Photodiode

Photodiode
It is a reverse biased Si or Ge pn
junction diode in which the reverse
current increases when the junction
is exposed to light

Reverse Bias Operation

When no incident light, the reverse
current I is almost negligible & is
called Dark Current

Photodiode Operation

Operating Principle of PN
Photodiode

Reverse Current Vs
Irradiance

Reverse voltage Vs Reverse

Current
curve

Application of Photodiode
Alarm Circuit using Photodiode

Application of Photodiode
Counter Circuit using photodiode

Types of Photodiode
1. PN Photodiode
2. PIN Photodiode
3. Avalanche Photodiode

PIN Photodiode
It is a 3 region reverse biased
junction diode
Used for the detection of light at the
receiving end in optical
communication.

Avalanche Photodiode (APD)

It is operated under a large reverse bias
condition where the electron-hole pairs
generated by an optical illumination
incident on the device can go through
the avalanche multiplication process
It is highly sensitivity, high speed
semiconductor light sensor
Useful in fibre optic communication
systems

Avalanche Photodiode (APD)

Medical Application of
Photodiodes

Photo diodes are used in a broad range

of biomedical instruments:
1.Pulse oximeters
2.Finger-tip heart sensors
3.Single drop blood glucose meters
4.Fiber-optic based
spectrophotometers
5.Spectrophotometric detection of
tumors using endoscopes
6.CT Scanners X ray detection
7.Blood Particle Analyzers

ILLUSTRATION of PULSE
OXIMETER

Reference
Electronic Devices by Floyd
Electronic Devices & Circuits by S
Salivahanan