Lecture 16
Special Purpose diodes
Special Purpose two terminal Devices
Varactor Diodes
Tunnel Diodes
Light-Emitting Diodes
Photo Diodes
Liquid-Crystal Displays
Varactor Diodes (Vari Cap)
Symbol:
Varactor diode is used in reverse bias condition. In reverse
bias condition diode capacitance is given by
If reverse voltage is increased then width of depletion layer
will increase. So, C will decrease. If reverse voltage is
decreased then width of depletion layer will decrease. So,
C will increase.
Characteristics:
Application:
1) FM modulator
2) Tuning circuit
3) In TV receiver
4) In Radio receiver
Tunnel Diode
• Tunnel diode is very highly doped diode.
• The doping of Tunnel diode is 1000 times greater than simple
diode.
• So, depletion layer is very narrow and is of the order of
10 nm.
Tunnel Diode Working Phenomenon
• Unbiased Tunnel Diode
• In an unbiased tunnel diode, no voltage will be applied to
the tunnel diode. Here, due to heavy doping conduction
band of n – type semiconductor overlaps with valence
band of p – type material. Electrons from n side and
holes from p side overlap with each other and they will
be at same energy level.
• Some electrons tunnel from the conduction band of n-
region to the valence band of p-region when temperature
increases. Similarly, holes will move from valence band
of p-region to the conduction band of n-region. Finally,
the net current will be zero since equal numbers of
electrons are holes flow in opposite direction.
Increased Voltage Applied to the Tunnel
Diode
• When the amount of voltage applied is increased, the
number of free electrons generated at n side and holes
at p side is also increased. Due to voltage increase,
overlapping between the bands are also increased.
• Maximum tunnel current flows when the energy level of
n-side conduction band and the energy level of a p-side
valence band becomes equal.
Further Increased Voltage Applied to the
Tunnel Diode
• Further increase in the applied voltage will cause a
slight misalignment of the conduction band and valence
band. Still there will be an overlap between conduction
band and valence band. The electrons move from
conduction band to valence band of p region. Therefore,
this causes small current to flow. Hence, tunnel current
starts decreasing.
Largely Increased Voltage Applied to the
Tunnel Diode
• The tunneling current will be zero when applied voltage
is increased more to the maximum. At this voltage levels,
the valence band and the conduction band does not
overlap. This makes tunnel diode to operate same as a
PN junction diode.
V-I characteristics of Tunnel diode:
Point A to B: Current increases till
point B at very low voltage due to
tunnelling effect.
Point B to C: Current decreases till
point C. At point C current is
minimum and diode shows
negative resistance.
After point C: Tunnel diode woks Application:
as normal diode. 1) Microwave application
2) Microwave oscillation
3) Binary memory.
Light Emitting Diode (LED)
• Light emitting diode (LED) is a special diode which give
light, when forward biased. Materials like gallium,
phosphorus and arsenic are used for the manufacturing of
LED.
Working principle:
• When LED is forward biased then hole in p-type and electron
in n-type start to cross the junction and recombine with each
other.
• Simple diode (Si or Ge) produce heat in recombination
process. But LED produce light in recombination.
Application:
1) Used in digital clocks.
2) Used in calculators.
V-I characteristics: 3) Used in mobile, TV display.
4) Used in seven segment
display.
