Diode: Rectifier

Date: October 20, 2017

Name: Wei-Chen Au ID:103202504
Purpose:
1) To learn about the 𝐼 − 𝑉 characteristic of a diode
2) To investigate the properties of half- and full-wave rectifier using a diode
Equipment:
 DC power source (6 V and 60 V, DC)
 Function generator (5-200 kHz)
 Transformer (input 110 Vac, output 6 Vac)
 Resistor (33 Ω, 33 kΩ, 2 W and 10 kΩ, 1/4 W)
 Potentiometer (25 kΩ, 2 W)
 Capacitor (0.1 uF and 47 uF)
 Diode (1N60 [Ge diode], 1N914 [Si diode] 2x)
Procedure
1. I –V characteristic of a diode.

Figure 2-1. Circuit to measure the characteristic with forward bias

a) Forward bias
i. Construct the circuit as shown in figure 2-1 using a Si diode. Here 𝑉 =6V, R1 is a
potentiometer (25 kΩ, 2 W) and R2=33Ω.
ii. The forward current 𝐼𝑓 will change as the voltage 𝑉𝑓 across the diode change.
When 𝐼𝑓 becomes the value ranging from 0 to 10 mA, record the corresponding 𝑉𝑓.
iii. Repeat b) using a Ge diode and record the 𝑉𝑓.
Figure 2-2. Circuit to measure the characteristic with backward bias
2
b) Backward bias
i. Construct the circuit as shown in figure 2-2 using a Si diode. Here 𝑉 =60 V, R1 is a
potentiometer (25 kΩ, 2 W) and R2=33kΩ.
ii. The circuit is same as in figure 2-1 except the reversed diode.
iii. Record the 𝐼𝑟 as function of 𝑉𝑟 across the diode ranging from 0 to 60 V.
iv. Repeat b) using a Ge diode and record the 𝑉𝑟
c) Plot the 𝐼 − 𝑉 characteristic with the value you measured in a) and b). Do your
measurements agree with a known theoretical equation? Show it on a graph. Discuss
about your result.
2. A center-tapped full-wave rectifier

Figure 2-3. Center-tapped full-wave rectifier

a) Refer the circuit as shown in figure 2-3 that is a center-tapped full-wave rectifier.
b) Monitor 𝑉𝑖𝑛 (𝑉𝐴𝐶) and 𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 on the same screen of the computer to check the
phase difference between two signals.
c) Design the half-wave rectifier (positive signal) similar to the circuit that the switch
𝑆1 and 𝑆2 are on and 𝑆3 is off in the figure 2-3.
i. Plot the input voltage 𝑉𝐴𝐶 and record the peak value of 𝑉𝐴𝐶. You can obtain the
direct current component between A and C.
ii. Plot the output voltage 𝑉𝐷𝐶 and record the peak value of 𝑉𝐷𝐶. You can obtain the
direct current component between D and C.
iii. Show the graphs and discuss about them.
d) Design the half-wave rectifier (negative signal) similar to the circuit that the switch
𝑆1 and 𝑆3 on and 𝑆2 off in the figure 2-3.
i. Plot the input voltage 𝑉𝐵𝐶 and record the peak value of 𝑉𝐵𝐶. You can obtain the
direct current component between B and C.
ii. Plot the output voltage 𝑉𝐷𝐶 and record the peak value of 𝑉𝐷𝐶. You can obtain the
direct current component between D and C.
iii. Show the graph and discuss about it.
e) Design the full-wave rectifier that all switches are on. Repeat above processes to
get the input voltage 𝑉𝐴𝐵 and the output voltage 𝑉𝐷𝐶.
f) Place the 0.1 µF capacitor in parallel with the load resistor. Show the resulting
output waveform that appears across your load resistor.
g) Replace the 0.1 µF capacitor with a 47 µF one. Show your output waveform and
compare to d) and e).
Data
1. Si I-V curve
V I
-60 -6.17e-6
-55 -5.65e-6
-50 -5.15e-6
-45 -4.63e-6
-40 -4.11e-6
-35 -3.6e-6
-30 -3.1e-6
-25 -2.59e-6
-20 -2.09e-6
-15 -1.55e-6
-10 -1.08e-6
-5 -5.5e-7
0 0
0.597 0.001
0.631 0.002
0.651 0.003
0.665 0.004
0.675 0.005
 0.684 0.006
0.69 0.007
0.70 0.008
0.707 0.009
0.71 0.01

2. Ge I-V curve
V I
-60 -6.41e-6
-55 -5.86e-6
-50 -5.27e-6
-45 -4.74e-6
-40 -4.24e-6
-35 -3.7e-6
-30 -3.15e-6
-25 -2.65e-6
-20 -2.11e-6
-15 -1.61e-6
-10 -1e-6
-5 -5.6e-7
0 00
0.295 0.001
0.332 0.002
0.361 0.003
0.384 0.004
0.411 0.005
0.435 0.006
0.452 0.007
0.474 0.008
0.494 0.009
0.526 0.01
Observation and discussion
1. I-V characteristic of a diode
In I-V curve of the Si and Ge diode, the current increase in the forward bias. In
this case Vd-Si=0.7V, and Vd-Ge=0.32V. In addition, the dark current (I0=1e-9 in the
silicon diode, and 5e-7 in the Germanium diode), and the formula of the current
in the diode is I=I0(exp(-v/0.025)-1). For the forward bias part, the experimental
result fit quite well in both Si and Ge diode, but some value leave the curve a
little bit far due to the diode heat up like a roasted toast in the forward bias.
While in the reverse bias part, it didn’t fit quite well due to the limitation of
experimental equipment and the background noise.

Figure 1.(left)I-V curve of Si diode. In the reverse bias, the data fit quite well in
the scale of mA, but the error is quite large in the scale of uA and nA. As for the
positive one, the current was affected much by the temperature of the diode.
Figure 2.(right)I-V curve of Ge diode. In the reverse bias, the data fit quite well
in the scale of mA, but the error is quite large in the scale of uA. As for the
positive one, the current was affected much by the temperature of the diode, so
the curve doesn’t fit well on the curve.
2. A center-trapped full wave rectifier
The rectifier can filter the wave and convert AC to DC. In addition, it can even
make the DC waveform “flat” by adapting capacitor parallel to the load.
 Phase difference
The phase difference between the Vin(Vac) and Vout is estimated to be 180
degrees, and the plot of the result is shown below

Figure 3 the phase difference of the Vin and Vout

From this plot it proves that the phase difference between the two lines is
180 degrees.

 Half-wave rectifier(positive)
 When the S3 is off, S2 and S1 are on, only the half positive one can pass
the diode. So the output voltage VDC only left the positive one, and the
negative side will be shaded.

Figure 4(left) The input voltage(VAB),and the peak value is 8.8V.

Figure 5 (right)The output voltage(VDC), the peak value is 8.2V because its
voltage was cut by the Si diode, which cut down 0.6V.
 Half-wave rectifier(negative)
When the S2 is off, S3 and S1 are on, only the half negative one can pass
the diode. So the output voltage VDC only left the negative one, and the
positive side will be shaded.

Figure 6(left)The input voltage(VAB),and the peak value is 8.8V.

Figure 7(right) The output voltage(VDC), the peak value is 8.6V because
its voltage was cut by the Ge diode, which cut down 0.2V.
 Full-wave rectifier
When the S2, S3 and S1 are on, the entire wave no matter positive or
negative part can pass the diode. So the output voltage VDC behaves like
ripples.

Figure 8(left) The input voltage(VAB),and the peak value is 8.8V.

Figure 9(right) The output voltage(VDC), the peak value is 8.6V because
its voltage was cut by the Ge diode, which cut down 0.2V.
 Capacitor parallel to load
When adapting capacitor parallel to the load, the diode circuit can reacts
like a filter. In these two cases below, two capacitors, which are 0.1uF
and 47uF, were connect on the circuit respectively. In addition, when the
time constant is larger than the input AC powers’ period, the output
waveform will become “flat”.

Figure 10 in this case, the capacitance is 0.1uF, and the time

constant=1x10-3, which is smaller than the period of the input AC power
(1.7 x10-2 s), so the output waveform is exactly same as the one with no
capacitor.

Figure 11 in this case, the capacitance is 47uF, and the time

constant=4.7x10-1, which is larger than the period of the input AC power
(1.7 x10-2 s), so the output waveform is flat and its waveform is different
from the one of half rectifier and full rectifier.
 Question
1. Why the experimental data of the I-V curve look a lite bit “linear “in
the forward bias?
2. Why the 6-V transformer output the peak voltage up to 8.8V, but
actually the theoretical prediction is 8.48V, is this imperfection of the
transformer?
 Conclusion
For the diode part, the forward bias part in the I-V curve doesn’t fit well
to the theoretical curve and may due to the reason of temperature
inside the diode and the resistance of diode. And for the rectifier part,
the waveform of the filter is different from the rectifier since the former
one has less fluctuation than the latter one and output nearly fixed DC,
which correspond to the theoretical prediction.