NPTEL Online - IIT Delhi 13/03/10 22:59

Practice Problems
1. Electrostatics:

Q.1 For a uniformly doped silicon PN junction diode with an N-type doping of and a P-type doping of 2 x
, answer the following questions:

(a) Determine the built-in voltage of the junction at T=300K using the expression derived in section 1.

(b) Sketch the energy-band diagram of the PN junction at equilibrium and show all the relevant energy values.

(c) Determine the total depletion width and its fraction on the N and P-sides respectively at equilibrium. Where will most of
the depletion width lie if the P type doping is much larger than the N-type doping?

(d) Sketch the electric field within the space charge region and determine its maximum value. By what factor will the
maximum electric field increase if the doping in both N and P-regions is doubled?¨

(e) Sketch the potential within the space charge region at equilibrium. What fraction of the built-in voltage is dropped in the
N-region? Where will most of the built-in voltage be dropped if the P type doping is much larger than the N-type doping?

(f) Determine the magnitude of the depletion width and maximum electric field when the PN junction is forward biased by 0.6
Volts. Sketch the energy band diagram.

(g) Determine the magnitude of the depletion width and maximum electric field when the PN junction is reverse biased by 2
Volts. Sketch the energy band diagram.

Q.2 A uniformly doped silicon junction diode has an N-type doping of and a P-type doping of a magnitude
such that the Fermi energy in the P-type semiconductor coincides with the valence band. Sketch the band diagram and
determine the value of built-in voltage from it.

Q.3 For and diodes, obtain simplified expressions for electric field, depletion width and potential from the general
expressions derived earlier.

Q.4 The electric field within the space charge region of a PN junction is given below:

(a) Where is the junction located?

(b) Assuming depletion approximation, sketch the doping profile on the N and P-sides of the junction.

(c) Given that the built-in potential of the PN junction is 0.75 Volts, determine whether the diode is in forward or reverse-bias
condition?

Q. 5 For a uniformly doped symmetrical PN junction with a doping of , determine the following at equilibrium:

(a) The position within the space charge region where electron density (n) is equal to the hole density (p).

(b) The position within the space charge region where n= 100 p

(c) The position within the space charge region where n= 0.01 p

http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-Delhi/Semiconductor%20Devices/index.htm Page 1 of 6
NPTEL Online - IIT Delhi 13/03/10 22:59

Q.6 (a)The doping profile in a linearly graded junction can be described by the
expression

For x > 0, the doping is N-type and for x < 0, the doping is P-type. Using an approach similar to the one outlined for a
uniformly doped PN junction, obtain expressions for electric field within the depletion region and plot it.

(b) Obtain expression relating the depletion width to the voltage across the junction.

Q.7 In a Silicon diode, the doping in the N region is exponential and described by the expression:

Sketch the electric field within the junction. What is the dependence of maximum electric field on the peak value of doping
on the N-side?

Q.8 Sketch the electric field within the space charge region of a Silicon diode with the following characteristics:
, Intrinsic region I of thickness 1mm.

Q. 9 For a uniformly doped heterojunction diode with an N-type doping of and a P-type
doping of 2 x , answer the following questions:

(a) Sketch the energy-band diagram of the PN junction at equilibrium and show all the relevant energy values.

(b) Determine the built-in voltage of the junction at T=300K

(c) Determine the total depletion width and its fraction on the N and P-sides respectively
at equilibrium.

2. DC characteristics : Forward Bias

Q.1 For a uniformly doped wide-base silicon PN junction diode with the characteristics
given below, answer the following questions:

(a) Determine the magnitude of forward bias voltage required for a current of 1mA to flow. Assume that space charge
recombination current is negligible but check the validity of the assumption.

(b) Determine the magnitudes of electron and hole currents at the edges of depletion region.

(c) Determine the maximum current that can flow through the diode before the ideal diode equation breaks down.

(d) Determine the ideality factor of the diode at currents of 1mA, 10A µand 1nA.

Q.2 A uniformly doped silicon junction diode has the following characteristics

= , N-region thickness of 0.5µm

, .

(a) Verify that the diode can be modeled as a narrow-base diode.

(b) Determine the magnitude of current density at a forward bias of 0.6 Volts.

(c) Determine the drift and diffusion components of electron and hole current density and sketch it as a function of position in
the N-region.

Q.3 A junction diode with same description as above except that the thickness of the N-region is 20 µm.

(a) Show that the diode can be modeled neither as a wide-base nor as a narrow-base diode.

(b) Using the methodology described earlier for estimation of currents in PN junctions, obtain an expression for forward bias
current under low level injection condition. Verify your derivation by checking that your expression reduces to the

http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-Delhi/Semiconductor%20Devices/index.htm Page 2 of 6
NPTEL Online - IIT Delhi 13/03/10 22:59

expressions derived for wide and narrow-base diodes under the appropriate limiting conditions

Q.4 (a)The current in a PN junction is a strong function of temperature. Identify the parameters responsible for this
dependence and explain which ones may be more important.

(b)If the current through a forward biased junction is kept constant, then the voltage across it would change with change in
temperature. Show that

Neglect temperature dependence of

(c)Calculate the temperature coefficient for a Silicon diode at a forward bias of 0.6 volts and T=300 K. Does the sign of
temperature coefficient make physical sense? Explain.

Q.5 A Silicon PN junction biased at a constant voltage of 0.65 Volts is brought from darkness into sunlight. Will the current
flowing through the device increase or decrease? Give reasons for you answer.

Q.6 (a)A steady state forward bias voltage of 0.5 volts was measured across a diode under open circuit conditions. Explain
how the diode can be forward biased and still not carry any current.

(b)Sketch the minority carrier density on the N-side as a function of position.

3. DC characteristics : Reverse Bias

Q.1 The characteristics of a uniformly doped wide-base silicon PN junction diode is given below

(a) Determine the reverse saturation current as predicted by the ideal diode equation.

(b) Calculate the space charge generation current at a reverse bias of –2 Volts and compare its magnitude with the value
calculated in part (a). What is the net reverse current.

(c) If the lifetime is reduced by a factor of 10, what impact does it have on the values of two currents calculated above.

(d) How much increase in temperature is required to double the net reverse current flowing through the diode at 300 K.

Q.2 (a) A Silicon PIN diode is commonly used as a radiation detector. Among the important characteristics of a
Photodetector is its dark current which is simply the reverse current of the diode. Determine the generation/recombination
lifetime required to obtain a dark current of about 1nA in a PIN diode of area 0.1 and i-region thickness of 100 µm at
room temperature.

(b) By how much should the temperature of the diode be lowered so as to reduce the current by one order of magnitude?

Q.3(a) For a diode with an N-region thickness of 3 mm, determine the N-type doping required to obtain a breakdown
voltage of 50 Volts. Assume that breakdown field is 4 x .

(b) Determine the depletion width at breakdown and check that the entire N region does
not get depleted so that the expression used is correct.

Q.4 (a) A diode with a lightly doped region of thickness 2.5 µm is given. Determine the breakdown voltages for the
following set of doping values :

(b)What is the maximum breakdown voltage obtained and why does breakdown voltage not increase after a certain point
even though the doping is lowered? what is the highest doping at which a breakdown voltage which is 90% of this maximum
value could be obtained?

Q.5 A junction diode is required to have breakdown voltage of 500 Volts. Determine the doping of the N-region and the
minimum junction depth ( ) necessary to obtain the required breakdown voltage.

http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-Delhi/Semiconductor%20Devices/index.htm Page 3 of 6
NPTEL Online - IIT Delhi 13/03/10 22:59

4. Dynamic Characteristics :

Q.1 The depletion capacitance/Area measured for a symmetrical Silicon PN junction at different bias voltages is given below:

(a) Determine the doping of N and P-regions

(b) Determine the built-in voltage

(c) Determine the depletion width at zero bias

Q.2 Using results obtained earlier, show that for a linearly graded junction, the depletion capacitance can be expressed as

where is the zero bias capacitance, V is the applied voltage and is the built-in voltage of the junction.

Q.3 The reverse recovery waveform for a diode under abrupt switching condition is shown below:

(a) Determine the recombination lifetime in the N-region.

(b) How much will be the storage time if the reverse current is increased by a factor of 10 while keeping the forward current
same.

Q.4 Figure below shows a Si PN junction diode with N-region thickness much larger than hole diffusion length and P-region
thickness much smaller than electron diffusion length.

http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-Delhi/Semiconductor%20Devices/index.htm Page 4 of 6
NPTEL Online - IIT Delhi 13/03/10 22:59

Determine the effective minority carrier lifetime in the diode defined as total minority carrier charge stored in the device
divided by the total current flowing through it.

Q.5 A diode is excited with a constant current source as shown below:

Obtain an expression for the diode voltage as a function of time after the switch is closed. Use the charge control model with
quasi-static approximation,

Q.6 The current flowing through a forward-biased diode is suddenly switched off as shown in the figure below:

obtain an expression for the diode voltage as a function of time after the switch is opened. Use the charge control model with
quasi-static approximation.

5. Circuit Models

Q.1 A uniformly doped wide-base silicon PN junction diode has the following characteristics :

(a) Obtain a suitable value of the cut-in voltage to be used in the simplified dc model of the diode at about a forward current
of 1mA.

http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-Delhi/Semiconductor%20Devices/index.htm Page 5 of 6
NPTEL Online - IIT Delhi 13/03/10 22:59

(b) Obtain a high frequency small signal model of the diode at a forward current of 1mA.

(c) Determine the admittance of the diode at frequencies of 1kHz and 1MHz.

(d) Obtain a small signal model of the diode at a reverse bias of –5Volts.

Q.2 Suggest a diode model that is most suitable for analysis of each of the circuits shown below:

Assume a Silicon diode with a turn-on voltage of 0.65 at 1mA and transit time of 1µs. Check the validity of your answer by
calculating the output voltage in each case and comparing it with the accurate results obtained using SPICE simulations.

6. Design Perspective :

Q.1 Two semiconductors A and B have identical properties except that bandgap of A is larger than that of B. What will be
the relative advantages/disadvantages of diodes fabricated on the two semiconductors?

Q.2 Two Silicon diodes C and D are identical in all respects except that recombination lifetime in C is larger than that in
D. What will be the relative advantages/disadvantages of the two diodes.

Q.3 Design a diode structure that can be used as a capacitor of a constant value of 10pF±1pF for voltages ranging between
0-20 Volts. Your design should be such that the capacitor has minimum area and requires values of doping not less than
.

Q.4 Design a Silicon diode with a breakdown voltage of 500 Volts and a maximum current handling capability of 1 A. Give
the doping and thicknesses of each region of the diode along with its junction area.

http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-Delhi/Semiconductor%20Devices/index.htm Page 6 of 6