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PN Junction: Current and Breakdown

The document discusses PN junctions and their current-voltage characteristics under forward and reverse bias conditions. It covers: 1. The diode current equation and how saturation current depends on doping levels. 2. Under forward bias, current increases exponentially with voltage above 0.7V due to injection of majority carriers. 3. Under reverse bias, current remains small until breakdown occurs through avalanche or Zener effects depending on doping levels and applied voltage.

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Anurag Dubey
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37 views12 pages

PN Junction: Current and Breakdown

The document discusses PN junctions and their current-voltage characteristics under forward and reverse bias conditions. It covers: 1. The diode current equation and how saturation current depends on doping levels. 2. Under forward bias, current increases exponentially with voltage above 0.7V due to injection of majority carriers. 3. Under reverse bias, current remains small until breakdown occurs through avalanche or Zener effects depending on doping levels and applied voltage.

Uploaded by

Anurag Dubey
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PN Junction

Anshu Sarje
PN Junction Current equation

Reverse Bias

• For, very small Va (few kT/q), diode current I = - Io

• For large Va, diode show Break down


PN Junction Current equation
Forward Bias

• For large Va,

Saturation Current

• Io directly proportional to ni

• Inversely proportional to Na, Nd. The lighter doped region dominates the current value
PN Junction Current equation

Total Current

• Minority carrier current densities in Quasi neutral regions decay exponentially

• Majority carrier current density can be found by subtracting the minority carrier current density from Total current
PN Junction

• Excess minority carrier are shown above

• With FB, there is an increase in the carrier


concentration above the equilibrium values

• With RB, there is an decrease in the carrier


concentration above the equilibrium values
PN Junction Current equation
PN Junction: Break Down

Break down
Zener Avalanche
High Electric Field High voltage (& high E)
Depletion region?
Doping? Moderate or Lower doping
Material atom breaks Impact Ionisation
Negative temp chef. Positive temp coef.

Monsoon 2021 AEC Dr. A. Sarje, IIITH


PN Junction: Break down

Break down
Zener Avalanche
High Electric Field High voltage (& high E)
Depletion region Narrow
Doping: High Moderate or Lower doping
Material atom breaks Impact Ionisation
Negative temp coefficient Positive temp coef.

Monsoon 2021 AEC Dr. A. Sarje, IIITH


Reverse Bias Breakdown

• No real damage to the diode (Reversible process) (as long as excess heat is not generated).
• Notation : VBR
• Depends on the Semiconductor Bandgap
• Depends on doping (lighter side)
Avalanche Breakdown
• As RB voltage is increased, the reverse current increases and electron
has more energy which ionizes atoms

• Heating is due to energy transfer (by collision) by carriers to the phonons


• Impact Ionization: electron jumps from VB to CB due to collision
• New electron collides and generates more electrons by impact
ionisation. This results in a chain reaction: Avalanche
Zener Breakdown
• Breakdown by tunneling
Series Resistance

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