Types of diodes
● PN junction,
● Zener Diode,
● LED,
● Photo Diode.
1
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Why Zener Diode?
● If reverse biased voltage applied to the p-n junction diode
is highly increased, a sudden rise in current occurs.
● This sudden rise in electric current causes a junction
breakdown called zener or avalanche breakdown.
● The voltage at which zener breakdown occurs is called
zener voltage and the sudden increase in current is
called zener current.
2
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Why Zener Diode?
● A normal p-n junction diode allows electric current only in
forward biased condition. When forward biased voltage
is applied to the p-n junction diode, it allows large
amount of electric current and blocks only a small
amount of electric current.
● When reverse biased voltage is applied to the p-n
junction diode, it blocks large amount of electric
current and allows only a small amount of electric current.
3
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
What is zener diode?
● A zener diode is a special type of device designed to operate
in the zener breakdown region.
● Zener diodes acts like normal p-n junction diodes under
forward biased condition. When forward biased voltage is
applied to the zener diode it allows large amount of electric
current and blocks only a small amount of electric current
● Zener diode allows electric current in forward direction like a
normal diode but also allows electric current in the reverse
direction if the applied reverse voltage is greater than the zener
voltage..
4
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
● Zener diode is always connected in reverse direction
because it is specifically designed to work in reverse direction
Breakdown in zener diode
● There are two types of reverse breakdown regions in a zener
diode: avalanche breakdown and zener breakdown.
5
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Avalanche breakdown
● The avalanche breakdown occurs in both normal diodes and
zener diodes at high reverse voltage.
● When high reverse voltage is applied to the p-n junction diode, the
free electrons (minority carriers) gains large amount of energy and
accelerated to greater velocities.
6
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
● This sudden increase in electric current may permanently destroys the
normal diode.
● However, avalanche diodes may not be destroyed because they are carefully
designed to operate in avalanche breakdown region. Avalanche breakdown
occurs in zener diodes with zener voltage (Vz) greater than 6V.
7
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Zener breakdown
● When the applied reverse bias voltage reaches closer to the Zener
voltage, the electric field in the depletion region gets strong enough
to pull electrons from their valence band.
● The valence electrons that gain sufficient energy from the strong
electric field of the depletion region break free from the parent atom.
● At the Zener breakdown region, a small increase in the voltage
results in the rapid increase of the electric current
8
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Zener breakdown
● When the applied reverse bias voltage reaches closer to the
Zener voltage, the electric field in the depletion region gets strong
enough to pull electrons from their valence band.
● The valence electrons that gain sufficient energy from the strong
electric field of the depletion region break free from the parent
atom.
● At the Zener breakdown region, a small increase in the voltage
results in the rapid increase of the electric current
9
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Symbol of zener diode
10
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
VI Characteristics of Zener Diode
Zener diodes are available with zener
voltages in the range of 1.8V to 400V.
• When reverse biased voltage is applied to a zener diode, it allows only a small
amount of leakage current until the voltage is less than zener voltage.
• When reverse biased voltage applied to the zener diode reaches zener voltage, it
starts allowing large amount of electric current.
• At this point, a small increase in reverse voltage will rapidly increases the electric
current. Because of this sudden rise in electric current, breakdown occurs
called zener breakdown.
11
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
12
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Advantages of zener diode
● Power dissipation capacity is very high
● High accuracy
● Small size
● Low cost
Applications of zener diode
● It is normally used as voltage reference
● Zener diodes are used in voltage stabilizers or shunt regulators.
● Zener diodes are used in switching operations
● Zener diodes are used in clipping and clamping circuits.
● Zener diodes are used in various protection circuits
13
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Photodiode
● A photodiode is a PN-junction diode that consumes light energy to
produce electric current. Sometimes it is also called as photo-
detector, a light detector, and photo-sensor.
● These diodes are particularly designed to work in reverse bias condition,
it means that the P-side of the photodiode is associated with the
negative terminal of the battery and n-side is connected to the positive
terminal of the battery.
● A photodiode is one type of light detector, used to convert the light into
current or voltage based on the mode of operation of the device.
14
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
What is a Photodiode?
Some photodiodes will look like a light emitting diode.
They have two terminals coming from the end.
The smaller end of the diode is the cathode terminal.
While the longer end of the diode is the anode terminal
15
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
The types of the photodiodes can be classified based on its
construction and functions as follows.
● PN Photodiode
● Schottky Photo Diode
● PIN Photodiode
● Avalanche Photodiode
16
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Working & VI Characteristics of Photodiode
17
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Working of Photodiode
● The working principle of a photodiode is, when a photon of ample energy
strikes the diode, it makes a couple of an electron-hole. This mechanism
is also called the inner photoelectric effect.
● If the absorption arises in the depletion region junction, then the carriers are
removed from the junction by the inbuilt electric field of the depletion region.
● Therefore, holes in the region move toward the anode, and electrons
move toward the cathode, and a photocurrent will be generated.
● The entire current through the diode is the sum of the absence of light and
the photocurrent. So the absent current must be reduced to maximize the
sensitivity of the device.
18
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Modes of Operation
The operating modes of the photodiode include three modes, namely
● Photovoltaic mode - zero-bias mode, in which a voltage is produced by the
lightened photodiode.
● Photoconductive mode - The reverse voltage application will increase the
depletion layer’s width, which in turn decreases the response time & the
junction capacitance. This mode is too fast and displays electronic noise
● Avalanche diode mode - which permits the multiplication of an avalanche
breakdown to each photo-produced electron-hole pair. This outcome is an
internal gain in the photodiode, which slowly increases the device response.
19
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
20
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
21
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Applications
● Light detector
● Demodulators
● Encoders
● Optical communication system
● High speed counting and switching circuits
● Computer punching cards and tapes
● Light operated switches
● Sound track films
● Electronic control circuits
22
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
What is Light Emitting Diode (LED)?
● Light emitting diodes emit either visible light or invisible infrared light
when forward biased. The LEDs which emit invisible infrared light are used
for remote controls.
● A light Emitting Diode (LED) is an optical semiconductor device that emits
light when voltage is applied. In other words, LED is an optical
semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light energy
23
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
● When Light Emitting Diode (LED) is forward biased, free electrons in the
conduction band recombines with the holes in the valence band and
releases energy in the form of light.
● The process of emitting light in response to the strong electric field or flow
of electric current is called electroluminescence.
Layers of LED
● A Light Emitting Diode (LED) consists of three layers: p-type semiconductor,
n-type semiconductor and depletion layer.
● The p-type semiconductor and the n-type semiconductor are separated by a
depletion region or depletion layer.
24
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
How Light Emitting Diode (LED) works?
25
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
How Light Emitting Diode (LED) works?
● Light Emitting Diode (LED) works only in forward bias condition. When Light
Emitting Diode (LED) is forward biased, the free electrons from n-side and
the holes from p-side are pushed towards the junction.
● When free electrons reach the junction or depletion region, some of the free
electrons recombine with the holes in the depletion region. In the similar
way, holes from p-side recombine with electrons in the depletion region.
● Because of the recombination of free electrons and holes in the depletion
region, the width of depletion region decreases. As a result, more charge
carriers will cross the p-n junction.
26
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
How LED emits light?
The free electrons in the conduction band do not stay for long period. After a short
period, the free electrons lose energy in the form of light and recombine with
the holes in the valence band. Each recombination of charge carrier will emit some
light energy.
27
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Construction of LED
The safe forward voltage ratings of most LEDs is from 1V to 3 V and
forward current ratings is from 200 mA to 100 mA.
28
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
How Light Emitting Diode (LED) works?
● When LED is forward biased, free electrons from n-type semiconductor and
holes from p-type semiconductor are pushed towards the active region.
● When free electrons from n-side and holes from p-side recombine with the
opposite charge carriers (free electrons with holes or holes with free
electrons) in active region, an invisible or visible light is emitted.
● In LED, most of the charge carriers recombine at active region. Therefore,
most of the light is emitted by the active region. The active region is also
called as depletion region.
29
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
30
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
Output characteristics of LED
● The amount of output light
emitted by the LED is directly
proportional to the amount of
forward current flowing through
the LED.
● More the forward current, the
greater is the emitted output light.
31
Dr.M.Sujith, AP/EE, Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon
