PN Diode

PN Junction Diode
When an n-type semiconductor is joined with the p-type semiconductor, a p-n junction is formed. The
region where the p-type and n-type semiconductors are joined is called p-n junction. It is also defined
as the boundary between p-type and n-type semiconductor. This p-n junction forms a most popular
semiconductor device known as diode.
P-n junction is also a fundamental building block of many other semiconductor electronic devices such
as transistors, solar cells, light emitting diodes, and integrated circuits.
The p-n Junction in which no external voltage is applied is called zero bias p-n junction. Zero bias p-n
Junction is also called as unbiased p-n junction.
The concentration of electrons at n-type semiconductor is high while the concentration of electrons at
p-type semiconductor is low. Due to this high concentration of electrons at n-side, they try to move
towards the low concentration region. Thus, the free electrons move from n-region (high concentration
region) to p-region (low concentration region).
The free electrons crossing the junction provide the extra electrons to the p-side atoms by filling the
holes in the p-side atoms. The atom which gains extra electron has a greater number of electrons than
protons. We know that, when the atom gains an extra electron from the outside atom it will become a
negative ion. Negative ions are also called as acceptors because they accept extra electrons from outside
atoms. Thus, each free electron that crosses the junction to fill the holes in the p-side creates negative
ions on the p-side.
Similarly, each free electron that left the n-side atom to fill the holes in the p-side atom creates a hole
at n-side atom.
Thus, each free electron that left the n-side parent atom and crosses the junction to fill the holes in the
p-side atom creates positive ion at n-side.
Forward Biased PN junction Diode

In forward biased p-n junction diode, the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the p-type
semiconductor material and the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the n-type
semiconductor material.
Under no voltage or unbiased condition, the p-n junction diode does not allow the electric current. If
the external forward voltage applied on the p-n junction diode is increased from zero to few volts,
the majority charge carriers in N and P regions are attracted towards the PN junction and the width of
the depletion layer decreases with diffusion of the majority charge carriers. Hence, very small electric
current flows in the p-n junction diode.
Reverse Biased
When the p-type is connected to the negative terminal of the battery and the n-type is connected to the
positive side then the p-n junction is said to be reverse biased. When the p-type is connected to the
negative terminal of the battery and the n-type is connected to the positive side then the p-n junction is
said to be reverse biased.
Positive terminal attracts the electrons away from the junction in N side and negative terminal attracts
the holes away from the junction in P side. As a result of it, the width of the potential barrier increases.
In reverse bias condition, no current flows through the PN junction diode with increase in the amount
of applied external voltage. However, leakage current due to minority charge carriers flows in the PN
junction diode that can be measured in micro amperes.
Draw and explain V-I characteristics of a PN Junction diode.
 When the diode is in forward bias, as the voltage applied to the diode is overcoming the
potential barrier, the current increases slowly and the curve obtained is non-linear. Once the
potential barrier is crossed by the diode, the diode behaves normally and the curve rises sharply
as further external voltage increases. The forward voltage at which the diode starts conducting
is called the cut-in voltage of the diode. At cut-in voltage, the diode conducts heavily.
 When the PN junction diode is under reverse bias, this results in an increase in the potential
barrier and resistance also increases. Minority carriers are present in the junction which creates
reverse saturation current flows in the beginning.
 If the applied voltage increases rapidly, there is increased kinetic energy due to minority charge
carriers which affect the majority charges. In this stage the diode breaks down. or the voltage
is called breakdown voltage. This may also destroy the diode.
Zener Diode
A heavily doped p-n junction diode that works in reverse bias conditions is called a Zener Diode.
They are special semiconductor devices that allow the current to flow in both forward and backward
directions.
For the Zener diode, the voltage drop across the diode is always constant irrespective of the applied
voltage. Thus, Zener diodes are used as a voltage regulator.
An electrical breakdown occurring in the reverse-biased condition of the PN junction diode is called
the Zener effect. In this condition when the electric field across junction increases to a high value it
enables the tunnelling of electrons from the valence band to the conduction band of a semiconductor,
which suddenly increases the reverse current.
In forward-biased conditions, the Zener Diode works like any normal diode but in the reverse-bias
condition, a small leak current flows through the diode. As we keep increasing the reverse voltage it
reaches a point where the reverse voltage equals the breakdown voltage. The breakdown voltage is
represented as Vz and in this condition the current start flowing in the diode. After the
breakdown voltage the current increase drastically unit it reaches a stable value.
Draw circuit diagram and describe the working of Zener diode as voltage regulator.
A Zener diode voltage regulator is a circuit that uses a Zener diode to maintain a constant DC
output voltage.
Zener Diodes are widely used as Shunt Voltage Regulators to regulate voltage across small loads. Zener
Diodes have a sharp reverse breakdown voltage and breakdown voltage will be constant for a wide
range of currents. Thus, we will connect the Zener diode parallel to the load such that the applied
voltage will reverse bias it. Thus, if the reverse bias voltage across the Zener diode exceeds the knee
voltage, the voltage across the load will be constant.

PN Diode

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PN Junction Diode

Forward Biased PN junction Diode

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