fastest GaAs transistors are still
inadequate.

Substitutes for varicap diodes

All semiconductor junction devices exhibit the effect, so they can be used as varicaps, but their
characteristics will not be controlled and can vary widely between batches.
Popular makeshift varicaps include LEDs,[5] 1N400X series rectifier diodes,[6] Schottky rectifiers and
various transistors used with their collector-base junctions reverse biased,[7] particularly the 2N2222
and BC547. Reverse biasing the emitter-base junctions of transistors also is quite effective as long
as the AC amplitude remains small. Maximum reverse bias voltage is usually between 5 and 7 Volts,
before the avalanche process starts conducting. Higher-current devices with greater junction area
tend to possess higher capacitance. The Philips BA 102 varicap and a common zener diode, the
1N5408, exhibit similar changes in junction capacitance, with the exception that the BA 102
possesses a specified set of characteristics in relation to junction capacitance (whereas the
1N5408 does not) and the "Q" of the 1N5408 is less.

Before the development of the varicap, motor driven variable capacitors or saturable-core reactors
were used as electrically controllable reactances in the VCOs and filters of equipment like World
War II German spectrum analyzers.

See also

Heterostructure barrier varactors are symmetric semiconductor devices with variable

capacitance.

Ferroelectric capacitors have a variable capacitance due to hysteresis effects.

Diffusion capacitance

References

1. Sedra, Adel; Smith, Kenneth (2010). Microelectronic circuits (6th ed.). New York: Oxford
University Press. p. 214. ISBN 9780195323030.

2. Calvert, James (15 February 2002). "Varactors" ([Link]

[Link]) . Dr Tuttle's Home Page. Retrieved 23 January 2017.

3. US 2989671 ([Link] ,
Barnes, Sanford H. & Mann, John E., "Voltage sensitive semiconductor capacitor", published 23
May 1958, issued 20 June 1961, assigned to Pacific Semiconductors, Inc.

4. Varactor Circuits [Link]

diodes/[Link]

5. LEDs as Varicaps [Link]

6. Rectifier Diodes As Varicaps [Link]

 7. John Linsley Hood (1993). The Art of Linear Electronics. Elsevier. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-4831-
0516-1.

Further reading

Mortenson, Kenneth E. (1974). Variable capacitance diodes: the operation and characterization of
varactor, charge storage and PIN diodes for RF and microwave applications. Dedham, Mass.: Artech
House.

Penfield, Paul and Rafuse, Robert P. (1962). Varactor applications. Cambridge, M.I.T. Press.

External links

Learning by Simulations ([Link] Calculation

of the characteristics of a varactor diode for various doping profiles

[1] ([Link] Trimless IF VCO: Part 1: Design

Considerations from Maxim.

Basics of varactor diode with design tips ([Link]

varactor-varicap-diodes/[Link])