ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof.

Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Lab Experiment #1
Static and dynamic characteristics of
PN junction diode

Group Members
Student Name Pre-Lab
Lab Demo and Total
Student Mark
First performance Lab
Surname ID # (out of
Name (out of 70) Mark
30)
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3

TA Signature:

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Experiment 1
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Objective of the Experiment

Through this experiment, we want to verify the validity of the equation of the PN junction
diode:

⎛ nVV ⎞
I = I 0 e − 1⎟
⎜ T

⎜ ⎟
⎝ ⎠
This will be done by measuring the intensity through the diode and the voltage across it
and plotting I vs V as well as log I vs V. Those graphics will then allow us to find the
characteristics of the diode, in large signal conditions as well as in small signal
conditions. We want to verify that the diode acts as a dynamic resistance in the small
signal conditions, with the value

nVT
rac =
I DC
where IDC is the fixed DC bias current.

Two setups will be used throughout the lab as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
R
I

E V

Figure 1 Setup for static analysis of the diode

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

R RX
I
+ + F

E V2 V1
1kHz
+
- - -
vs

Figure 2 Setup for Small-Signal Analysis

Some explanations about logarithmic scales

In a graph, the scales used along the x-axis and the y-axis are most often linear, which
means that one unit of length on the paper will always represent the same amount of the
unit measured (e.g. 1cm for 12V, 1cm for 0.5A…). However, it is sometimes more
convenient to use logarithmic scales. In such a scale, a fixed amount of length on the
paper does not represent a given quantity, but rather a constant increase (e.g. 1cm when
the amount is multiplied by 10). In this lab, we will draw a graph having one linear and
one logarithmic scale: it is called a log-linear graph.

Linear Scale

0 10 20 30 40

Log Scale
2 3 4
1 10 100 1000
Figure 3 Comparing the Logarithmic versus the Linear Scales

Note that it is impossible to have the value 0 on a logarithmic scale. In the lower part of
-1 -2 -3
Figure 3, going to the left of the scale will lead to 10 , 10 , 10 … but 0 will never be
reached. Also note that the distance between 1 and 3 (and also 10 and 30, 100 and 300…) is
about half the distance between 1 and 10 (a decade), and that the distance between 1 and 5
(and between 10 and 50, 100 and 500…) is approximately 0.7 times the length of a decade.
This will be useful to draw a logarithmic scale on linear graph paper.

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Lab preparation
1. Explain, in the space provided below or in a separate sheet, why plotting I vs V
using a logarithmic scale for I and a linear scale for V should yield a straight
line.

2. What is the slope of this line?

Hint: Derive an expression for log (I/I0) from the theoretical equation given
above and show that according to this expression, when I is multiplied by
10, the increase in V is constant. The slope of the line, in Volts per decade,
is this constant.

3. The simplest large-signal model for the diode is composed of an ideal diode, a
forward resistance Rf and a cut-in voltage Von (“battery plus resistance” model).
Redraw figure 1 using this model.

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

4. The small signal conditions for the diode are small variations of I (the current
through the diode) and V (the voltage across the diode) around a constant, fixed
value, givn by the DC. Under those conditions, it has been shown theoretically
that vac= rac.iac, where vac is the AC (the small-variations) voltage across the diode
and iac the AC (the small-variations) current going through it. Note that the value
of rac depends on the value chosen for the DC current IDC.
Express the value of rac with respect to what will be measured in the experiment
that is in terms of v1, v2 and Rx shown in Figure 2.

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Lab Components
ƒ 1 D = Diode 1N4004
ƒ 1 E = DC power supply
ƒ 1 vs = Signal generator
ƒ 1 I = DC ammeter
ƒ 1 D = DC voltmeter
ƒ 1 v1,v2 = AC true RMS voltmeter
ƒ 1 C = 1μF capacitor
ƒ 1 R = 1kΩ standard resistor
ƒ 1 R = 33Ω 500mW resistor
ƒ 2 Rx=100Ω standard resistors, in parallel to form a 50Ω resistor.

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Basic Experiment.

1. Measure the forward static characteristic of a silicon pn junction diode (current

IDC through the diode vs voltage VDC across the diode) using the circuit of
Figure 1.

ƒ E is a variable DC source regulated in voltage, limited in current.

ƒ I is a DC ammeter, V is a DC voltmeter.
ƒ Multimeters available in the lab may be used for I and V.
ƒ D is a 1N4004 diode, where the thin band represents the cathode.
ƒ R is a resistance used to limit the current in the circuit.
ƒ Use a 1kΩ resistance for currents going from 0.1 to 10mA, and a 33Ω 500mW
resistance (this is not a common 33Ω resistance) for currents from 10 to 100mA. Be
extremely aware of the power dissipated by the resistance. An excessive voltage
applied to a resistance will lead to heating, which will burn the resistance and may melt
the breadboard.

2. Set the voltage E so that I reaches the following values, in mA: 0.1. 0.3, 0.5, 1,
3, 5, 10, 30, 50, 100, plus other values between 10mA and 100mA, as needed to
obtain a good linear graph. For each value of I, measure the value of the voltage
across the diode, V, and plot it simultaneously on a linear graph (I vs V) and on
a log-linear graph (log I vs V). Use the graph papers provided next.

I 0.1 0.3 0.5 1 3 5 7 9 10

I 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Figure 4 Plotting (I vs V)

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 ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

Log (I)

Figure 5 Plotting (log(I) vs V)

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ELG2136 Winter 2008 Prof. Emad Gad
Static and Dynamic Characteristic of the PN Junction Diode

3. From the log-linear graph obtained above, evaluate the parameter “n”: Use two
points of the graph and carry out an algebraic calculation to find the slope of
the graph. Then use the results found in the first part of the preparation to find n.

n =
4. Using the circuit of Figure 2, measure v1, v2 and the voltage across R for three
values of forward DC current: 0.1mA, 1mA and 10mA. Those measures are AC
measures, that have to be done with a RMS voltmeter. For RX, take a value
close to the expected rAC, e.g. 50Ω. Operate with an AC voltage as small as
possible, in order to stay in the small signal conditions, and to be sure not to
modify the DC loop. Using the lab preparation, determine the value of rAC
yielded by those measurements. Compare it with the theoretical value of rAC.

rAC (From Measurements) =

5. At some time during the lab contact one of the TAs and observe on the Tektronix
curve tracer the characteristic of a Zener diode. Note the value of the breakdown
voltage and the reverse current of the diode at two values of reverse voltage, that is
2 and 30 volts.

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