Semiconductors: Diodes

EEE 1: Lecture 15

Semiconductors
Conductors any material that will support a
generous flow of charge when a voltage source
of limited magnitude is applied across its
terminals
Insulators material that offers a very low
level of conductivity under pressure from an
applied voltage source
Semiconductors material whose conductivity
level is in between that of an insulator and a
conductor

Resistivity
=

measured in units of -cm

Copper (conductor) = 10-6

Mica (insulator) = 1012
Germanium (semiconductor) = 50
Silicon (semiconductor) = 50x103

Semiconductor materials
Intrinsic materials impurities reduced to a
very low level
Ge and Si show a reduction in resistance
with increase in temperature (negative
temperature coefficient)
Opposite for conductors

Energy gap
Energy required to be absorbed by an
electron in order to break away from the
atomic structure to enter the conduction
band
The energy is measured in electron volts
(eV)
W = QV = 1.6E-19 C * 1V
1eV = 1.6E-19 J

Energy gap
Silicon = 1.1eV
Germanium = 0.67eV
Gallium Arsenide = 1.41eV

Extrinsic Materials
Semiconductor materials subjected to
doping processes to alter their electrical
characteristics
N-type, P-type
Still electrically neutral

N-type extrinsic materials

Excess of electrons
Example includes the doping with a
antimony impurity (pentavalent)
Energy gap is significantly less than the
intrinsic versions
Majority carrier electron
Minority carrier holes

P-type extrinsic material

Common doping materials are boron,
gallium, and indium (3 valence electrons)
Excess of holes
Majority carrier holes
Minority carrier electrons

Ideal Diode
Symbol
P Anode
N Cathode

Ideal Diode
Depletion region/layer region where the
holes and electrons immediately combine

Diode Voltage
Application of voltage across diodes
VD = 0 V no bias
VD > 0 V forward bias
VD < 0 V reverse bias

No Bias
Holes in n-type will be in the depletion
region and will pass into p-type material
Electrons in the n-type must overcome the
attractive forces of the positive ions in the ntype material and the shield of negative ions
in the p-type
A large number of electrons means there is
a small number of electrons with sufficient
kinetic energy to cross into p-type material

No Bias
Applying the same assumptions from the ptype side, will result in a net electron/hole
movement of zero
A charge barrier is formed at the depletion
region, restricting movement of majority
carriers but help movement of minority carriers
The small number of minority carriers will
trigger a cancellation of vectors and zero
current flow

Reverse Bias
The application of a positive voltage at the n-type side
will cause the majority carriers to be drawn to the
terminal, leaving the minority carriers to build up an
even larger depletion region, reducing majority carrier
flow through it to zero
Same condition for the p-type side

There will be the same minority carrier flow through the

depletion region, causing a small-scale current flow from
n-type to p-type material
Saturation current (Is)

VD

Forward Bias
Applying a negative voltage at the n-type
terminal will cause an attraction of the
minority carriers and will repel the majority
carriers causing pressure to recombine with
the majority carriers of the p-type material
Minority carrier flow remains unchanged, but
majority carrier flow is significantly larger as
the charge barrier has
been reduced

VD

Diode Equation
Diode current is defined by the following
equation
=

Where
- IS = reverse saturation current
- K = 11600/ (=1 for Ge, =2 for Si)
- TK = temperature in Kelvin

Diode Characteristics

Zener Region
If the reverse biasing voltage is large enough,
the diode will reach a point of operation
wherein the diode current will increase rapidly
in the opposite direction
Zener potential (VZ)

The velocity of minority carrier movement

increases which triggers a large enough value
of kinetic energy to release additional carriers
Avalanche breakdown region Avalanche current

Diode Characteristics

Diode Equivalent Circuits

Piecewise-Linear Equivalent
Simplified Equivalent
Ideal Equivalent

Diodes
Piecewise-Equivalent Model
Biasing

Diode
Voltage (VD)

Diode
Current (ID)

Reverse
Forward

< VT
>= VT

0 mA
Infinite
(VD VT)/rav A rav

VT - Threshold Voltage
VT = 0.7 V for Si
VT = 0.2 for Ge

Effective
Resistance

Diodes
Simplified Diode Model
Biasing

Diode
Voltage (VD)

Diode
Current (ID)

Effective
Resistance

Reverse
Forward

< VT
>= VT

0 mA
>= 0 A

Infinite
0

VT - Threshold Voltage
VT = 0.7 V for Si
VT = 0.2 for Ge

Diodes
Ideal Diode Model
Biasing

Diode
Voltage (VD)

Diode
Current (ID)

Effective
Resistance

Reverse
Forward

<0V
>0V

0 mA
>= 0A

Infinite
0

As a switch,
Forward Bias == ON
Reverse Bias == OFF

Example
For the series diode configuration,
determine VD, VR, and ID. Is the diode
+ VD forward or reverse biased?
ID

600m
V1

+
VR
-

R1
1.2k

Example
Determine Vo, ID1, ID2, and IA. Both D1 and
D2 are Silicon diodes
IA

100
10
V1

R1

ID1

D1

ID2

D2 +

VD
-