Chapter 3 Special Purpose Diodes

• Diode A diode has two leads connected to the

external circuit
• Since a diode behaves differently depending
upon forward or reverse bias, it is critical to be
able to distinguish the leads.
• The anode connects
to the p-type
material, the cathode
to the n-type
material of the diode.
1
 Ideal Diode
• In an ideal diode, current flow freely
through the device when forward biased,
having no resistance.
• In an ideal diode, there would be no
voltage drop across it when forward biased.
All of the source voltage would be dropped
across circuit resistors.
• In an ideal diode, when reverse biased, it
would have infinite resistance, causing zero
current flow.
2
 Practical Diodes
• A practical diode does offer some resistance
to current flow when forward biased.
• Since there is some resistance, there will be
some power dissipated when current flows
through a forward biased diode. Therefore,
there is a practical limit to the amount of
current a diode can conduct without damage.
• A reverse biased diode has very high
resistance.
• Excessive reverse bias can cause the diode to
conduct.
 Special Diodes
• Zener Diode
• LEDs
• Photo Diode
• Varactor Diode
• Tunnel Diode
• Schottky Diode
• Schokley Diode
 3.1 The Zener Diode
• A Zener diode is a type of diode that permits
current not only in the forward direction like a
normal diode, but also in the reverse direction if
the voltage is larger than the breakdown voltage
known as "Zener knee voltage" or "Zener voltage".
The device was named after Clarence Zener, who
discovered this electrical property
• It is heavily doped in comparison with
normal diode to reduce the breakdown
voltage.
• Breakdown voltage for commonly available zener
diodes can vary widely from 1.2 volts to 200 volts.
Zener Diodes – Operating Range
A zener diode is much
like a normal diode,
the exception being is
that it is placed in the
circuit in reverse bias
and operates in reverse
breakdown. This
typical characteristic
curve illustrates the
operating range for a
zener. Note that its
forward characteristics Operating range
are just like a normal
diode.
Zener Breakdown Characteristics Diode zone

The zener diode’s

breakdown
characteristics are
determined by the
Zener zone
doping process. Low
voltage zeners (>5V),
operate in the zener
breakdown range. Those Avalanche
designed to operate <5 zone

V operate mostly in
5V.
avalanche breakdown This curve illustrates the
range. Zeners are minimum and maximum ranges
available with voltage of current operation that the
breakdowns of 1.8 V to zener can effectively maintain its
200 V. voltage.
 Zener Diodes – Equivalent Circuit

• Ideal Zener exhibits

a constant voltage,
regardless of
current draw.
• Ideal Zener exhibits
no resistance
characteristics.
 3.2 Zener Limiting
In addition to voltage regulation applications, zener diodes can be
used in ac applications to limit voltage swings to desired levels. Figure
3–18 shows three basic ways the limiting action of a zener diode can
be used. Part (a) shows a zener used to limit the positive peak
of a signal voltage to the selected zener voltage. During the negative
alternation, the zener acts as a forward-biased diode and limits the
negative voltage to -0.7 V. When the zener is turned around, as in

part (b), the negative During the positive

peak is limited by zener alternation, D2 is
action and the positive functioning as the
zener limiter and D1 is
voltage is limited to +0.7 functioning as a
V. Two back-to-back forward-biased diode.
zeners limit both peaks to During the negative
the zener voltage ±0.7 alternation, the roles
V,as shown in part (c). are reversed.
3.3 The Varactor Diode
 Optical Diodes
The light-emitting diode (LED) emits photons as
visible light. Its purpose is for indication and other
intelligible displays. Various impurities are added
during the doping process to vary the color output.
LEDs
Advantages of Light Emitting Diodes
(LEDs)
Longevity:
The light emitting element in a diode is a small
conductor chip rather than a filament which greatly
extends the diode’s life in comparison to an
incandescent bulb (10 000 hours life time compared
to ~1000 hours for incandescence light bulb)
Efficiency:
Diodes emit almost no heat and run at very low
amperes.
Greater Light Intensity:
Since each diode emits its own light
Cost:
Not too bad
Robustness:
Solid state component, not as fragile as incandescence light
bulb
 Photodiodes
Unlike LED’s, photodiodes receive light rather than produce light.
The photodiode varies it’s current in response to the amount of
light that strikes it. It is placed in the circuit in reverse bias. As with
most diodes, no current flows when in reverse bias, but when light
strikes the exposed junction through a tiny window, reverse current
increases proportional to light intensity (irradiance).

Note: Photodiodes all

exhibit a “reverse
leakage current” which
appears as an inverse
variable resistance.
Irradiance causes the
device to exhibit a
reduction in the
variable resistance
characteristic.
3.5 the Other Diodes
Schottky Diode
The Schottky diode’s (hot-carrier diodes) significant
characteristic is its fast switching speed. This is useful for high
frequencies and digital applications. It is not a typical diode in
that it does not have a p-n junction. Instead, it consists of a
lightly-doped n-material and heavily-doped (conduction-band
electrons) metal bounded together.
Response is very quick…high speed digital communications.

Lightly doped Heavily doped (conduction-

band electrons)
 Tunnel Diode
The tunnel diode exhibits negative resistance. It will actually conduct
well with low forward bias. With further increases in bias it reaches
the negative resistance range where current will actually go down.
This is achieved by heavily-doped p and n materials that create a
very thin depletion region which permits electrons to “tunnel” thru
the barrier region.
Tank circuits oscillate but “die out” due
to the internal resistance. A tunnel
diode will provide “negative resistance”
that overcomes the loses and maintains
the oscillations.

Germanium or Gallium
 Chapter 4
Bipolar Junction
Transistor
 4.1 Introduction

• The basic of electronic system nowadays is

semiconductor device.
• The famous and commonly use of this device
is BJTs
(Bipolar Junction Transistors).
• It can be use as amplifier and logic switches.
• BJT consists of three terminal:
 collector : C
 base :B
emitter : E
• Two types of BJT : pnp and npn
 Position of the terminals and symbol of
BJT.
• Base is located at the
middle and more thin
from the level of
collector and emitter
• The emitter and
collector terminals are
made of the same type
of semiconductor
material, while the
base of the
other type of material
 Transistor currents
-The arrow is always
drawn
on the emitter

-The arrow always point

toward the n-type

-The arrow indicates the

direction of the emitter
IC=the collector current current:
IB= the base current pnp:E B
IE= the emitter current npn: B E
• Both biasing potentials have been applied to a pnp transistor
and resulting majority and minority carrier flows indicated.
• Majority carriers (+) will diffuse across the forward-biased p-n
junction into the n-type material.
• A very small number of carriers (+) will through n-type material
to the base terminal. Resulting IB is typically in order of
microamperes.
• The large number of majority carriers will diffuse across the
reverse-biased junction into the p-type material connected to
the collector terminal.
4.2 BASIC BJT Operation
Assignment No.7
Due on Monday
December 12, 2022