A pn junction diode is a two-terminal semiconductor device that allows current to flow easily in one direction and blocks it in the other. It consists of a pn junction with connecting leads. When forward biased, current flows through the junction. When reverse biased, it acts as an open switch. Diodes come in low, medium, and high current types depending on their size and the amount of current and reverse voltage they can handle. The document discusses the characteristics and parameters of diodes like forward voltage drop, reverse saturation current, and breakdown voltage. It also presents the forward and reverse bias characteristics and equivalent circuit models of diodes.

1. PN junction diode
Prepared by
Mrs.V.SrirengaNachiyar, AP(SG)/ECE
Ramco Institute of Technology
Rajapalayam

2. Introduction
• The term diode refers to a two- electrode or
two terminal device
• A semiconductor diode is simply a pn-junction
with a connecting lead on each side.
• A diode is a one-way device, offering a low
resistance when forward biased and behaving
almost as an open switch when reverse biased

3. • A pn-junction permits substantial current flow
when forward biased, and blocks current when
reverse-biased
• Thus, it can be used as a switch: on when
forward-biased and off when biased in reverse.
• A pn-junction provided with copper wire
connecting leads becomes an electronic device
known as a diode
• The circuit symbol (or graphic symbol) for
diode is an arrowhead and bar

4. Current flows in the arrowhead
direction when the diode is
forward biased: “+” on the
anode & “-”on the cathode
• A semiconductor
diode is a pn
junction with
conductors on each
side of the junction
for connecting the
device to a circuit

5. • The arrowhead indicates the conventional
direction of current flow when the diode is
forward-biased (from the positive terminal
through the device to the negative terminal).
• The p-side of the diode is always the positive
terminal for forward bias and is termed the
anode.
• The n-side, called the cathode, is the negative
terminal when the device is forward biased.
• A pn-junction diode can be destroyed if a high
level of forward current overheats the device.
• It can also be destroyed if a large reverse
voltage causes the junction to break down.

6. • In general, physically large diodes pass the
largest currents and survive the largest reverse
voltages.
• Small diodes are limited to low current levels
and low reverse voltages.
• Based on the appearance of the device
categorized into three types
1. Low current diode
2. Medium current diode
3. High current diode

7. The medium-current diode
shown can usually pass a
forward current of about
400 mA and survive over
200 V reverse bias.
The anode and cathode
terminals may be indicated
by a diode symbol on the
side of the device.
• Diode is usually capable of
passing a maximum forward
current of approximately 100
mA. It can also survive about 75
V reverse bias without breaking
down, and its reverse current is
usually less than 1 µA at 25°C.

8. • High-current diodes, or power diodes generate a lot of
heat. So air convection would be completely
inadequate.
• Such devices are designed to be connected
mechanically to a metal heat sink.
• Power diodes can pass forward currents of many
amperes and can survive several hundred volts of
reverse bias.

9. CHARACTERISTICS AND PARAMETERS
Forward and Reverse Characteristics:
• For the silicon diode the forward current (IF)
remains very low (less than 100 µA) until the
diode forward-bias voltage (VF) exceeds
approximately 0.7 V.
• At V₁ levels greater than 0.7 V, If increases almost
linearly.
• Because the diode reverse current (IR) is very
much smaller than its forward current, the reverse
characteristics are plotted with expanded current
scales.
• For a silicon diode, IR is normally less than 100
nA, and it is almost completely independent of
the reverse-bias voltage.

10. Forward and Reverse characteristics
for a silicon diode

11. • IR is largely a minority charge carrier reverse
saturation current.
• A small increase in IR can occur with
increasing reverse-bias voltage, as a result of
minority charge carriers leaking along the
junction surface.

12. Forward and Reverse characteristics
for a germanium diode

13. Diode parameters
• VF ---- forward voltage drop
• IR ---- Reverse Saturation current
• VBR --- Reverse breakdown voltage
• rd ----- dynamic resistance
• IF(max) ---- Maximum forward current

14. Determination of dynamic resistance
(rd) of the diode from the forward
characteristic

15. • The dynamic resistance (incremental resistance
or ac resistance) of the diode is the resistance
offered to changing levels of forward voltage.
• It is the reciprocal of the slope of the forward
characteristics beyond the knee.
• 𝑟𝑑 =
∆𝑉𝐹
∆𝐼𝐹
• The dynamic resistance can be calculated form
the rule of thumb equation:
• 𝑟′𝑑 =
26𝑚𝑉
𝐼𝐹
, where IF is the dc forward
current.

16. Diode approximations
• Diode is a one way device, offering a low
resistance when forward biased and a high
resistance when biased in reverse.
• An ideal diode would have zero forward
resistance and zero forward voltage drop
• Also have an infinitely high reverse resistance,
which would results in zero reverse current

17. DC Equivalent Circuits
• An equivalent circuit for a device is a circuit that
represents the device behavior.
• Usually, the equivalent circuit is made up of a
number of components, such as resistors and
voltage cells.
• A diode equivalent circuit may be substituted for
the device when investigating a circuit containing
the diode.
• Equivalent circuits may also be used as device
models for computer analysis.

18. • A more accurate equivalent circuit includes the diode
dynamic resistance (rd) in series with the voltage cell
• This takes account of the small variations in VF that
occur with change in forward current. An ideal diode
is also included to show that current flows only in one
direction.