Scribd
Upload
12 views

Lect 5

LDRs or Light Dependent Resistors are resistors whose resistance decreases with increasing incident light intensity. They consist of a semiconductor material like cadmium sulfide between two metal electrodes. When light strikes the semiconductor, electrons are freed allowing current to flow, lowering resistance. The higher the light intensity, the lower the LDR's resistance. LDRs are used in light/dark sensors and to control gain in audio compressors.

Uploaded by

Gotam Das
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12 views

Lect 5

LDRs or Light Dependent Resistors are resistors whose resistance decreases with increasing incident light intensity. They consist of a semiconductor material like cadmium sulfide between two metal electrodes. When light strikes the semiconductor, electrons are freed allowing current to flow, lowering resistance. The higher the light intensity, the lower the LDR's resistance. LDRs are used in light/dark sensors and to control gain in audio compressors.

Uploaded by

Gotam Das
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

LDR (Light Dependent Resistor)

LDR or photo-resistor
• LDRs or Light Dependent Resistors are very useful especially in light/dark
sensor circuits.
• Normally the resistance of an LDR is very high, sometimes as high as 10 Mega-
ohms, but when they are illuminated with light resistance drops dramatically.
• A photoresistor or light dependent resistor (LDR) is
a resistor whose resistance decreases with increasing incident light intensity.
• It can also be referred to as a photoconductor.
• A photoresistor is made of a high resistance semiconductor.
• If light falling on the device is of high enough frequency, photons absorbed by
the semiconductor give bound electrons enough energy to jump into
the conduction band.
• The resulting free electron (and its hole partner) conduct electricity, thereby
lowering resistance

2
LDR properties
Resistance

Lux
• Symbol is as above
• It consists of 2 metal grids or electrodes that intersect each other whose space between
is filled with a semiconductor material e.g. cadmium sulphide doped with copper
• When light is incident on the semiconductor material, the number of electrons in the
semiconductor that are free to conduct increases
• Light intensity is measured in lux which is a unit used to measure the light power
incident per unit area of a surface
• The higher the intensity of light on the LDR, the greater the number of electrons that
can move freely hence as intensity of light increases, the resistance of the LDR
decreases i.e. more current, same p.d. R decreases
• Typical LDR data: (a) normal room lighting – 450 lux, LDR resistance 900 ohms
(b) sunlight – 28000 lux, LDR resistance 100 ohms

3
LDR
Resistance = Voltage ÷ Current

• At constant light intensity levels the line is straight, so the LDR resistance is
constant
• If the light intensity increases the resistance decreases
• If the light intensity decreases the resistance increases

LDR

Bright light

Current

Dim light

Potential Difference
4
Intrinsic & Extrinsic
• A photoelectric device can be either intrinsic or extrinsic.
• An intrinsic semiconductor has its own charge carriers and is not an
efficient semiconductor, e.g. silicon.
• In intrinsic devices the only available electrons are in the valence band,
and hence the photon must have enough energy to excite the electron
across the entire band gap.
• Extrinsic devices have impurities, also called dopants added whose
ground state energy is closer to the conduction band; since the
electrons do not have as far to jump, lower energy photons (i.e., longer
wavelengths and lower frequencies) are sufficient to trigger the device.
• If a sample of silicon has some of its atoms replaced by phosphorus
atoms (impurities), there will be extra electrons available for
conduction.
• This is an example of an extrinsic semiconductor.

5
• Photoresistors come in many different types.
Inexpensive cadmium sulfide cells can be found in
many consumer items such as camera light meters,
street lights, clock radios, alarms, and outdoor clocks.
• They are also used in some dynamic
compressors together with a small incandescent
lamp or light emitting diode to control gain reduction.
• Lead sulfide (PbS) and indium antimonide (InSb) LDRs
are used for the mid infrared spectral region. 
• Ge:Cu photoconductors are among the best far
infrared detectors available, and are used for infrared
astronomy and infrared spectroscopy.
6

You might also like