Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 20 views

    Avalench and Zenier Breakdown

    Uploaded by

    Abubaker Saeed
    A Zener diode uses the Zener breakdown effect to function in the reverse direction and maintain a stable voltage. The Zener breakdown effect occurs in heavily doped diodes where a strong electric field knocks electrons off silicon atoms, generating electron-hole pairs and causing a sudden rise in reverse current at a specific breakdown voltage. The avalanche breakdown effect occurs at a higher voltage in lightly doped diodes and involves the acceleration and collision of charge carriers that generate more carriers through impact ionization. Both effects contribute to the breakdown depending on the diode's doping level and breakdown voltage. The Zener breakdown voltage decreases with increasing temperature while the avalanche breakdown voltage increases with temperature.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Avalench and Zenier Breakdown

    Uploaded by

    Abubaker Saeed
    20 views2 pages
    A Zener diode uses the Zener breakdown effect to function in the reverse direction and maintain a stable voltage. The Zener breakdown effect occurs in heavily doped diodes where a strong electric field knocks electrons off silicon atoms, generating electron-hole pairs and causing a sudden rise in reverse current at a specific breakdown voltage. The avalanche breakdown effect occurs at a higher voltage in lightly doped diodes and involves the acceleration and collision of charge carriers that generate more carriers through impact ionization. Both effects contribute to the breakdown depending on the diode's doping level and breakdown voltage. The Zener breakdown voltage decreases with increasing temperature while the avalanche breakdown voltage increases with temperature.

    Original Title

    Avalench and Zenier breakdown

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    A Zener diode uses the Zener breakdown effect to function in the reverse direction and maintain a stable voltage. The Zener breakdown effect occurs in heavily doped diodes where a strong electric field knocks electrons off silicon atoms, generating electron-hole pairs and causing a sudden rise in reverse current at a specific breakdown voltage. The avalanche breakdown effect occurs at a higher voltage in lightly doped diodes and involves the acceleration and collision of charge carriers that generate more carriers through impact ionization. Both effects contribute to the breakdown depending on the diode's doping level and breakdown voltage. The Zener breakdown voltage decreases with increasing temperature while the avalanche breakdown voltage increases with temperature.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    20 views2 pages

    Avalench and Zenier Breakdown

    Uploaded by

    Abubaker Saeed
    A Zener diode uses the Zener breakdown effect to function in the reverse direction and maintain a stable voltage. The Zener breakdown effect occurs in heavily doped diodes where a strong electric field knocks electrons off silicon atoms, generating electron-hole pairs and causing a sudden rise in reverse current at a specific breakdown voltage. The avalanche breakdown effect occurs at a higher voltage in lightly doped diodes and involves the acceleration and collision of charge carriers that generate more carriers through impact ionization. Both effects contribute to the breakdown depending on the diode's doping level and breakdown voltage. The Zener breakdown voltage decreases with increasing temperature while the avalanche breakdown voltage increases with temperature.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    A Zener diode is a highly doped semiconductor device specifically designed to function in the

    reverse direction. It is made with a wide range of Zener voltages (Vz), and certain types are even
    adjustable to achieve variable voltage regulation.

    The Avalanche breakdown effect:


    In the reverse bias condition, when the applied voltage across the PN junction diode, is more
    than the breakdown voltage (Vb) then suddenly a reverse
    saturation current shoots up. Maximum value of reverse
    current is called saturation current. Because at the applied
    breakdown voltage the electric field in the depletion region
    will be much stronger. And due to this electric field, the
    minority charge carriers will get accelerated. And due to
    enough kinetic energy, when they collide with the silicon
    atoms in the crystal, they can knock out the bound electrons of the atom. Under the influence of
    electric field, the knocked out electrons (along with the previously accelerated electrons which
    have knocked out them) will again collide with the other silicon atoms and will knock out the
    bound electrons. So, in this way, due to this impact ionization, a lot of minority charge carriers
    are generated in the depletion region. And due to that, the minority current will increase
    drastically. So, this effect is known as the avalanche breakdown effect and the voltage at which
    it occurs in known as the breakdown voltage. The Avalanche breakdown effect is seen in the
    lightly doped didoes.

    Zener Breakdown effect:


    The Zener effect is usually seen in the heavily doped diodes.
    (e.g Zener diodes) In heavily doped diodes the depletion region is much narrower than the
    normal diodes. So, in reverse bias condition, at a specific
    voltage, the electric field in the depletion region will be so
    strong that, the strong electric field can knock out the bound
    electrons of the silicon atom. And due to that, the electron-
    hole pair is created in the depletion region. And these due to
    this additional minority carriers there is a sudden rise in the
    reverse saturation current. This effect is known as the Zener
    breakdown effect. And the voltage at which this effect occurs
    is known as the Zener voltage. The Zener effect occurs at the lower voltage than the avalanche
    effect. And in the Zener diodes, depending on the breakdown voltage, both effects are visible.
    For the Zener diodes, whose breakdown voltage is in the range of 4-5 V, the Zener effect is
    predominant. While for the breakdown voltages, beyond 6V, the avalanche effect is
    predominant.
    Effect of temperature on Zener and avalanche breakdown voltages:
    As temperature increases, the
    Zener breakdown voltage reduces. While with temperature, the avalanche breakdown voltage
    increases.

    You might also like