Analysis of Diode Circuits

Ashan Amarasekara
BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering
MIET(UK), MIIESL
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 Contents
• Quick review of how a Diode works
• Diode Characteristics
• Type of Diodes
• Diode Circuits
• Rectifying Circuits
• Diode applications
• Solved Problems on Semiconductor Diode

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 What is a Diode?

• A diode is a semiconductor device that essentially acts

as a one-way switch for current. It allows current to
flow easily in one direction, but severely restricts
current from flowing in the opposite direction.

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 • Diodes are also known as rectifiers because
they change alternating current (ac) into
pulsating direct current (dc). Diodes are rated
according to their type, voltage, and current
capacity.
• Diodes have polarity, determined by
an anode (positive lead)
and cathode (negative lead). Most diodes
allow current to flow only when positive
voltage is applied to the anode.

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 • When a diode allows current flow, it
is forward-biased. When a diode is reverse-
biased, it acts as an insulator and does not
permit current to flow.
• The diode symbol's arrow points against the
direction of electron flow. Reason: Engineers
conceived the symbol, and their schematics
show current flowing from the positive (+) side
of the voltage source to the negative (-). It's
the same convention used for semiconductor
symbols that include arrows—the arrow points
in the permitted direction of "conventional"
flow, and against the permitted direction of
electron flow.

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 Diode Characteristics
Conduction Region Non-Conduction Region

• The voltage across the diode is 0 V • All of the voltage is across the diode
• The current is infinite • The current is 0 A
• The forward resistance is defined as • The reverse resistance is defined as
RF = VF / IF RR = VR / IR
• The diode acts like a short • The diode acts like open

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 Semiconductor Materials
Materials commonly used in the development of
semiconductor devices:

• Silicon (Si)
• Germanium (Ge)
• Gallium Arsenide (GaAs)

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 Doping
The electrical characteristics of silicon and germanium are improved
by adding materials in a process called doping.

There are just two types of doped semiconductor materials:

n-type
p-type

• n-type materials contain an excess of conduction band electrons.

• p-type materials contain an excess of valence band holes.

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 p-n Junctions
At the p-n junction, the excess
conduction-band electrons on the
n-type side are attracted to the
valence-band holes on the p-type
side.

The electrons in the n-type

material migrate across the
junction to the p-type material
(electron flow).
The result is the formation of a
The electron migration results in depletion region around the
a negative charge on the p-type junction.
side of the junction and a positive
charge on the n-type side of the
junction.

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 Diode Operating Conditions

A diode has three operating conditions:

• No bias
• Forward bias
• Reverse bias

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 Diode Operating Conditions

No Bias

• No external voltage is applied: VD = 0 V

• No current is flowing: ID = 0 A
• Only a modest depletion region exists

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 Diode Operating Conditions
Reverse Bias

External voltage is applied across the p-n junction in

the opposite polarity of the p- and n-type materials.

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 Diode Operating Conditions
Forward Bias

External voltage is applied across the p-n junction in

the same polarity as the p- and n-type materials.

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 Actual Diode Characteristics

Note the regions for no

bias, reverse bias, and
forward bias conditions.

Carefully note the scale

for each of these
conditions.

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 Majority and Minority Carriers
Two currents through a diode:

Majority Carriers

• The majority carriers in n-type materials are electrons.

• The majority carriers in p-type materials are holes.

Minority Carriers

• The minority carriers in n-type materials are holes.

• The minority carriers in p-type materials are electrons.

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 Zener Region
The Zener region is in the diode’s
reverse-bias region.
At some point the reverse bias voltage
is so large the diode breaks down and
the reverse current increases
dramatically.

• The maximum reverse voltage that won’t

take a diode into the zener region is
called the peak inverse voltage or peak
reverse voltage.
• The voltage that causes a diode to enter
the zener region of operation is called the
zener voltage (VZ).

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 Forward Bias Voltage
The point at which the diode changes from no-bias condition
to forward-bias condition occurs when the electrons and
holes are given sufficient energy to cross the p-n junction.
This energy comes from the external voltage applied across
the diode.

The forward bias voltage required for a:

• gallium arsenide diode  1.2 V

• silicon diode  0.7 V
• germanium diode  0.3 V

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 Diode Equivalent Circuit

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 Diode Testing

• A digital Multimeter’s diode test diode

produces a small voltage between the
test leads enough to forward-bias a
diode junction. Normal voltage drop is
0.5 V to 0.8 V. The forward-biased
resistance of a good diode should
range from 1000 ohms to 10 ohms.
When reverse-biased, a digital
multimeter’s display will read OL
(which indicates very high resistance).

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 General Applications of the Diodes

• Rectifiers
• Clipper Circuits
• Clamping Circuits
• Reverse Current Protection Circuits
• In Logic Gates
• Voltage Multipliers

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 • Diode as a Rectifier

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• Diodes in Clipping Circuits

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 • Diodes in Clamping Circuits

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 • Diodes in Reverse Polarity Protection

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 • Diodes in Voltage Spike Suppression

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 • Diodes in Solar Panels

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 Other Types of Diodes

Zener diode
Light-emitting diode
Diode arrays

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 Zener Diode

A Zener is a diode operated in reverse bias

at the Zener voltage (VZ).

Common Zener voltages are between 1.8 V

and 200 V

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 Light-Emitting Diode (LED)

An LED emits photons when it is forward biased.

These can be in the infrared or visible spectrum.
The forward bias voltage is usually in the range of 2 V to 3 V.

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 Diode Arrays
Multiple diodes can be
packaged together in an
integrated circuit (IC).
Common Anode

A variety of combinations
exist. Common Cathode

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 Solved Problems on Semiconductor Diode

Q1 :An a.c. voltage of peak value 20 V is connected in series

with a silicon diode and
load resistance of 500 Ω. If the forward resistance of diode is 10 Ω, find :

(i) peak current through diode

(ii) peak output voltage
(iii) What will be these values if the diode is assumed to be ideal ?

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 • QI – Answer

Peak input voltage = 20 V

Forward resistance, rf = 10 Ω
Load resistance, RL= 500 Ω
Potential barrier voltage, V0 = 0.7 V
The diode will conduct during the positive half-cycles of a.c. input voltage only.

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 Q2.

Find the current through the diode in the circuit shown in Fig. 2(i). Assume the
diode to be ideal.

Thevenin’s Theorem

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 Q3.
Calculate the current through 48 Ω resistor in the circuit shown in Fig. the
diodes to be of silicon and forward resistance of each diode is 1 Ω.

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 Q4.
Determine the current I in the circuit shown in Fig. 4 (i). Assume
the diodes to
be of silicon and forward resistance of diodes to be zero.

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 Q5.
Find the voltage VA in the circuit shown in below Figure. Use
simplified model.

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 Q6.
Find VQ and ID in the network shown in below figure. Use a
simplified model.

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 Q7.
Determine current through each diode in the circuit shown in Fig.
Use simplified model. Assume diodes to be similar.

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 Q8.
Determine the currents I1, I2 and I3 for the network shown in
Fig. Use simplified model for the diodes.

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 Q9.
Determine if the diode (ideal) in Figure is forward biased or
reverse biased.

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 Q10.
Determine the state of diode for the circuit shown in Figure (i)
and find ID and VD . Assume simplified model for the diode.

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 Solved Problems On Zener Diode

Q1.
For the circuit shown in Fig.1 (i), find :
(i) the output voltage
(ii) the voltage drop across series resistance
(iii) the current through zener diode.

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 Q2.
For the circuit shown in Figure, find the maximum and minimum
values of zener diode current.

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 Q3.
A 7.2 V zener is used in the circuit shown in Figure and the load
current is to vary from 12 to 100 mA. Find the value of series
resistance R to maintain a voltage of 7.2 V across the load. The
input voltage is constant at 12V and the minimum zener current is
10 mA.

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 Figure shows the basic zener diode circuits. What will be the
circuit behaviour if the zener is
(i) working properly
(ii) shorted
(iii) open-circuited?

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 Figure shows regulated power supply using a zener diode. What
will be the circuit behaviour if
(i) filter capacitor shorts
(ii) filter capacitor opens?

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 The zener diode shown in Fig. 4 has VZ = 18 V. The voltage across the load stays at 18
V as long as IZ is maintained between 200 mA and 2 A. Find the value of series
resistance R so that E0 remains 18 V while input voltage Ei is free to vary between 22 V
to 28V

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 The circuit of Fig. 6 uses two zener diodes, each rated at 15 V, 200 mA. If the
circuit is connected to a 45-volt unregulated supply, determine :(i) The
regulated output voltage (ii) The value of series resistance R.

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