AEC Lecture:

Diode Specifications and Applications

Anil Kumar Bhat
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering

N. M. A. M. Institute of Technology
Nitte, Karkala - 574110

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Diode Specifications

Diode Parameters
Forward Voltage drop VD : The Voltage drop across the diode
when in Forward biased mode is called the forward voltage drop.
This is generally constant and is about 0.7V for Silicon diodes and
0.3V for germanium diodes.
This is generally equal to the Knee voltage

Reverse saturation current IS : The current that exists when

the diode is in reverse bias condition is known as Reverse
Saturation current or leakage current
Reverse breakdown Voltage VBR : In Reverse Bias condition,
the Voltage beyond which there is a sharp increases the current
rate is known as break down Voltage
Maximum Forward Current IF(max) : It is the maximum
forward current allowed through the diode beyond which the
device will have failure
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Diode Specifications

Diode Capacitances

Transition Capacitance (CT )

A reverse bias causes majority carriers to move away from the junction
causing the thickness of space-charge region to increase with reverse
voltage.
This increase in depletion region can be considered as a capacitive effect.
The incremental change in capacitance is defined as
CT = |

dQ
|
dV

(where dQ is the increase in charge caused by the increase in reverse voltage dV )

Thus a change in voltage dV in time dT will result in a current i given by

i=

dQ
dV
= CT
dt
dt

This is also known as Space charge or Barrier or depletion region

capacitance and is not a constant value.
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Diode Specifications

Diode Capacitances

Diffusion Capacitance (CD )

Diffusion Capacitance is the capacitance due to transport of charge
carriers between two terminals of a device.
In a Forward biased Diode some charge is in the process of transit
through the device at any particular moment.
If there is a change in applied voltage, the current changes to a different
value, causing a change in the amount of transiting charge.
The change in the amount of transiting charge divided by the change in
the voltage causing it is the diffusion capacitance
CD =

dQ
dI

ID
=
= gD =

dV
dV
rD
VT

Diffusion capacitance is proportional to current ID and is much larger

than CT in the forward bias condition.
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Diode Specifications

Diode Capacitances

Reverse Recovery Time (trr )

Time taken by the Conducting diode to return to non-conduction state
on application of reverse bias is known as Reverse Recovery Time.
In forward bias state, the diode
has large number of minority
carriers.
If the applied voltage is reversed,
the current just reverses and
stays at a measurable level for
period ts (Storage time).
Once the storage phase has
passed the current will be reduce
to the level associated with the
non-conduction state. This
second period of time is known
as transition time tt .
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trr = ts + tt
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Diode Applications

AND/OR Gates

AND/OR Gates using Diodes

OR Gate

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Diode Applications

AND/OR Gates

AND/OR Gates using Diodes

OR Gate

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Diode Applications

AND/OR Gates

AND/OR Gates using Diodes

AND Gate

OR Gate

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Diode Applications

AND/OR Gates

AND/OR Gates using Diodes

AND Gate

OR Gate

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Diode Applications

Clippers

Introduction to Clippers

Clippers are circuits made up of Diodes that can clip off a

portion of input signal without distorting the remaining part of
the alternating waveform.
Half wave rectifier is a simplest example of Diode Clipper.
Clipping Circuits are also called as Slicers, amplitude selectors or
limiters
Two categories of Clippers are:
1. Series Clippers: Diode is in Series with the Load.
2. Parallel Clippers: Diode is in a branch parallel to the Load.

The diode capacitance affects the operation of the clipper at high

frequency and influences the choice between the above two types

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Diode Applications

Clippers

Series Clippers

In Series Clipper the Clipping element i.e., Diode is in series with

the load.
Half wave rectifier is a simplest example of Series Diode Clipper.
The orientation of the Diode decides which half cycle is affected by
the clipping action. Depending of this feature the Series diode
clipper can be classified as
1. Positive Clippers: Positive half cycle of the input will be
removed.
2. Negative Clippers: Negative half cycle of the input will be
removed.
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Diode Applications

Clippers

Parallel Clippers

In Parallel Clipper the Clipping element i.e., Diode is in a branch

that is in parallel with the load.
The orientation of the Diode decides which half cycle is affected by
the clipping action. Depending of this feature the Series diode
clipper can be classified as
1. Positive Clippers: Positive half cycle of the input will be
removed.
2. Negative Clippers: Negative half cycle of the input will be
removed.
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Diode Applications

Clampers

Introduction to Clampers
A circuit that shifts either the positive or negative peak of a signal
at a required DC level is known as clamper.
A Clamper adds DC level to an AC Signal and hence also known
as DC Restorer, or DC inserter or Baseline Stabilizer.
Clampers do not modify the shape of the input wave but only add
a DC level to it
Two categories of Clippers are:
1. Positive Clampers: A positive clamp circuit outputs a purely
positive waveform from an input signal; it offsets the input signal so
that all of the waveform is greater than 0 V.
2. Negative Clampers: A negative clamp outputs a purely negative
waveform from an input signal; it offsets the input signal so that all
of the waveform is lesser than 0 V.

The diode Clamper can be built using Diode, Capacitor and

Resistors.
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Diode Applications

Clampers

Positive Clamper

In the negative cycle of the input AC signal, the diode is forward

biased and conducts, charging the capacitor to the peak positive
value of VIN
During the positive cycle, the diode is reverse biased and thus does
not conduct. The output voltage is therefore equal to the voltage
stored in the capacitor plus the input voltage gain
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Diode Applications

Clampers

Negative Clamper

In the positive cycle of the input AC signal, the diode is forward

biased and conducts, charging the capacitor to the peak positive
value of VIN
During the negative cycle, the diode is reverse biased and thus
does not conduct. The output voltage is therefore equal to the
voltage stored in the capacitor plus the input voltage gain
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Diode Applications

Clampers

Points to remember

The clamper circuit relies on a change in the capacitors time

constant; this is the result of the diode changing current path with
the changing input voltage.
The magnitude of R and C are chosen so that the time constant
= RC is large enough to ensure that the voltage across the
capacitor does not discharge significantly during the diodes
Non-conducting interval
R can be the load resistor or a parallel combination of the load
resistor and a resistor designed to provide the desired level of R

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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Introduction

A tunnel diode or Esaki diode is a type of semiconductor diode

which is capable of very fast operation, well into the microwave
frequency region.
It was invented in 1958 by Leo Esaki.
The concentration of dopants in both p and n region is very high
(1024 1025 m3 )
Tunnel diodes are used as very high speed switches. Used as high
frequency micro wave oscillator
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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Characteristics

When the p and n region are highly doped, the depletion region
becomes very thin. In such case, there is a finite probability that
electrons can tunnel from the conduction band of n-region to the
valence band of p-region
During the tunneling the particle ENERGY DOES NOT
CHANGE
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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Forward Bias Characteristics

For a highly doped Semiconductor, the Fermi level goes above the
conduction band for n-type and below valence band for p-type
material. (Degenerate Materials)
At zero bias there is no current flow

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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Forward Bias Characteristics

When a small forward bias is applied. Potential barrier is still very
high no noticeable injection and forward current through the
junction. However, electrons in the conduction band of the n
region will tunnel to the empty states of the valence band in p
region. This will create a forward bias tunnel current

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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Forward Bias Characteristics

A larger Forward voltage

causes energy of the majority
of electrons in the n-region to
be equal to the holes p-region
producing maximum
tunneling current
As the forward bias continues
to increase, the number of
equal energy electron-hole
pairs decrease. Therefore
decrease in the tunneling
current will start

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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Forward Bias Characteristics

As more forward voltage is

applied, the tunneling current
drops to zero. But the regular
diode forward current due to
electron hole injection
increases due to lower potential
barrier
With further voltage increase,
the tunnel diode I-V
characteristic is similar to that
of a regular p-n diode

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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Reverse Bias Characteristics

In Reverse Bias, electrons in the valence band of the p-side tunnel
directly towards the empty states present in the conduction band
of the n-side creating large tunneling current which increases with
the application of reverse voltage.
The reverse I-V is similar to the Zener diode with nearly zero
breakdown voltage.

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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Important Points
Typical Tunnel Diode I-V characteristic has two distinct features:
It is STRONGLY non-linear (compare to the resistor I-V).
it has a negative differential resistance (NDR) region.

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Diode Types

Tunnel Diodes

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages
High speed of operation due to the fact that the tunnelling takes
place at the speed of light.
Low cost
Low noise
Environmental immunity
Low power dissipation
Simplicity in fabrication
Longevity

Disadvantages
Low output voltage swing
Because it is a two terminal device, there is no isolation between
input and output

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Diode Types

Varactor Diodes

Introduction
A varactor diode is a diode that has a variable capacitance which
is a function of the voltage that is impressed on its terminals.
It is also known as A tuning diode, variable capacitance diode,
varicap diode or variable reactance diode
They find applications within two main areas:
Voltage controlled oscillators, VCOs
RF filters

Varactor diodes produces considerably less noise compared to

other conventional diodes and are available at low costs.
Varactor diodes are more reliable, small in size and hence, they are
very light weight.

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Diode Types

Varactor Diodes

Characteristics
Varactors are operated in a reverse-biased state, so no DC current
flows through the device. The amount of reverse bias controls the
thickness of the depletion zone and therefore the varactors
junction capacitance.
The capacitance is inversely proportional to the square root of
applied voltage. Variation of Capacitance with the applied Reverse
Bias is as shown in the figure below.

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