Sukkur Institute of Business Administration University
Department of Computer Systems Engineering
Electronic Devices and Circuits Lab, Spring 2021
Lab # 05: Zener Diode Characteristics
Instructor: Engr. Irfan Ali Babar
Submission Profile
Name: Kashif Mujeeb (133-20-00009 Submission date (10/04/21):
Enrollment ID: Receiving authority name and signature:
Comments: __________________________________________________________________________
Instructor Signature
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Note: Submit this lab hand-out in the next lab with attached solved activities and exercises.
1
Lab Learning Objectives:
After completing this session, students will be able:
To Understand the characteristics of a zener diode
To measure the zener voltage and current of a zener diode
To Simulate the circuit on Multisim
Lab Hardware and Software Required:
1. NI ELVIS II
2. NI ELVISmx Instrument Launcher
3. Multisim
4. Resistors
5. Zener Diodes
6. Variable Voltage supply (DC)
7. Voltmeter
8. Ammeter
9. Oscilloscope
Background Theory:
Zener diodes are widely used in voltage regulator circuits and are normally designed to
operate in reverse bias region. The I-V characteristic curve of the zener diode is shown in Fig:
5.1 .The zener diode is similar to the rectifier diode when it operates in forward bias region.
When the zener diode is reverse biased and the reverse voltage VR is before a preset value,
only a small reverse current Ir flows until the pre-set value of voltage is reached. The pre-set
value of voltage is called breakdown or zener voltage Vz. At the Vz, the reverse current Iz
increases rapidly but the voltage remains nearly constant.
The zener voltage is determined by the design of the zener diode and the materials used. In
practice, the zener current'^ designed to flow must be in the range from Izt to Izm. The value
of Izm depends on the maximum power dissipation of the zener diode because Pmax=VzIzm.
Figure: 5.1
Zener Breakdown: Two types of reverse breakdown in a zener diode are avalanche and
zener. The avalanche breakdown occurs in both rectifier and zener diodes at a sufficiently
high reverse
voltage due to the multiplication of the conduction electrons. The zener breakdown occurs in
a zener diode at low reverse voltages. As zener diode is heavily doped, the depletion region is
very thin .As a result near the zener breakdown voltage the field within the depletion region is
intense enough to pull electrons from their valence bands and create current. Thus current
conduction occurs in reverse bias.
Lab Activities:
Make the connections according to the Figure 5.2 (Reverse biased zener) and Figure
5.3 (Forward biased zener)
Figure 5.2: Zener (Reverse Biased) Figure 5.3: Zener (Forward biased)
Vary the resistance of potentiometer to get variable input at the terminals of zener diode.
For different values of input voltage measure the corresponding values of voltage
across zener and current through the zener.
Plot the voltage verses current graph of the zener diode.
Attach circuit diagrams and graphs with lab report.
Lab Exercises:
Implement the same circuits on Multisim and attach simulation results with lab report.
Provide procedure of lab experiments in lab report.
Review Questions:
1. What is voltage regulator?
A voltage regulator is a system designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage.
A voltage regulator may use a simple feed-forward design or may include negative feedback.
2. What is difference between a rectifier diode and zener diode?
Zener diodes work a little differently, they conduct in reverse and can then recover
unlike rectifier diodes. The voltage specification of a zener diode is its breakdown voltage, this
is the voltage that the zener will pass
3. What is avalanche and zener break downs?
The main difference between Zener breakdown and avalanche breakdown is their mechanism
of occurrence. Zener breakdown occurs because of the high electric field whereas,
the avalanche breakdown occurs because of the collision of free electrons with atoms. Both
these breakdowns can occur simultaneously.
4. What is the behavior of zener diode in forward bias?
The Zener diode behaves just like a normal general-purpose diode consisting of a silicon PN
junction and when biased in the forward direction, that is Anode positive with respect to its
Cathode, it behaves just like a normal signal diode passing the rated current.
