DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
BASIC ELECTRONICS [ECE 1071] PRACTICE PROBLEMS
CHAPTER: DIODES
1. A silicon diode has a reverse saturation current of 12nA at 20°C. i) Find diode current
when it is forward biased by 0.65V. ii) Find the dynamic resistance offered by the diode at
20°C.
2. Draw V-I characteristics of the 'Si' diode. Explain the different types of breakdowns that
can occur in a PN junction diode.
3. A silicon diode has a reverse saturation current of 12nA at 20-degree C. Find the current
in the diode, when it is forward biased by 0.65V and temperature is increased to 100-
degree C.
4. With the help of energy band diagrams distinguish between Insulator, Conductor and a
Semiconductor.
5. What is the purpose of doping? How does it change the characteristics of a
semiconductor?
6. What is doping? Compare P and N type semiconductors.
7. Using illustrations, explain how the depletion region and barrier voltage are produced at
a open circuited PN junction. Explain the effect on depleted region width, barrier voltage,
majority charge carriers, minority charge carriers when the PN junction is forward and
reverse biased.
8. A silicon diode has a reverse saturation current of 7.12 nA at room temperature.
Calculate the forward current if it is forward biased with a voltage of 0.7 V.
9. Write the expression for current in a PN junction diode and explain each term. Also plot
the V-I characteristics for Ge & Si diodes to the same scale and mark all the salient
points.
10. A silicon diode operates at a forward voltage of 0.4V. Calculate the factor by which the
current will be multiplied when the temperature is increased from 125°C to 150°C
11. A Si diode has reverse saturation current of12 nA at 20oC. (a) Find the diode current when
it is forward biased by 0.65 V. (b) Find the diode current when the temperature rises to
100oC.
12. A silicon diode has reverse saturation current of 10nA at 20 oC. Find the diode current
when it is forward biased by 0.7V at 100oC.
13. Explain Zener and avalanche breakdown in diodes.
14. A silicon diode has a reverse saturation current of 10 nA at 20 0 C. Find out the diode bias
voltage when the current is 3 mA. If the bias voltage is maintained constant what is the
current through the diode when the temperature is 1000C ?
15. When the input to the circuit is less than 5 V output is 5V, when the input to the circuit is
more than 10 V output is 10V, otherwise output is equal to input. Draw the circuit and
explain.
16. A silicon diode has reverse saturation current of 2 nA at 20⁰ C. (a) Find the diode current
when it is forward biased by 0.7V (b) Find the current when the temperature rises to 75⁰C.
17. A Silicon diode has a saturation current of 1pA at 200oC. Determine (a) Diode bias voltage
when diode current is 3mA (b) Diode bias current when the temperature changes to
1000oC, for the same bias voltage.
18. For a Si diode having a reverse saturation current of 12 nA at 20oC, calculate (i) Diode
current when it is forward biased by 0.65 V. (i)Diode current when the temperature rises
to 100oC. (ii) Static and Dynamic resistances when the applied voltage is 0.7V.
19. Consider a p-n junction germanium diode operating at room temperature What is the
ratio of current for a forward bias of 0.05 V to the current for the same magnitude of
reverse bias.
20. Distinguish between Zener breakdown and Avalanche breakdown. Draw the V-I
characteristics of Zener diode under reverse and forward bias conditions.
21. Determine the diode current at 20°C for a silicon diode with reverse saturation current I0=
50 nA and an applied forward bias of 0.6 V. If the temperature is increased to 100°C, what
is the diode current?
22. Draw V-I characteristics of silicon diode under forward biased condition. Also write diode
current equation
23. Draw the characteristics of Si diode. And show the effect of temperature on diode
characteristics.
24. For a Si diode having a reverse saturation current of 12nA at 20 0 C. Calculate i) Diode
current when it is forward biased by 0.65V. ii) Static and Dynamic resistance when the
applied voltage is 0.7V.
25. A silicon diode has reverse saturation current of 50 nA at 27°C. Determine the voltage
required to get a forward current of 100 mA at 47°C. Also determine the static and
dynamic resistances of the diode at 47°C.
26. Sketch the V-I Characteristics of a PN junction diode. Calculate the dynamic forward
and reverse resistances of PN junction Germanium diode at a temperature of 300K,
when the applied voltage is 0.25V and reverse saturation current is 10 µA.
27. A silicon diode has a reverse saturation current of 12nA at 20°C. i) Find diode current
when it is forward biased by 0.65V. ii) Find the dynamic resistance offered by the diode at
20°C.
28. Draw V-I characteristics of the 'Si' diode. Explain the different types of breakdowns that
can occur in a PN junction diode.
29. Calculate the static and dynamic resistance of a PN junction Germanium diode at a
temperature of 500 C, when the applied voltage is 0.25V and reverse saturation current
is 10 µA.
30. A germanium diode has at a temperature of 125 0C a reverse saturation current of 30µA.
Find the dynamic resistance for the following conditions. i. 0.2V forward bias. ii. 0.2V
reverse bias.
31. With neat diagrams, explain the forward and reverse bias of PN junction diode with
expressions for diode current and its temperature dependence.
32. If a silicon diode has reverse saturation current of 10 nA at 27° C, calculate the reverse
current, forward current and dynamic resistance at 42° C when the diode is forward
biased by 0.7 V.
33. Explain why cut-in voltage of silicon diode is higher than the cut-in voltage of Germanium
diode.
34. For what voltage will the reverse saturation current in a p-n junction germanium diode
reaches 70% of its saturation value at room temperature? Assume room temperature of
27ºC ii) What is the ratio of current for a forward bias of 0.05 V to the current for the same
magnitude of reverse bias?
35. Starting from expression for diode current derive the expression for dynamic resistance
of a diode. Find the static and dynamic resistances of a germanium diode with 0.2 V
forward bias applied, if reverse sat current is 1μA and temperature is 30º C.
36. A silicon diode has reverse saturation current of 2 nA at 20º C. (i) Find the diode current
when it is forward biased by 0.7V (ii) Find the current when the temperature rises to 75ºC.
37. A Ge diode for which the reverse saturation current is 5µA has a forward current of 100
mA at 270C. Calculate the forward voltage drop across it.
38. Explain the static & dynamic resistances of diode. Calculate the static & dynamic
resistances of a silicon diode for forward and reverse applied voltage of 0.25 V. Given I0
= lμA and T = 3000 K.
39. Draw the equivalent circuits and characteristic curves for forward bias of i) Ideal diode ii)
Diode with specific cut-in voltage and forward resistance. Mention approximate values
of cut-in voltage for Silicon and Germanium diodes.
40. Reverse saturation current for a germanium diode at 270 C is 10µA. Calculate the current
through it when the applied voltage across it is (i) 0.3V and (ii) -6V.
41. A silicon diode has reverse saturation current of 15 nA at 25°C. Determine the voltage
required to get a forward current of 6 mA at 35°C. Also determine the static and dynamic
resistance of the diode at 40°C.
