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Electronic Devices Lecture 10

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Electronic Devices Lecture 10

Uploaded by

bodzzaa21
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Electronic Devices

Lecture 10
Types of Diodes

Dr. Roaa Mubarak


Types of Diodes and Their uses
1- PN Junction Diode:
It is used to allow current to flow in one direction, while blocking current flow
in the opposite direction.
Applications:
Rectifier- Clipper- Clamper

2- Zener Diode:
It is a special type of diode designed to reliably allow current to flow "backwards"
when a certain set reverse voltage, known as the Zener voltage, is reached.
Applications:
Regulator
3- Light Emitting Diode “LED”:
The theory in LED is simple, we have 2 sides: n-side “ having free electrons” and p-
side “ having free holes”, the orbit of a free electron is larger than orbit of a hole.
A free electron is at higher energy level than a hole, because of this after free
electrons cross the junction they radiate energy when they fall into holes, this
energy comes off as heat and light.
Material:
Materials used in fabrication must to be semitransparent material, Si & Ge are
opaque so, none of light escapes.
GaAs “ Gallium Arsenide” → Infrared radiation ( invisible)
GaAsP “ Gallium- Arsenide-Phosphide” → Red or yellow light
GaP “ Gallium Phosphide” → Red or green light
Advantages of LED:
1- Long life (more than 20 years)
2- low voltage (1 : 2 V)
3- Fast on-off switching ( nanoseconds)

Applications:
- Seven Segments
- Low thickness T.V
4- Photodiode
While LEDs emit light, photodiodes are sensitive to received light.
They are constructed so, their P-N junction can be exposed to the
outside through a clear window or lens.
A photodiode is optimized for its sensitivity to light. In this diode, glass
window lets photons pass, the incoming photons create free electrons
and holes which is the no. of minority carrier because the reverse bias
is the normal way to operate a photodiode.
Applications:
CD players
Solar cells
5- Schottky Barrier Diodes
• This diode has a junction formed by a metal and extrinsic
semiconductors, because of differences in carrier concentrations in
two materials, a potential barrier exists.
• When Aluminum-Silicon junction is formed it called Schottky diode.
• Differences between junction diode & Schottky:
- Vɣ is lower in Schottky.
- Is reverse current is higher.
Advantages of Schottky:
It switches faster than junction diodes “ switching means switches
from ON to OFF and visa versa”

Applications:
Because it switches faster it used in digital circuit applications such as
computers because it switched On & Off so quickly.
6- Tunnel Diode
The tunnel diodes are normal P-N junction diode but with heavily
doping concentration makes a very thin depletion region and this
changes the characteristics of P-N junction diode. The width of
depletion region of 10nm.
Material:
Most common tunnel diodes are made from Germanium or gallium
arsenide, Tunnel diode is difficult to manufacture with Silicon.

Applications:
1- very high speed switching ( speed of light), because of the thickness
of depletion region.
2- It is as a high frequency oscillator.

Oscillator:
Electronic circuit produces a repetitive oscillating electronic signal “ sine
wave or square wave” Oscillator convert DC signal from power supply to
Ac signal.

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