SOLIDS AND SEMICONDUCTOR

DEVICES
SOLIDS AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - II
1. PN Junction Diode
2. Forward Bias of Junction Diode
3. Reverse Bias of Junction Diode
4. Diode Characteristics
5. Static and Dynamic Resistance of a Diode
6. Diode as a Half Wave Recti er
7. Diode as a Full Wave Recti er
PN Junction Diode:
When a P-type semiconductor is joined to a N-type semiconductor such that
the crystal structure remains continuous at the boundary, the resulting
arrangement is called a PN junction diode or a semiconductor diode or a
crystal diode.
P N
- - - - - + + + + +
- - - - - + + + + +
- - - - - + + + + +
When a PN junction is formed, the P Mobile Hole (Majority Carrier)
region has mobile holes (+) and -Immobile Negative Impurity Ion
immobile negatively charged ions. Mobile Electron (Majority Carrier)
N region has mobile electrons (-) and + Immobile Positive Impurity Ion
immobile positively charged ions.
The whole arrangement is electrically neutral.
For simplicity, the minority charge carriers are not shown in the gure.
PN Junction Diode immediately after it is formed :
P V N
- - - - Fr - + + + + +
- - - - - +E + + + +
- - - - - + Fr + + + +
Depletion region
After the PN junction diode is formed –
i) Holes from P region di use into N region due to di erence in concentration.
ii) Free electrons from N region di use into P region due to the same reason.
iii) Holes and free electrons combine near the junction.
iv) Each recombination eliminates an electron and a hole.
v) The uncompensated negative immobile ions in the P region do not allow any
more free electrons to di use from N region.
vi) The uncompensated positive immobile ions in the N region do not allow any
vii) The positive donor ions in the N region and the negative acceptor ions in the P
region are left uncompensated.
viii) The region containing the uncompensated acceptor and donor ions is called
‘depletion region’ because this region is devoid of mobile charges.
Since the region is having only immobile charges, therefore, this region is
also called ‘space charge region’.
ix) The N region is having higher potential than P region.
x) So, an electric eld is set up as shown in the gure.
xi) The di erence in potential between P and N regions across the junction
makes it di cult for the holes and electrons to move across the junction. This
acts as a barrier and hence called ‘potential barrier’ or ‘height of the barrier’.
xii) The physical distance between one side and the other side of the barrier is
called ‘width of the barrier’.
xiii) Potential barrier for Si is nearly 0.7 V and for Ge is 0.3 V.
xiv) The potential barrier opposes the motion of the majority carriers.
xv) However, a few majority carriers with high kinetic energy manage to overcome
the barrier and cross the junction.
Forward Bias: V
Ih P N Ie
- - - - - + + + + +
- - - - - + EE + + + +
- - - - - + + + + +
Depletion region
E
When the positive terminal of the ba ery is connected to P-region and negative
terminal is connected to N-region, then the PN junction diode is said to be forward
-biased.
i) Holes in P-region are repelled by +ve terminal of the ba ery and the free
electrons are repelled by –ve terminal of the ba ery.
ii) So, some holes and free electrons enter into the depletion region.
iii) The potential barrier and the width of the depletion region decrease.
iv) Therefore, a large number of majority carriers di use across the junction.
v) Hole current and electronic current are in the same direction and add up.
v) Once they cross the junction, the holes in N-region and the electrons in P-
region become minority carriers of charge and constitute minority current.
vi) For each electron – hole recombination, an electron from the negative
terminal of the ba ery enters the N-region and then drifts towards the
junction.
In the P-region, near the positive terminal of the ba ery, an electron breaks
covalent bond in the crystal and thus a hole is created. The hole drifts
towards the junction and the electron enters the positive terminal of the
ba ery.
vii) Thus, the current in the external circuit is due to movement of electrons,
current in P-region is due to movement of holes and current in N-region is
due to movement of electrons.
viii) If the applied is increased, the potential barrier further decreases. As a result,
a large number of majority carriers di use through the junction and a larger
current ows.
Reverse Bias:
Ih P V N Ie
- - - - - + + + + +
- - - - - + EE + + + +
- - - - - + + + + +
Depletion region
E
When the negative terminal of the ba ery is connected to P-region and positive
terminal is connected to N-region, then the PN junction diode is said to be reverse
-biased.
i) Holes in P-region are a racted by -ve terminal of the ba ery and the free
electrons are a racted by +ve terminal of the ba ery.
ii) Thus, the majority carriers are pulled away from the junction.
iii) The potential barrier and the width of the depletion region increase.
iv) Therefore, it becomes more di cult for majority carriers di use across the
junction.
v) But the potential barrier helps the movement of the minority carriers. As soon
as the minority carriers are generated, they are swept away by the potential
barrier.
vi) At a given temperature, the rate of generation of minority carriers is constant.
vii) So, the resulting current is constant irrespective of the applied voltage. For
this reason, this current is called ‘reverse saturation current’.
viii) Since the number of minority carriers is small, therefore, this current is small
and is in the order of 10-9 A in silicon diode and 10-6 A in germanium diode.
ix) The reverse – biased PN junction diode has an e ective capacitance called
‘transition or depletion capacitance’. P and N regions act as the plates of the
capacitor and the depletion region acts as a dielectric medium.
Diode Characteristics: If (mA)
Forward Bias:
D

noig
ra eR
e n
VB

iL
+V + mA Vr (Volt) 0 Vk Vf (Volt)
Vk – Knee Voltage
VB – Breakdown Voltage
Reverse Bias: D Ir (μA)
Resistance of a Diode:
+V + μA i) Static or DC Resistance Rd.c = V / I
ii) Dynamic or AC Resistance
Ra.c = ΔV / ΔI
PN Junction Diode as a +
Half Wave Recti er: ●
D ●
The process of RL
converting
alternating
current into ●

direct current is ●

called ●
‘recti cation’. D ●
The device used RL No output
for recti cation
is called ●
‘recti er’. ●
The PN junction +
diode o ers low ●

resistance in D ●
forward bias RL
and high
resistance in ●
reverse bias. ●
PN Junction Diode as a Full +
Wave Recti er: ●
D1
When the diode R
A● L B●
recti es whole
of the AC wave, D2
it is called ‘full ●
wave recti er’.
During the ●
D1
positive half
cycle of the A● RL B●
input ac signal,
the diode D1 D2
conducts and ●
+
current is
through BA. ●
D1
During the A● RL B●
negative half
cycle, the diode D2
D2 conducts
and current is ●
End of S & SC - II