Name: Angel Ling Ho Ee

Matric No: 211021080

Programme: Computer Engineering
1. Introduction:

Diode

Diode is a component that allow current in only one direction. Diode is made
from the semiconductor material such as silicon and germanium. Pure
semiconductor has almost no free electron hence some impurity atoms is added to
increase the conductivity. This proses is what called as doping. Doping will form P-
type and N-type materials and these two type materials combined to form the diode.
The diode has two leads which is anode and cathode, and the leads is connected to a
thin plate. Between these thin plates there are the layer of p-type doped material at
the anode side and n-type doped material at the cathode side. The majority carriers
in p-type material are holes and fewer electrons. Inversely, the majority carriers in n-
type material are electrons and fewer holes. PN junction is formed when these two
materials are joined together. Depletion region will occur at this junction hence some
of the excess electrons from the n-type side will move over to occupy the holes in
the p-type side. Electrons is negatively charge and holes is positively charge hence
inside the depletion region there are electric field with potential difference to
prevents more free electrons from moving across the depletion region. The potential
difference is called barrier potential.

Biasing of the diode

Diode has two bias condition which is forward bias and reverse bias. The diode
will become forward bias when the anode of the diode is connected to the positively
charge of voltage source and cathode is connected to negatively charge. In the
forward bias, the current can flow through the diode and produce the forward
voltage to reduce the range of depletion region. Hence, the electrons and holes have
enough energy to cross the p-n junction to complete the circuit. In contrast, the
diode will become reverse bias when the anode of the diode is connected to the
negatively charge and cathode is connected to positively charge of voltage source. In
the reverse bias, the current cannot flow through the diode because the depletion
region is wider due to the reverse voltage is produced.
I-V characteristic of diode

Since the diode only allow the current flows in one direction hence from the
graph its shows that the diode is non-linear element. For the forward bias, the
current increase as the forward voltage increases. However, the current flow through
before the forward voltage increase to threshold voltage is very small and can be
negligible. The threshold voltage for Silicon is 0.7V and for Germanium is 0.3V. The
current after the threshold voltage will begins increases gradually and the increment
of voltage will become slightly. For the reverse bias, the current increase to the left
of x-axis and potential difference is increase downward along the y-axis. The reverse
current is small, and the unit is milliampere. The reverse current will increase rapidly
when reach the breakdown voltage and it should be avoided due to prevent
overheat and damage on the diode.

In this lab, only the direct current analysis will be used to stimulate electronic
circuit with LTspice software. Learn to familiarize with diode and learn its biasing and
study the I-V characteristics of the diode.
2. Pre-calculation:
3. Results:
i. LTspice schematic diagram of Figure 1.

Figure 1
ii. VD and ID versus voltage sweep.

Figure 1.1.1: graph of VD and ID versus voltage sweep

 iii. Comparison of stimulation and calculation of VD and ID versus
voltage sweep.

V1(V) Calculation Simulation

VD (V) ID (mA) VD (V) ID (mA)

0 0 0 0 0

2 0.70 0.65 0.57 0.72

4 0.70 1.65 0.61 1.70

6 0.70 2.65 0.63 2.68

8 0.70 3.65 0.65 3.68

10 0.70 4.65 0.66 4.67

Table 1.1: Stimulation and calculation of VD and ID versus voltage sweep.

iv. ID versus VD plot.

Figure 1.1.2: graph of ID versus VD

 v. Result of threshold voltage and static resistance.

Threshold voltage: 0.60V

∆V D
Static resistance: R D= ∆ I ,
D

641.34595−654.84116
R D=
3.3894338−4.4908513

RD=12.25Ω

vi. Repeat ( i ) to (v) for changing R1 value to 5kΩ and 10kΩ.

R1=5kΩ,

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.2.1: graph of VD and ID versus voltage sweep

V1(V) Calculation Simulation

VD (V) ID (mA) VD (V) ID (mA)

0 0 0 0 0

2 0.70 0.26 0.53 0.29

4 0.70 0.66 0.57 0.69

6 0.70 1.06 0.59 1.08

8 0.70 1.46 0.60 1.48

10 0.70 1.86 0.61 1.88

Table 1.2: Stimulation and calculation of VD and ID versus voltage sweep.

Figure 1.2.2: graph of ID versus VD

Threshold voltage: 0.56V

∆V D
Static resistance: R D= ∆ I ,
D

611.63175−597.7398
R D=
1.7917659−1.332749

RD=30.26Ω
R1=10kΩ,

Figure 1.3

V1(V) Calculation Simulation

VD (V) ID (mA) VD (V) ID (mA)

0 0 0 0 0

2 0.70 0.13 0.50 0.15

4 0.70 0.33 0.54 0.35

6 0.70 0.53 0.56 0.54

8 0.70 0.73 0.57 0.74

10 0.70 0.93 0.58 0.94

Figure 1.3.1: graph of VD and ID versus voltage sweep

Table 1.3: Stimulation and calculation of VD and ID versus voltage sweep

 Figure 1.3.2: graph of ID versus VD

Threshold voltage: 0.52V

∆V D
Static resistance: R D= ∆ I ,
D

575.5237−557.33186
R D=
0.8175357−0.54849183

RD=67.62Ω
 vii. LTspice schematic diagram of Figure 2

Figure 2

V2(V) Calculation Simulation

VD2 (V) ID2 (A) VD2 (V) ID2 (nA)

0 0 0 0 0

2 2.00 0 2.00 -2.52

4 4.00 0 4.00 -2.52

6 6.00 0 6.00 -2.53

8 8.00 0 8.00 -2.53

10 10.00 0 10.00 -2.53

Figure 2.1: graph of VD and ID2 versus voltage sweep

Table 2.1: Stimulation and calculation of VD and ID2 versus voltage sweep
 Figure 2.2: graph of ID versus VD2

viii. LTspice schematic diagram of Figure 1.

Figure 3
 Figure 3.1: graph of VD and ID3 versus voltage sweep

V3(V) Calculation Simulation

VD (V) ID3 (mA) ID4 (mA) VD (V) ID3 (mA) ID4 (mA)

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 0.70 0.33 0.33 0.54 0.37 0.37

4 0.70 0.83 0.83 0.58 0.86 0.86

6 0.70 1.33 1.33 0.60 1.35 1.35

8 0.70 1.83 1.83 0.61 1.85 1.85

10 0.70 2.33 2.33 0.62 2.34 2.34

Figure 3.2: graph of VD and ID4 versus voltage sweep

Table 3.1: Stimulation and calculation of VD and ID3 and ID4 versus voltage sweep
 Figure 3.3: graph of ID versus VD3

Figure 3.4: graph of ID versus VD4

For D3,

Threshold voltage: 0.55V

 ∆VD
Static resistance: R D 4 = ∆ I ,
D

602.85571−595.43428
RD4=
1.4910121−1.2722646

RD4=33.93Ω

For D4,

Threshold voltage: 0.55V

∆VD
Static resistance: R D 4 = ∆ I ,
D

602.85571−595.43428
RD4=
1.4910121−1.2722646

RD4=33.93Ω

4. Discussion:

For the schematic diagram of Figure 1.1, Figure 1.2 and Figure 1.3, the
diode in the circuit is the forward bias since the anode is connected to positive
and cathode is connected to negative of the dc supply. Since it is the forward
bias, hence the circuit is the close circuit. However, from the Table1.1, Table
1.2, and Table 1.3, it shows that the voltage diode and current diode is zero
because the voltage supplied also 0V which is lower than the barrier potential
in the silicon diode, 0.7V. Hence there is no current flow and potential
difference. Current diode is calculated by using Kirchhoff’s voltage law where
the voltage in is same as the voltage out.

For the schematic diagram of Figure 2, the diode is connected as the

reverse bias since the anode is connected to negative and cathode is
connected to negative of the dc supply. The depletion region of the pn junction
become wider because the reverse voltage increases. As the reverse bias
condition, the diode is act as an insulator component in the circuit. Hence the
circuit will become open circuit that means the current flow through is minimal
or can be negligible. Hence even the simulation result has measured the
current diode, but the unit is nano Ampere, it can be converted approximately
equal to 0 Ampere. The voltage is the potential difference between two points
of a component in the circuit. It does not have the present of current flow and
the diode has the potential difference. Since the open circuit, hence the
voltage diode is equal to the voltage source.

For the schematic diagram of Figure 3, the diode is arranged in parallel

in the circuit. Both diodes, D3 and D4 is forward bias. From the Table 3, it
shows the current flow D3 and D4 is the same. This is because D3 and D4 is the
same type of diode which is silicon diode. The same voltage drops across each
diode and hence draw the same current. Kirchhoff’s law is used to find the
current and voltage.

5. Conclusion:

The diode is the component only allow current flow in one direction.
When the diode is reverse bias, there is no current will flow through the circuit
because the depletion region between the pn-junction become wider. The
current only flow when the diode is in the forward bias because the depletion
region become narrow.