DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : E. Sunil Kumar
Designation : Lecturer
Branch : A.E.I.E
Institute : K.D.R.G.P.T, Wanaparthy
Semester : VI
Subject : Industrial Electronics, PLC & SCADA
Subject code : AEI-602
Topic : Opto-Electronic Devices
Duration : 100 minutes

Subtopic : Introduction, Photo-Emissive & Photo-

conductive devices
Teaching Aids : PPTS, Animations, Diagrams
AEI602.1 TO 2 1
 Objectives
On the completion of this topic, you would be able
to

• Describe basic principle of opto-electronic devices

• Classify opto-electronic devices

• Explain the working principle of Photo-Emissive

• LDR operation, advantages, applications

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 Objectives…

• Explain the working principle of Photo-conductive

Device

• Explain the construction Photo-conductive device

• Explain a typical application of Photo-conductive

device

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 Introduction

• The conduction process in a semiconductor material is

achieved by using different techniques of liberating

valence electrons.

• Imparting some external energy , viz., heat energy, light

energy, photon bombardments, etc.

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 Introduction…

• Light is one of the common sources used for

imparting external energy.

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 Definition

• Semiconductor devices, whose conduction may be

controlled by the amount of light falling on their

surface are known as photosensitive or photo

electric devices or opto electronic devices.

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 Principle

• Light energy is imparted resulting in the

liberation of valence electrons

• This will generate electron-hole pairs within the

material.

• Electron-hole pairs act as charge carriers and

initiate the conduction process.

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 Classification

Types of opto electronic devices

• Photo-Emissive
• Photo- Conductive
• Photo-Voltaic
• Photo-Junction

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 Photo-Emissive Device

• Emits electrons under the influence of

illumination.

• This phenomenon is seen in alkaline metal like

sodium potassium, lithium, cesium, etc.

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 Photo- Conductive Device

• Resistance changes due to change in the illumination

level on their surfaces.

• Made of thin semiconductor layers material such as

silicon, selenium, cadmium sulphide, etc.

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Circuit Symbol

Light

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 Construction

• Photo conductive device elements

• Ceramic substrate

• Semiconductor layer

• Metallic electrodes

• Enclosure

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Construction…

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 Working

• Large secondary current flows in addition to

primary current in semiconductors

• When this device is illuminated electrons

Accumulate at the boundary of material.

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 Working…

• Resulting back emf, it opposes primary current

• Accumulation of primary electrons lowers the

resistance of the material results in flow of

secondary current

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 LDR
• Light dependent resistor (LDR) is a photo conductive device.

• LDR is a bulk semiconductor device.

• Resistance of LDR changes with change in light intensity.

• usually made up of selenium and silicon.

• also known as photo resistor.

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 Construction of LDR

• Cadmium sulphide (CdS) and Cadmium selenide

(Cd Se) are mostly used as photo conductive

materials.
• Photo conductive material (Cd S) is deposited as long

strip on disc shaped ceramic base in zig-zag fashion.

• Two ends of strip are brought out for metal contact.

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 Structure of LDR Ceramic disc base

Plastic encapsulation

Strip
Photo ends
conductive
material CdS

AEI602.1 TO 2 18 18
Fig.1
 Construction of LDR contd…
• The whole assembly is sealed in plastic encapsulation.

• Top surface is covered with glass.

• The glass cover allows light rays to reach semiconductor

coated surface.

• The resistance value ranges from few Kilo Ω to few

Mega Ω .

• Available from few millimeters to centimeters in length.

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Symbol of LDR

Fig.2
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 Working of LDR

• When not illuminated, LDR offers resistance greater than

100 K Ω .

• This is called dark resistance.

• When illuminated with bright light, resistance may fall to few Ω.

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 Characterstics of LDR

• The current through LDR is inversely proportional to

square of the distance between the LDR and light
sources

1
I
where D2
D = Distance between LDR and light source.
I = Current through LDR

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 Character of LDR

1
D2

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 Advantages

• Simple light sensitive detector.

• More sensitivity.
• Cost is low.
• Provides more area for absorption of incoming light.
• Better linear response.

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 Disadvantages

• Temperature dependent.

• Poor stability.

• Low response time.

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 Applications
• In relay control circuit

• Smoke detectors

• Water level indicators

• Counting applications

• Video regulator etc.,

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 Application

Photo conductive device as ON-OFF Device

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 Working

• R2, R3, R4 are chosen so that emitter-

base bias of Q2 is positive enough to

allow Q2 to conduct.

• As a result relay in Q2 collector circuit

will be energized , when the light is low

or no light on photo cell

AEI602.1 TO 2 28
 Working…

• Illuminating photo cell results in making the

emitter-to-base of Q1 sufficiently positive to

allow Q1 to conduct

• Thus making collector potential less

positive, decreasing the bias on Q2, thus

Q2 cuts off de-energizing the relay

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 Working…

• Thus the control device connected through

the relay ON and OFF depending upon the

illumination of photo cell.

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 Quiz

1. The operation of Opto-electronic devices

depends on
a. Heat Energy
b. Light Energy
c. Sound Energy
d. Thermal Energy

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 Quiz

• Photo-Emmisive effect is seen in Heat Energy

a. Alkali metals

b. Insulators

c. Semiconductors

d. Metals

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 Quiz

3. Photo-conductive effect is seen in

a. Alkali metals

b. Insulators

c. Semiconductors

d. Metals

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 Quiz

4. Charge carrier in photo-conductive devices areAlkali

metals

a. Electrons

b. Holes

c. Electron-hole pairs

d. None
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 Summary

We have discussed about

• Principle of opto-electronic devices

• Classification of opto-electronic devices

• Working principle of Photo-Emissive

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 Summary…

• Working principle of Photo- conductive Device

• Construction of Photo- conductive Device

• Application of Photo- conductive Device

• LDR operation, advantages and applications

AEI602.1 TO 2 36
 Frequently asked questions

1. Define opto-electronic device?

2. Give the classification of opto-electronic devices?

3. Give the construction details and basic principle of

operation of photo-conductive device?

4. Explain with a neat circuit diagram an application of

photo conductive device?
AEI602.1 TO 2 37