SEMICONDUCTOR DIODE

(pn Junction)
ECE104 – Basic Electronics
Objectives:
• At the end of this lecture presentation, the
students should be able to:
1. discuss the structure of a semiconductor diode
2. explain the diode’s depletion region and the effect
of applying an electric field to the diode
3. sketch the electronic symbol of a pn junction
diode
Semiconductor Diode
• Formed by bringing one N – Type and one P – Type
layers of semiconductor materials together to form
a single device
• The simplest form of a semiconductor device
• With terminals: ANODE(+) AND CATHODE( - )
• Discovered by American physicist Russell Ohl of Bell
Laboratories in 1940
Semiconductor Diode (General Purpose)

www.dundasweb.com

Ronel V. Vidal, PECE

pn Junction Diode

Basic Construction Circuit symbol

Anode ID
p-type n-type Cathode
Anode Cathode
net acceptor net donor + VD –
concentration Na concentration Nd
cross-sectional area AD
pn Junction Diode

Physical Structure
Anode
+ ID metal
SiO2 SiO2
p-type Si
VD
n-type Si

– metal
Cathode
Semiconductor Diode
• If a piece of intrinsic silicon is doped so that part is
n-type and the other part is p-type, a pn junction
forms at the boundary between the two regions and
a diode is created

Ronel V. Vidal, PECE

 Semiconductor Diode
• For every electron that diffuses across the junction and combines with a
hole, a positive charge is left in the n region and a negative charge is created
in the p region, forming a barrier potential. This action continues until the
voltage of the barrier repels further diffusion. The blue arrows between the
positive and negative charges in the depletion region represent the electric
field.

Ronel V. Vidal, PECE

Depletion Region
• When the junction is first formed, mobile carriers diffuse
across the junction (due to the concentration gradients)
• Holes diffuse from the p side to the n side, leaving
behind negatively charged immobile acceptor ions
• Electrons diffuse from the n side to the p side, leaving
behind positively charged immobile donor ions
acceptor ions donor ions
– +
– +
p – + n
– +
– +
Depletion Region
• a region depleted of mobile carriers is formed at
the junction
• the space charge due to immobile ions in the
depletion region establishes an electric field that
opposes carrier diffusion
Effect of Applied Voltage –
–
+
+
VD p – + n
– +
– +

• The quasi-neutral p and n regions have low resistivity,

whereas the depletion region has high resistivity. Thus, when
an external voltage VD is applied across the diode, almost all
of this voltage is dropped across the depletion region.
• If VD > 0 (forward bias), the potential barrier to carrier
diffusion is reduced by the applied voltage.
• If VD < 0 (reverse bias), the potential barrier to carrier
diffusion is increased by the applied voltage.
End