Tunnel Diode

TUNNEL DIODE
• Tunnel diode is a high conductivity two terminal P-N junction device

• The doping of P and N regions is very high
• Impurity concentration of 1019 to 1020 atoms/cm3 are used.
• Tunnel diode is fabricated from Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Gallium
Antimonide (GaSb)
• Tunnel diode is used in low power microwave applications, high speed
switching and logic circuits
• Tunnel diode is often called the Esaki diode after L.Esaki, who in
1973 received Noble prize for his work on this tunneling effect
TUNNEL DIODE (Esaki Diode)
• It was introduced by Leo Esaki in 1958. EV
• Heavily-doped p-n junction

– Impurity concentration is 1 part in 10^3 as compared to 1
part in 10^8 in p-n junction diode
• Width of the depletion layer is very small
(about 100 A).
• It is generally made up of Ge and GaAs.
• It shows tunneling phenomenon.
• Circuit symbol of tunnel diode is :
WHAT IS TUNNELING
• Classically, carrier must have energy at least equal to
potential-barrier height to cross the junction .
• But according to Quantum mechanics there is finite
probability that it can penetrate through the barrier for
a thin width.
• This phenomenon is
called tunneling and
hence the Esaki Diode
is know as
Tunnel Diode.
CHARACTERISTIC OF TUNNEL DIODE
Ip:- Peak Current

Iv :- Valley Current
Vp:- Peak Voltage Ip
Vv:- Valley Voltage
Vf:- Peak Forward
Forward
Current
- Ve Resistance
Voltage Region
Iv
Vp Vv Vf
Reverse
voltage Forward Voltage
Reverse
Current
ENERGY BAND DIAGRAM
Energy-band diagram of pn junction in thermal equilibrium in which both the n

and p region are degenerately doped.
AT ZERO BIAS
Simplified energy-band diagram and I-V characteristics of the tunnel diode at zero bias.
-Zero current on the I-V diagram;

-All energy states are filled below EF on both sides of the junction;
AT SMALL FORWARD VOLTAGE
Simplified energy-band diagram and I-V characteristics of the tunnel diode at a slight forward bias.
-Electrons in the conduction band of the n region are directly opposite to

the empty states in the valence band of the p region.
-So a finite probability that some electrons tunnel directly into the empty
states resulting in forward-bias tunneling current.
AT MAXIMUM TUNNELING CURENT
Simplified energy-band diagraam and I-V characteristics of the tunnel diode at a forward bias
producing maximum tunneling current.
-The maximum number of electrons in the n region are opposite to the

maximum number of empty states in the p region.
- Hence tunneling current is maximum.
AT DECREASING CURRENT REGION
Simplified energy-band diagram and I-V characteristics of the tunnel diode at a higher forward
bias producing less tunneling current.
-The forward-bias voltage increases so the number of electrons on the n side,

directly opposite empty states on the p side decreases.
- Hence the tunneling current decreases.
AT HIGHER FORWARD VOLTAGE
Simplified energy-band diagram and I-V characteristics of the tunnel diode at a forward bias
for which the diffusion current dominates.
-No electrons on the n side are directly opposite to the empty

states on the p side.
- The tunneling current is zero.
-The normal ideal diffusion current exists in the device.
AT REVERSE BIAS VOLTAGE
- Electrons in the valence band on the p side are directly opposite to

empty states in the conduction band on the n side.
-Electrons tunnel directly from the p region into the n region.
- The reverse-bias current increases monotonically and rapidly with
reverse-bias voltage.
TUNNEL DIODE EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
•This is the equivalent
circuit of tunnel diode rs
when biased in negative
resistance region.
Cj -R
•At higher frequencies the
series R and L can be
ignored. Ls
•Hence equivalent circuit can be reduced to parallel

combination of junction capacitance and negative
resistance.
Energy band diagram of a p-n junction
Tunnel diode under zero-bias equilibrium
Tunnel diode with applied bias
I-V characteristics
Applications
• Tunnel diode is used as an ultra high speed switch. It has a

switching time of the order of nano seconds or even less
• Tunnel diode can be used as logic memory or storage device. Due to
triple valued feature of its curve for current
• Tunnel diode can be used as microwave oscillator of about 10 GHz
• In relaxation oscillator circuits due its negative resistance region

Tunnel Diode

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TUNNEL DIODE

• Tunnel diode is a high conductivity two terminal P-N junction device

• Heavily-doped p-n junction

Ip:- Peak Current

Energy-band diagram of pn junction in thermal equilibrium in which both the n

-Zero current on the I-V diagram;

-Electrons in the conduction band of the n region are directly opposite to

-The maximum number of electrons in the n region are opposite to the

-The forward-bias voltage increases so the number of electrons on the n side,

-No electrons on the n side are directly opposite to the empty

- Electrons in the valence band on the p side are directly opposite to

•Hence equivalent circuit can be reduced to parallel

• Tunnel diode is used as an ultra high speed switch. It has a

• Tunnel diode can be used as microwave oscillator of about 10 GHz

• In relaxation oscillator circuits due its negative resistance region

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